What Generalizations do the Japanese Have On Americans ? [Archive]

lexico

Jun 25, 2005, 22:47

This would be its own great thread, "What Generalizations Japanese Have On Americans ?"Jack said it all.
Since there are supposedly only 1 Japanese out of 20 members, I may have to extend the question to "If you are not Japanese, or less Japanese than otherwise, what do you think the Japanese generalize about Americans ?"

Of particular interest would be the case when you are American, but have little to do with the US, i.e. you are either Canadian, Mexican, or South American, the question would be adjusted, "Do you think the average Japanese could/would/should distinquish between a US American and a non-US American ? If so, in what way ?"

To keep things simple, what are some Japanese racial stereotypes about US citizens ? And how is that different from stereotypes about non-US Americans, Europeans, Africans, Australians, Australians, and non-Japanese Asians ?

original question was raised by Jack Refering to Non Japanese things as Japanese... (http://www.jref.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4681&page=1&pp=25).

misa.j

Jun 30, 2005, 02:09

I can't have any sorts of generalization about Americans as so diverse the country is.
I understand where you are coming from, though; a lot of Japanese people may have narrow views on other countries not only America because a lot of them get informed by watching TV.

Ma Cherie

Jun 30, 2005, 02:28

I think one generalization that the Japanese may have is that all Americans are Caucasion. :souka:

PopCulturePooka

Jun 30, 2005, 10:16

Or that all Causcasians are American.

Shibuyaexpat

Jun 30, 2005, 14:21

Japanese Generalizations on Americans (that I've heard or come across personally):

- FAT (all caps intended to emphasize the frequency of this generalization)
- White, and sometimes Black
- All have guns
- Love and/or support the current idiot in Office
- Unaware of cultures/countries/histories outside that of the U.S.
- Mono-lingual
- Loud
- Aggressive
- Overly complaining
- Open-hearted
- Generous
- Risk Taking (in a good way)

PopCulturePooka

Jun 30, 2005, 16:24

- Unaware of cultures/countries/histories outside that of the U.S.

:D
the irony there is delicious!

studyonline

Jul 3, 2005, 08:38

Shibuyaexpat

Jul 7, 2005, 13:14

I used to think most Americans are obnoxious, crazy, and talkative.

I remember it surprised me that there were some shy people here. I never imagined an American to be as shy as most Japanese.
I think the inverse of this also applies in Japan. I used to think that most Japanese are quiet and shy, but after having spent time in Japan, I found many instances to the contrary.

lonesoullost3

Jul 7, 2005, 21:18

- All have guns
- Love and/or support the current idiot in Office

- Mono-lingual

Big :D :D :D on the first two. hahahahaha.

Mono-lingual I have heard from many other countries. The fact of the matter is that, yes, the majority of american's don't speak another language. And it's a very easy explanation why. If we look at Europe, a given country is surrounded by three or four other countries that may - but probably not - speak a different language. In some cases, you only have to drive 6 hours or so to find yourself in a new country and a new language - sometimes even less time. But the US has a much bigger land mass. If we drive north to our friendly neighbor Canada we can still speak English there. Sure some of the populace speaks French as well, but in the territories that do (correct me if I'm wrong) both English and French are considered official languages. If we head south, we go into Latin America and the Caribbean. The main language there is Spanish - and yes we have many people who can speak spanish in the southern states that border these regions. However, the rest of the United States doesn't have a necessity to learn other languages.

ALSO, and I think more importantly, less than 23% of American's have passports!! (Rep. Barbara Lee D-Calif., 06/23/05, http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44946) Which means of course that less than 23% of our population can actually go abroad to other countries - the only country we can travel too without a passport is Canada, and I explained that earlier. I think that here lies the generalization about mono-lingual Americans. Those that do travel abroad make the effort to learn the language of the country they are visiting. Or if they visit many countries and can't become fluent in each language, they at least try to learn phrases and etiquette.

Therefore, without the necessity to learn another language nor the incentive to learn for travel purposes there is sufficient explanation to satisfy the generalization of mono-lingual Americans. And sadly....the generalization isn't far from the truth.

