A week back, foreigners shared the most head-scratching aspects of American culture: from going into debt for a wedding to the absurdity of the healthcare system to our pride in working ourselves to death, I wasn’t feeling much love from my fellow earthlings. They do have a point though: we do ask each other “how you doing?” when we couldn’t give a shit less about the answer.
Foreigners have now come out in droves to reveal the Americanisms that they envy and what makes us unique from everywhere else in the world. If you can read these without getting a throbbing patriotic boner, you’re don’t deserve the esteemed title of ‘American.’
Indonesian here…
Premium Outlets
Disneyland (fuck all disneylands in Asia, except Tokyo)
General Tso’s Chicken
Burgers (in n out, whataburger), heck even your McD is better than ours
Bacon. The first thing I ate in the US was slices of American bacon during breakfast in a hotel. I’ll never forget its taste after more than 20 years.
The availibility of products and services. You guys dont realize how much you’ve got. Anything and everything you can ever want is at your fingertips and it’s for the most part taken for granted.
I’ve had friends come home from school abroad and its almost sadistically comical watching them readjust to life in the country they were born and raised in. They came to expect that life should just be the way it is in America. And when they realized life back at home has yet to catch up; theyre distraught and depressed.
What stuck out to me at first was the extroverted nature of your happiness and engagement. Like, I stick out with some silly hair most places I go but never gotten so many random “nice hair bro!” comments and high fives from fuckin randos as when I was in LA. Felt immediately welcomed (something else I reckon you nail too)
The yanks I’ve become friends with are enthusiastic with their fun and proud of the great things your countries done, and thoughtful about the less than stellar parts of your history/culture. I think that shows a really healthy society.
I know no country is perfect, and you’ve certainly got a ways to go in a lot of areas, but visiting the USA is great fun, and becoming friends with some of you has been awesome. The ridiculously varied nature of your country is special and I hope you guys know it – most other countries, Australia included, feel far more evened out in terms of climate, culture, music, style etc. The difference in all of those things in the States is fuckin mind blowing – and really awesome. Awesomer still is that despite all that, you lot are all still Americans, United after all. I’m coming back in June and I’m fuckin stoked
EDIT: To everyone below telling me to visit their state or city – way to100% prove my point! You’re all so stoked to show off the great places you live, and welcome a stranger from the other side of the world to have a drink or a meal with you. That’s straight up beautiful. Fucking love it.
If I ever have the money to do whatever I wish, I’ll be on two wheels and visiting you all with a smile and a six pack
The air is so clean in the United States. Only when you come from a country with massive amounts of polution (Beijing, China) do you really appreciate how blue the sky is and how fresh the air is.
Strawberry milkshakes.
How seriously committed most Americans are to reading their Constitution and knowing their rights.
Lame response, I know, but I do think Americans take their freedoms that much more seriously than other nationalities, and I think that’s great.
Your absolutely mad AF BBQ.
I always saw that shit on TV shows like Man vs Food or BBQ Pitmasters. You just don’t get that kind of stuff in New Zealand.
Your patriotism. For better or for worse, (mostly) regardless of political affiliation, you people love your country. I respect that.
This may not be a common opinion, I like the USPS.
…..
What bro?
Thank you to all those who weighed in on our greatness.
Check out the full thread here.