Breeze perspectives: Animosity abroad
Students who study overseas might face more than culture shock and jet lag
Posted on August 27, 2007
I spent the second semester of my junior year studying abroad, and I realized you do not need the diplomatic title and cushy office in order to take the responsibility of an ambassador to defend the United States’ international reputation.
I studied in a small university city in Germany, but was also fortunate enough to travel to several other European countries during my stay. Everywhere I went, I found the people to be friendly and helpful.
However, no matter if I was in the bustling city of Berlin, the beaches of Valencia, a flat in London, or my own student dormitory, one pattern was consistent. As soon as people found out I was American, prior to introductions or genial greetings, I would hear statements like “Oh, really… I hate George Bush.” (Believe me, I did not lose anything in translation).
As a liberal college student, I am nowhere near being a fan of the man either. However, I am a very patriotic American, and while I knew before going abroad that America was not favored in most of the world, actually experiencing this aversion face to face is disturbing. I was repeatedly assured that it is not American people or our culture, but purely our politics that people detest.
Yet, I still found myself in an odd position. On one hand, I agree that our administration has made many errors and many innocent people have lost their lives, including young American soldiers, some of whom are our peers. On the other hand, instead of making me feel ashamed, the constant criticism by acquaintances and strangers who heard me speaking English oddly made me even more determined to defend America’s character.
Some students that were in my program took on the, ‘who-cares-what-anyone-else-thinks” bravado. They believed no one but Americans had the right to judge America’s actions. Others I traveled with to Germany began feeling guilty and even ashamed, and wanted to tell people they were Canadian, instead of facing the criticism that being American entailed.
I am writing this article, because as Americans we should be proud of who we are. But we should also be outraged that our reputation has been dragged through the mud around the world.
It is certainly a sign of the times when even a toothless, elderly, Spanish man in broken English sitting on bench next to you screams “Iraq! Iraq!” Or when a British professor at a train station, or a German tutor, or a Croatian exchange student, all lecture you on everything from Guantanamo, to Iraq, to Afghanistan, it is truly heartbreaking.
Even though we are shielded from many of these criticisms on a daily basis in Harrisonburg, this growing resentment around the world is still something that should be considered a great concern.
In this era of technology, telecommunication, and globalization, the world is becoming a smaller place and no matter where your political allegiances lie, you too may find yourself struggling to defend our nation, and at a loss for words.
Jamie Dunn is a senior international relations major.