Gaijinian

Jul 7, 2005, 23:47

Christian...

den4

Jul 12, 2005, 09:08

When I was still living in Japan, they kept telling me that Oregon was near Iowa...and they insisted that I had to drink coffee because I was an American....and that I must drink Amerikan cohee because it is a weak coffee and that I was American.
They still asked me for my blood type and what Chinese Astrological symbol I was born under... :D

Maciamo

Jul 12, 2005, 10:43

I think most of it has been said. The ones I hear most often are : fat, aggressive and own a gun.

It is also true that a very great number of Japanese automatically think that all white people are American. I has happened many times to me that people had had known for a while and who knew exactly where I was from still asked me (without thinking) "how do you do this in America ?" or similar questions that made it clear I was still an Amercian in their head. I remember someone who actually asked me 3 or 4 times in 2 years, and everytime I said that I didn't know as I was not American, but European. What I don't understand is that this person had been to the US and otherwise travelled quite a lot. So it's not a matter of ignorance, just the "wires that won't reconnect in their head", probably because they had associated white with American since the childhood.

As for all American being white, it's a quite strange stereotype if you ask me. I would understand it for Europeans, Argentinians, Chileans or Australians, but not for the US, as only 77% of US citizens are white.

Another stereotype, that is also shareed by many Europeans I think, is that the biggest proportion of whites in the US are of British descent. This is false. Only 8.7% of US citizens claim English ancestry and 1.7% Scottish. I had a look at the utterly fascinating Demographics of the United States (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States) on Wikipedia, and was amazed to see that the largest number of ancestry claimed in total were for the Germans (15.2%), then Irish (10.2%), then African American (8.8%). But more incredible is when we look at the ancestry with largest population per state or county (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries-by-County.jpg). German ancestry is the highest in 23 states, and all big (though usually sparsely populated) ones. Would you believe that Italians are the majority in 4 states (NY, NJ, Connecticut and Rhode Island if I can see well on the map). Irish in 3 (Massachussets, New Hampshire and Delaware). Maybe it is less surprising that African American are the majority in 8 (southern) states (from Maryland to Louisiana) and Mexican in 4 (California, Arizona, the aptly named New Mexico, and Texas). That leaves us with only 3 states with English as the largest ancestry : Maine, Vermont (French come second in both states) and Utah (why Utah ?).

Another common stereotypes shared by Europeans is that Americans are Christian. This appears to be true. In 1990, 88.3% of the Americans were Christian (about 1/3 Catholic and 2/3 Protestant). I was pleasantly surprised to see that it fell a bit to 79.8% in 2001, and that the number of Atheist/Agnostics increased from 8.4% to 15%. Atheist/Agnostics are now the 3rd largest "religious" group after Catholics and Baptists. In 2001 all non-Christian religions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.) accounted only for 5.2% of the US population (I didn't see "Jedi Knight" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon) in the stats, although this is officially the 4th largest religious group in the UK, claiming 390,000 followers :D ).

So 77% of Americans are white and 80% are Christian, and the percentage of both are decreasing every year. So there is a ground for stereotypes, but also a big margin of error.

Shibuyaexpat

Jul 12, 2005, 11:14

ALSO, and I think more importantly, less than 23% of American's have passports!! Wow this is really amazing! Along this line, I wonder how many Americans have traveled outside their States? I thought I read somewhere that over half of high school grads can't find a specific State on the U.S. map. Sad.

deadhippo

Jul 12, 2005, 11:21

well, i have to admit to having similar stereotypes of american citizens
i think many people have guns
many people are obese
and many people are Christian...and i believe they are true
and certainly compared with my country the first two statements are true

regarding to being asked if i was american in japan
of course i was but not half as many times as i was asked in europe if i were english
but i dont take any offence and dont see any reason too

regarding jedi knights...i believe there are also many in new zealnd but for some reason they werent included in the official count

Warlock

Jul 20, 2005, 06:28

Ma Cherie

Jul 20, 2005, 06:39

most americans cant distinguish japanese and chinese oriental..they cant tell such as music.. i think americans are sarcastic,over confident,egoistic and sometimes arrogant people,very impusive and greedy..womenizers with less or no sexual restraint..the first thing that usually comes to my mind when i see an american in my country is... "pervert" yes and thats something new for you..when in japan..the first place they would go probrably to a bar and a prostitution center...they wont leave japan without being there first..seen them a lot in bangkok too..white caucassions...

ah and yes americans do have guns in most of every homes..legalizing selling of arms.. they love guns.. used to read "soldier of fortune"..this megazine encourages to buy guns to hunt down and shoot illegal immigrants near the mexican border..

