It’s Jan. 2, everyone in the room is jet lagged, and, of course, London’s classic rain soaked everyone on the way to the conference. The administrators of the abroad program wait for us to grab our cups of coffee, ignoring the tea like the Americans we are, and pick through the assortment of cookies, or rather, biscuits before taking out seats.
My immediate impressions from of looking at the members of the program is that they are dressed sharply. No one is wearing blue jeans; Several of the men are even wearing three-piece suits. All too aware of my own jeans and shirt that I slept in the night before, I hunkered down to listen.
The British stereotype is alive and thriving in America. Before I disembarked, my dentist laughingly told me not to go to any British dentists. We have this vision of them being tea-loving, prim, proper and posh. In America we’re enamored with their curse words (“tw*t” has such a zing to it), their dramas such as Downton Abbey (no spoilers, promise) and their accents.
But it was not until I was sitting there in that conference room that I actually questioned how they perceive us from across the pond. Well, first off they don’t even use the phrase “across the pond.”
Please note with immediate effect, the British are brutally biting with their honesty.
American Stereotype No. One: We are overzealous and overbearing about everything at all times.
“You’re too cheery,” said one adviser, Terry. “Everyone will know you’re an American when you’re sitting in class and you turn to your classmate to introduce yourself. The poor British student will shrivel up there and then,” he laughed.
Another advisor, Lynn, added, “Yes, I remember in the summer I was riding the Tube [subway]. There were American students on it, and everyone knew they were not British because, first, no one talks on the Tube.” She continued, in a haughty and incredulous tone, “There was this one girl speaking of how she had had a boyfriend, has sex with him, then she found out he was cheating — in that 15 minute Tube ride we got this girl’s whole life story. Everyone sighed in relief when she left.”
My response: You’re simply jealous of how much faster we can make friends.
Stereotype No. Two: We’re all Gunslingers.
Terry: “We went to visit the American study abroad office in Indiana and were talking about guns in a diner when one of the assistants then stated: ‘You can never be too careful’ and then placed a revolver on the table. Inside of a restaurant.”
Lynn: “I had never seen him jump so high!”
My response: With media portrayal and the abundance of shootings, unfortunately this opinion has merit.
Stereotype No. Three: We’re all Right-Wing Prudes
Fact: The United Kingdom has given same-sex couples the ability to have civil partnerships since 2004, which gave couples all the same power as married couples in the States.
Another Fact: In the States we do unfortunately have the Westboro Baptist Church, remnants of the Bible Belt that deny evolution and Republicans denying that a woman will conceive if she is raped unless God wills it.
My response: The fact that it took us so long to accept the LGBT community to the extent we do today in order to move forward and bring equality to all is shameful. Also with callous Republican statements over abortion rights and Texas’ refusal to teach evolution in public education it is no surprise that this stereotype has a concrete basis.
Stereotype No. Four: Americans are all Born with Amex Cards in our hands.
Example: The Kardashians.
My response: This is definitely True.
Being abroad has let me see a new side to America.
Sofia Diez is a sophomore Mechanical Engineer from Fairfax, VA.
