Well, I'm a little frustrated with the Anti-American sentiment right now. It isn't as blatant as "Death to America" (thinking of a Saturday Night Live skit--10 points to anyone else to who remembers it) but it's one of those pervasive things here in our English ward. Think of how a group of really bitter women talks about men and that's how most folks talk about Americans--they are understood to be bad and are the easy butts of jokes. I remember as a young college student my female friends and I would refer to a particularly badly designed building as "obviously designed by a man." You know, that sort of thing.

It is so annoying! Katie--do you find similar sentiments in the church in Asia? It's as if being an international church means that all American anythings must go out the window and if they don't then obviously we're not being sensitive to the local members. Tonight at our Enrichment on the RS Birthday I really felt like it was thought to be Anti-British to be knowledgable about the history of RS (above and beyond knowledge of, say, the first few years of RS--the type of stuff that comes up in lessons on the founding of RS). As if knowing the past RS Presidents is somehow an American thing instead of a Mormon thing! So previous RS Presidents are not relevant because they aren't British? It was frustrating because nights like this are supposed to bring us together as a sisterhood and I just felt excluded and singled out.

Grrrr.

Marianne

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Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you!
--"A Beautiful Mind"

I'm sorry, Marianne! It reminds me a little of the "Utah Mormon" prejudice. I doubt they even realize they are doing it. :-(

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It's rooted in deep Utah Mormon prejudice. I remember when I got here they were *visibly* relieved that I wasn't from Utah. Of course, I am still an American, which is bad enough I think you're right, though...they really aren't thinking it through.

Marianne

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Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you!
--"A Beautiful Mind"

Either that or they're doing just what everyone else is: finding someone to blame. It's sad to think that other countries think that we all agree and that all Americans are the same. I'm sure it is hard for them because if you just look at the surface, we ARE the reason they're involved in the war.

Still, so sorry you have to deal with that. I'm SO sorry you have to feel uncomfortable. Maybe you can find some subtle way to remind them that many early members of the church who helped get things going and were great missionaries were from England! Doubt that would help!

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Wow, Marianne, that's got to be really tough. I haven't really felt that at all out here. Actually, I'd say that the majority of our branch is American, so it's not really an issue. We do have a lot of Australians, some from the UK, and a lot of other Asians (japanese, Korean, Philippino etc), but it seems like people are just more interested in getting to know and understand the other cultures rather than talk bad about them.

Outside of church, though, I feel like it's about 50/50. Once in awhile there will be a Chinese who tries to start some debate with us about politics, but we're just not into that and try to get out of the conversation. But I've never been outright insulted or anything because I'm American.

On a side note, though, dh and I were just talking the other day about the different connotations between using "America" vs. "the States" vs. "the US". When someone asks where I'm from or asks something about my backgroung, I always say, "the states" or "back home in the States". I notice that I never say, "I'm from America." It just sounds weird to me. I'm not sure why. What about you?

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~*~ Katie ~*~






http://thewanfamilyadventures.blogspot.com/

I do find myself more often saying, "The states," but people often say to me "You're from America!" or "Where are you from in America?" Maybe psychologically we don't want to be associated with the negative things that are being said about "America"?

Marianne, American

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Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you!
--"A Beautiful Mind"

To me, it makes more sense to say "the u.s." or "the states" because I've always felt like the term "American" applies to so many different people--Canada & Mexico, plus all of central America and South America, not to mention Native Americans. I feel like you're less specific if you say "America".

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That's true in a purely literal sense, but you'll never find a Canadian who would admit to being an "American." The term "American" is universally acknowledged as meaning someone from the US (and Native Americans ARE from the US).

Marianne

__________________
Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you!
--"A Beautiful Mind"