Ummmmmmm.................I'm going to say this to you.

You know absolutly nothing. Okay darling, so take these pointless, ignorant generalizations and shove it. I'm not one to b****, but people like you make me want to. And by the way, I can distinguish a Chinese and Japanese person, espcially from their language, because I stuided Japanese (is that new for you darling, that an American studies another language?) I go to school with many ethinicities and therefore I have gained some knowladge. Have you gained any knowledge darling about other cultures, or are you blinded by idiotic stereotypes? :okashii:

Warlock

Jul 20, 2005, 06:50

Ma Cherie

Jul 20, 2005, 07:01

sorry dear !but THATS not convincing at all..what about the rest dear...ever read "soldier of fortune"...

im happy for your common sense to distinguish chinese and japanese oriental..

What do you mean the "rest?" So to you all Americans are white? All Americans own guns, all of us are perverted? You can't clump us all together like that, besides judging from your previous post your just as ignorant as the Americans who know nothing about your culture. :okashii:

Warlock

Jul 20, 2005, 07:25

cicatriz esp

Jul 20, 2005, 07:36

..kimi wa baka mono

Personal attacks don't fly here.

I personally do not know anyone that owns a gun.

Also, I've run into the "100% of Americans are Bush supporters" misconception more times than I'd like to remember :okashii: .

Warlock

Jul 20, 2005, 07:42

maybe we should raid their homes like how the US occupation forces raid homes of iraqis...................do watcha like...

sabro

Jul 20, 2005, 07:55

I see that Warlock is from Malaysia, but there is little else on the public profile, like age or gender. I would like to think his (an assumption) comments are the product of youthful ethnocentrism and not real world experience.

I would argue against most of the original stereotypes we started with in this thread, but I actually fit many of them. (Burrrrrrrp.) Gots to go clean the guns....

cicatriz esp

Jul 20, 2005, 07:58

maybe we should raid their homes like how the US occupation forces raid homes of iraqis...................do watcha like...

Instead of dragging the quality of debate here down with all of your red herrings and strawman fallacies, please take some time to learn how to argue/debate. Here is an excellent website:

http://www.infidels.org/news/atheism/logic.html

Come back when you've read it.

lexico

Jul 20, 2005, 08:10

Ma Cherie

Jul 20, 2005, 08:44

Personal attacks don't fly here.

I personally do not know anyone that owns a gun.

Also, I've run into the "100% of Americans are Bush supporters" misconception more times than I'd like to remember :okashii: .

Oh haven't we all darling, haven't we all. :kanashii:

Uncle Frank

Jul 20, 2005, 10:48

maybe we should raid their homes like how the US occupation forces raid homes of iraqis...................do watcha like...

that is willing to strap a bomb on and blow people up? So secure in your knowledge about the world. I would like to meet your history teacher and see what he thinks of your learning ability concerning people & world affairs.

Frank

:mad: :box: :shock:

Silverpoint

Jul 20, 2005, 20:18

Just before my boarding a plane for the US, a relative of mine told me something scary; that US police offiicers would shoot if I moved just a little when stopped for a minor traffic violation. Hence I was told to sit straight without the slightest move unless I was ready to die for nothing.

You're not alone. I used to do a lot of business the US and on my first trip a colleague told me that if I got pulled over while driving I should never reach for the glovebox to get my license because the police officer may think I'm going for a gun. I should always ask his permission first or allow him to search for it himself. Now of course this is probably total BS but it's funny how these things hang in the back of your mind.

I can't speak as a Japanese person myself, but I can recall one anecdote. A few years ago I was offered the possibility of a job in the U.S. (Texas to be exact) and I seriously considered it. However my fiancee (Japanese) was adamant that she couldn't move the America because she was absolutely convinced that everyone carries guns and she was terrified about safety. It took me a long time to convince her that this was just the way she'd been brought up to think and that the truth is somewhat different. She's a well educated, intelligent woman (if she was a complete ignoramus I doubt we'd be getting married) but it shows how the effect of one's upbringing and influences can really fix an idea in your mind. Interestingly she was quite happy about the idea of moving to London (I'm English) should we ever decide to do so, when in fact the violent crime rate in certain parts of London is as bad as any developed country in the world.

From a personal point of view, having made over 30 trips to America in the last 15 years, I have found the American people to be among the kindest, warm-hearted, generous individuals I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Not everything about America is perfect, but the average American gets a lot of bad press and it's not always deserved.

kirei_na_me

Jul 20, 2005, 20:56

That was a very nice post, Silverpoint.

Thank you for the open-mindedness.

Where I live, people have guns for hunting(which I don't like), and that's about it. You hardly ever hear of anyone getting shot intentionally, and when it is intentional, it's usually a suicide. Just very rarely you hear about a shooting around here. Very quiet town I live in. I think foreigners have this idea that the whole U.S. is a big L.A. or Chicago. That's just not the case. Where I live, in Virginia, there is much more rural space than urban space. Pretty peaceful here until you get into D.C. That's where the real weirdos reside... :p

Warlock

Jul 20, 2005, 21:29

that is willing to strap a bomb on and blow people up? So secure in your knowledge about the world. I would like to meet your history teacher and see what he thinks of your learning ability concerning people & world affairs.

that is if youre country is occupied by foreign nation..spreading an ideology that would devour your entire system..destroy christianity..and controlling youre economy.. imposing their own policies,their own goverment,cheating the election,bring illegal immigrant settlements like izrael..lying to the media about precision bombing when you destroy towns that dont support you.. hiding and covering up the truth about attrocities and war crimes committed by your peoplo behind close doors,abu ghraib and etc..sucking your country's oil dry and all its resources..rediculing youre incompetence.. taking away youre pride and honor..making you dependent on them.. and put billions of debt on your country...

with the complete superiority over your weapons. you have no chance of rebelling againts your occupiers..and the whole world against you.. how would you feel..not much to live for is it.. strap some bombs perhaps.. if youre gutless..you wont..

Where I live, people have guns for hunting(which I don't like), and that's about it. You hardly ever hear of anyone getting shot intentionally, and when it is intentional, it's usually a suicide. Just very rarely you hear about a shooting around here. Very quiet town I live in. I think foreigners have this idea that the whole U.S. is a big L.A. or Chicago. That's just not the case. Where I live, in Virginia, there is much more rural space than urban space. Pretty peaceful here until you get into D.C. That's where the real weirdos reside...

just because youre place is quiet doesnt mean the whole world is the same.. you got lucky..but what about all the other slums and getos..the famous new york city...they arent so lucky..its nature's nature to be unfair..some of us are big and small..

kirei_na_me

Jul 20, 2005, 21:49

just because youre place is quiet doesnt mean the whole world is the same.. you got lucky..but what about all the other slums and getos..the famous new york city...they arent so lucky..its nature's nature to be unfair..some of us are big and small..

No kidding. I'm not that naive. I'm just saying the whole country isn't as violent as you make it out to be. You have no idea.

I hate weapons. I think our country spends way too much money on them and then they misuse them. I think gun laws are too lax and people have little or no conscience. Our government gives everyone a bad name. You should look beyond them to form any opinions.

Also, nothing good comes from anger. Anger that comes out in condescending tones and low, personal attacks. Nothing will ever change with attitudes like yours.

Kara_Nari

Jul 20, 2005, 22:00

just because youre place is quiet doesnt mean the whole world is the same.. you got lucky..but what about all the other slums and getos..the famous new york city...they arent so lucky..its nature's nature to be unfair..some of us are big and small..

Um Ok, since when was New York the 'whole world?'
I think you are just being a tad bit negative, and I think that this thread was more on how Japanese view Americans... not just your totally biased opinion.

Warlock

Jul 20, 2005, 22:14

No kidding. I'm not that naive. I'm just saying the whole country isn't as violent as you make it out to be. You have no idea.

I hate weapons. I think our country spends way too much money on them and then they misuse them. I think gun laws are too lax and people have little or no conscience. Our government gives everyone a bad name. You should look beyond them to form any opinions.

Also, nothing good comes from anger. Anger that comes out in condescending tones and low, personal attacks. Nothing will ever change with attitudes like yours.

sorry..but ive seen human nature taken place in its worst forms..none in which you can see or imagine..one like you might even ignore..i have no parent to restraint me.. from visions i have seen.. ive strolled through history books and founded out the worst of human kind.. evil is undoable..and some evil go unpunished..it is reality..some punishment cannot erase as much evil done to the world or to an individual..it is unmeasurable..only to be disregarded by selfish simplistic definations..i have experiece the a part of a terrible society at young age..and so have shared experieces with authors who share the same experiences too.. life is no sunshine..maybe to some..but not all..but this unjustice..it overides all..to an individual..one dies meaninglessly and to be existed as a puny grain of entertainment for another persons happiness without choice at all..but only options..one could even say..there is no freedom to life..but only to obey and follow the physics and nature of this universe..

although US is the riches and superpower of the world..could even say have one of the diverse and highest renown intellectuals in the world..but why the screw up.. even with all the knowledge..one still ignores the nature of humand kind..that lead you to your situation..

ever watched medical detectives..probrably you have read all the crimes in the US.. sometimes one crime is committed when the society creates an oppurtunity which gives them the gap and the power to exhale crimes...it is our fault for underestimating human nature and nature's ways...

Iron Chef

Jul 20, 2005, 23:18

Dude... seriously, stop trying to be all pseudo-intellectual like because it doesn't suit you. Your "arguments" (for lack of a better word) are ALL over the place, messy and in disarray. The whole "poster-boy for apathy, discord, and general malaise..." routine gets old real quick. Instead of just denigrating human nature in general (that includes yourself btw in case you haven't noticed), learn to properly focus and articulate your opinion. You make more generalizations and blanket statements re: just about anything and everything than anyone else i've ever seen on these boards. Deep down inside... i'm sure you can come up with something better than the same tired old "humanity sucks, kill'em all" rhetoric.

mad pierrot

Jul 20, 2005, 23:40

kirei_na_me

Jul 20, 2005, 23:46

Listen. Can you hear? ........................... :souka:

That's the sound of me not giving a damn. :biggrin:

:D

I love it.

Ma Cherie

Jul 21, 2005, 00:20

sorry..but ive seen human nature taken place in its worst forms..none in which you can see or imagine..one like you might even ignore..i have no parent to restraint me.. from visions i have seen.. ive strolled through history books and founded out the worst of human kind.. evil is undoable..and some evil go unpunished..it is reality..some punishment cannot erase as much evil done to the world or to an individual..it is unmeasurable..only to be disregarded by selfish simplistic definations..i have experiece the a part of a terrible society at young age..and so have shared experieces with authors who share the same experiences too.. life is no sunshine..maybe to some..but not all..but this unjustice..it overides all..to an individual..one dies meaninglessly and to be existed as a puny grain of entertainment for another persons happiness without choice at all..but only options..one could even say..there is no freedom to life..but only to obey and follow the physics and nature of this universe..

although US is the riches and superpower of the world..could even say have one of the diverse and highest renown intellectuals in the world..but why the screw up.. even with all the knowledge..one still ignores the nature of humand kind..that lead you to your situation..

ever watched medical detectives..probrably you have read all the crimes in the US.. sometimes one crime is committed when the society creates an oppurtunity which gives them the gap and the power to exhale crimes...it is our fault for underestimating human nature and nature's ways...

*sighs* You have some serious issues with yourself, people like you make me want to study psychology. You know I could sit here and argue with you, but............it's a real waste of time and you seem very satisfied in your little comfort zone.

Now, if you don't mind I would like to get on the topic I get really annoyed when folks tend the steer off topic on threads. Besides, I don't understand your arguments, because they make no sense to me. :okashii:

duff_o_josh

Jul 21, 2005, 14:48

my girlfriend said to me last night "japanese are told not to talk about politics with them" and she think america is very dangerous, i do to ofcourse compared to canada it is.

Duo

Jul 21, 2005, 21:00

I also read that Japanese think like that outside is very dangerous compared to Japan... I mean Japan may be very safe but this is like a real phobia and exageration. I was reading once an account from a canadian exchanged teacher that the principal of the school was telling him to teach 2 students who were going to go to IOWA for an exchange program things like i don't have any money, or put them up, or other idiotic phrases like this to keep them safe from danger. When the teacher refused because he thought it to be ridicilous the principal threatened him by telling thim that if anything happend to the students he would be held responsible. Surely enough the students return unscathed expet for one incident where a cow stole the corn from one of them and she fell down and bruised her kneee.... ok i made the last part up :blush:

He went on to describe though how sometimes in magazines they have idiotic phrases to keep you safe from the dangerous outside, phrases like put the up or other crappy japanese version of english stuff that supposedly you have to use in the many dangerous situations here in the west. I feel that's going to far and is also a bit of an insult.

Westerns don't generalize on Japanese culture like that

lonesoullost3

Jul 21, 2005, 23:18

Westerns don't generalize on Japanese culture like that

I wouldn't be too sure of that...I'm sure there are some instances of this.

den4

Jul 21, 2005, 23:59

Christmas in Japan...is one generalization... kind of like these tales I found on boingboing :D

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/07/19/hilarious_passion_of.html

more on Christmas in Japan
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/07/20/more_on_jesus_in_jap.html

"Update: In 2003, Joi Ito wrote about Christmas in Japan.

"Did you know that Japanese families will be lining up in front of Kentucky Fried Chickens today to get their chicken for Christmas? I DO know where this comes from. When my friend Shin, introduced KFC to Japan, the ad campaign showed wealthy American families all eating friend chicken for their holiday feast. KFC was marketed as an upscale food of the privileged in America. This triggered a tradition in Japan for families to eat friend chicken on Christmas."

NOTE: Be sure to eat your "friend" chicken for Christmas...especially if you are in Japan LOL

Also, the generalizations can be said with all the Amerikan celebrities selling themselves on the CMs (commercials) so to appeal to the consumers there to buy their products so they can emulate the Amerikan lifestyle as much as possible in their own limited fashion...I had always wondered about the KFC thing... Kentucky Fried Christmas...makes sense now.... :D

misa.j

Jul 22, 2005, 00:47

I had always wondered about the KFC thing... Kentucky Fried Christmas
:D
That should be a new ad for KFC in Japan around Christmas time! I didn't know the history behind it.
It is such a big thing that they have to order ahead of time.
Having my own bucket of KFC was always one of my dreams...

About the topic, whatever generalizations on Americans I might have had don't mean anything to me anymore because I started to learn a lot about this country and people after I got here.
The fact that there are so many debates on an issue proves that America is not one big flat field where there is only one way for everything.

Silverpoint

Jul 22, 2005, 23:41

:D
The fact that there are so many debates on an issue proves that America is not one big flat field where there is only one way for everything.

Nicely put misa.j.

I think for me, the clue here is in the title of the thread. ("Generalizations"). Anyone who tries to blanket an entire nation from a single perspective can do nothing more than make gross generalizations. There's not just one category labeled "American", from which you can predict everything about a persons personality and beliefs. Any attempt to do so is a complete waste of time. Some people still try it though, no matter how fruitless it may be.

Pachipro

Jul 23, 2005, 00:02

The fact that there are so many debates on an issue proves that America is not one big flat field where there is only one way for everything.
Nicely put misa.j.

I think for me, the clue here is in the title of the thread. ("Generalizations"). Anyone who tries to blanket an entire nation from a single perspective can do nothing more than make gross generalizations. There's not just one category labeled "American", from which you can predict everything about a persons personality and beliefs. Any attempt to do so is a complete waste of time. Some people still try it though, no matter how fruitless it may be.
Good points both of you! Anyone can, and usually do, generalize on a country, culture, and it's peoples. This is usually based on how that particular country and culture are portrayed by the local media.

I think even the people of a particular country also generalize about their own people. For example Osakans generalize about Tokyoites and they both generalize about the people in northern Japan. Tokyo people generalize about Yokohama people and so on.

Even here in the states the north generalize about the states in the south and vice versa The east vs the west, etc.

Perhaps the biggest generalizations the Japanese get about America (and other countries) is probably due to 1) US servicemen and their actions and 2) Hollywood. Only after they have actually lived in America do they come away with a different way of thinking. But that again, I think, depends on where they lived.

Icedyn

Jul 27, 2005, 09:10

I moved really slow not to surprise the patrol officer. Naturally he wondered why I was behaving with such caution, and I could only answer, "I...I don't want to get killed, Officer !" Hahaha...

HAHAHA! My fiancee is a Police Officer. He would get a kick out of that. I don't know of any place like that, but they are so community friendly here they use the term (or at least my fiancee does) "hug and release". :-)

lexico

Jul 27, 2005, 09:28

HAHAHA! My fiancee is a Police Officer. He would get a kick out of that. I don't know of any place like that, but they are so community friendly here they use the term (or at least my fiancee does) "hug and release". :-)Hug and release, Community friendly...Oregon must be a nice place to live.
If every city were like that, we wouldn't have had John J. Rambo, though.
That movie should come with a disclaimer; Not in the State of Oregon !
In reality the officers in CA were quite patient with me; I often learned something new. They were gentlemen. :cool:

Alaric

Jul 30, 2005, 13:51

Sorry to dig up a thread put to rest but, What Generalizations do the Japanese Have On Indians? Actually, come to think of it, i dont really think of myself as an indian since i've lived most of my life in the US, but i'm just curious... :-)

If none exists, that's a sufficient answer to satisfy my curiosity... :blush:

alright, but what i mean is, Japan and India have a much closer geographical proximity than say...Japan and United States, but do Japan and India share a political/social/economical proximity displayed between Japan and the US? Is there any sort of attention or preconceptions (true or not) between the two nations (about the nation or the people) or does India just seem to be one of the many countries out there? Like i said...just curious...

Limonette

Aug 18, 2005, 10:59

I wonder why the Japanese like so much American stuff - like baseball, bowling, golf, jazz, etc. I don't know, but being american I'm flattered. Maybe it's Hollywood & stuff. I like it when American makes good friends with another country, for instance, with Britain, there is a vibrant cultural exchange going on, take for instance with rock n roll. We listen and are influenced by each other, and the music transmutates. One thing I find fascinating about Japan is this kind of cultural exchange. I'm curious how they change the music, or literature, movies, etc. and make it their own. Like Shakespeare was an influence on Akira Kurasawa, and he in turn was an influence on Spaghetti Westerns. (and darn good movies they are too.) And here in Seattle there's alot of Japanese influence, because of our location, trade & stuff. woops is this a very bad tangent i've gone off on?

Anyway my point of that was that Japan must also generalize us in a positive way, to like American stuff alot. Do they think we all bowl alot and things like that? Maybe. There was one guy that even did a little talk about our influence on Japan, and he showed a photo of a billboard with James Dean on it.

About their view of crime here. There was a sad and shocking case of a Japanese guy, I think just a teenager, visiting the states who was going to a Halloween party and went to a house to ask directions. This was in Texas and he was wearing a mask. Apparently the man in the house told him to stop or something, but he didn't understand and the man shot him. That was a very disturbing story - they had it on American Justice I think, and no doubt left a bad impression on the Japanese. Even though it was a rare case, it shows what could happen when you get some nut with a gun like that. But that attitude of having guns to protect yourself, not many americans I know are like that at all. Most I know don't have guns. There is more violence here than in many countries, but it's still much safer than people realize. They don't put the statistics into perspective. I think the news distorts just about everything, and it's really not the best way to get your info. And it's shallow. If you for instance just read the headlines and watched tv news, you may never want to come out of your house. But the real America isn't really like that mostly.

I hear alot of generalizations about Japan, but I take them with a grain of salt. I think it was Donald Keene, who said that for every stereotype about Japan there are exceptions. I like to not make assumptions about individual people. And that can blind you to seeing who they really are. And making assumptions about a whole country is, ignorant. It's just too complex. However, I find the generalizations people have about countries to be a very interesting topic. And there's usually some truth in them. Just don't apply it to ME, lol.

Limonette

Sep 1, 2005, 17:46

I just heard somewhere that the Japanese got into American stuff during the allied forces occupation after WW2. So that's probably the beginnings of why they like alot of American things now. And that seems to be the start of Japanese influence in America. (Well, in Seattle there are alot of Japanese Americans, and I think that's one reason, plus the trading.) But of course they seem to like gaijin from everywhere. Especially Italy for some reason. Is it those Vespa scooters I wonder...besupa? So, now I'm answering my own posts...posting is addictive...wish someone had warned me of the dangers....must.....stop.....posting....must...... .....stop.....

Flashjeff

Sep 4, 2005, 23:58

Well, I'm an American, and I don't own a gun. Never saw the romance in it myself, I guess that came from my having spent twenty years in the military where guns were nothing more to us than tools, not love objects. Nor am I a Bush supporter. UGH! What a positively frightening concept.

As for generalizations Japanese have about us, this is just my opinion, but they may think that all tall African-Americans play basketball. During my little trip to Japan a couple of years ago, I had a few people come up to me and ask if I were in the NBA. I still chuckle when I think about that.
:-)

nestowa

Sep 28, 2005, 06:08

the fact is you caucassions are not american and so are the blacks and latins.. the true americans are the aztechs,mayans and red indians.. you are illegal immigrants from europe and slaves brought to america to constructs its illegal stronghold.. im tired of your old story of declaring yourselves americans make me bored and annoyed..

I only got this far, now I have to correct you. The Indigenous Peoples of America are NOT Red Indians. Please refrain from this. I am of mixed blood. Blackfeet and Cree Indian, Irish and English (yes a half breed). I must tell you that I am NOT red. Red hair maybe, but not red. True, the Europeans came here and blah blah blah, that is the past. I hate hearing about it. Your generalizations are a sad vision of how all Americans are seen through the eyes of others. I feel for you. You need to expose yourself not to the big cities, but the little towns. That is the heart of America. You can see from them that yes, differences take some getting used to, but you are brought into with open arms. The generalizations I read earlier, fat, guns etc. are suface things that the media focuses on. Get information from research not from the media. Cops are not as**oles and not everyone owns a gun. Not everyone is fat and not everyone blindly supports their leaders.
When you believe only the media of America, you truley see a piece of quartz. When you research America, you find the vein of gold in the quartz. That is the real beauty. The hidden treasure. Each culture and country has it, you just need to see.

Patchy

Sep 30, 2005, 12:44

I find this all too hilarious XD
Especially since my household happens to have 2 handguns O___o My mother is a detective, and my step father just retired from the military, thus we got guns XD
No one else I know owns a gun, so this is definitely a misconception
(except in my family XD).

blossom

Oct 10, 2005, 03:04

Well I haven't really posted in a while, but I had to post after reading some comments in here. Yes America is violent, but sometimes I think people blow the whole issue out of proportion, its not like I'll walk out my house and get shot. I've lived in " the ghetto or the slums " for almost all my life, and the majority of the people who are invovled in heavy violence are people who actually look for trouble, like people who join gangs who know how dangerous it can be, don't get me wrong innocent people get killed too, and that's really sad. But I'm sure that there is no place in the world that has absoultely no crime, if not I would like to hear about it. :relief:

About the whole gun issue, I don't know anyone who owns a gun just so they can hurt people for their enjoyment. The few I know keep guns to protect themselves and their families. So yeah...

Maciamo

Oct 10, 2005, 14:32

But I'm sure that there is no place in the world that has absoultely no crime, if not I would like to hear about it.

It depends if "place" means country or region/city. If it's the latter, then there are many very safe places. Those almost uninhabited spring to mind. :p

Furono

Oct 22, 2005, 22:11

They somehow got it in their heads that the medical care in the U.S. terrible. Having been through both systems and having babies in each I've found Japan to be way worse.

Mike Cash

Oct 22, 2005, 22:15

This (http://tinyurl.com/b2gaq) is the anecdote I normally relate when expressing my disgust with the American medical system.

Godrina

Oct 28, 2005, 10:41

Egads.

I LOVE. This Thread. (I'm replying to various things through what I've read so far, so bear with me, please.)

Yes yes, America has a higher obesity rate than anywhere else in the world, but I'm a stick.

Actually, I'm trilingual though, and most of my friends are at least bilingual, but then, I'm coming out of high school, and I keep on taking more and more classes for more and more languages. Otherwise, actually, most Americans that I know though, don't know anything besides their first language, English. So I guess you can say the only knowing one language thing is based off of a generally true fact.

Oh yeah, and Bush can go die under a rock, I don't know. *shot* I don't know ANYONE who supports our current president.

The KFC thing, I think I've read that somewhere before. I actually think that's kinda cool!

The cops by me, I think the niceness of the guys depends on where you are really. The ones here are real, well, buttfarts, the ones in another town I've been to were WORSE, but I've met some nice ones too.

Come to think of it, the way I see it, the US is diverse, odd, and kinda sad, all at the same time.

Then again, the generailzations that some people I know have on Japan are scary...with the whole "everyone wears kimonos in the streets and they have really slanty eyes" thing.