The past few days, we've been discussing stereotypes, cultures, and subcultures, racism and prejudism... This is one of those random things I found browsing someone's facebook wall (pirate language: "plank"). I think it potentially proves and disproves a lot of prejudices about Americans.
Some years ago, a random French girl I met in Canada, who had never been to the US, ignorantly questioned "But isn't it SO HARD to be a vegan if you live in New York City, United States?!" ... I just laughed. Blatant misinformation, based on stereotypes.
Here's an incomplete (and growing) list of vegan restaurants in New York: http://supervegan.com/list.php
Comments
I'm an American and I like to walk. . .
But I agree, I am in the minority. . .
But also to defend Star, her point about the US being a big country and lumping us all together in sweeping judgments is valid. It is ony slightly less silly than saying Dutch and Italians are the same because they are all European.
So, if we're talking walking skills, I'd venture a guess that a New Yorker would kick a Los Angelino's ass in a footrace. (San Franciscans would come in second. . .) I think this has to do with population density, size and availabilty of good public transit. Los Angeles is a sustainable NIGHTMARE, spread out over miles and miles of land stolen from the desert. It is an urban planning case study in what not to do. Ironically, Los Angeles once had a stellar system of street cars that were wiped out by special interests and the car companies. http://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/la/historic/redcars/
All that said, if I were to pick the most interesting place in the country to spend a Saturday night out, Los Angeles is number one (you just have to drive there - sorry). I have spent countless nights there out for days and dancing my ass off and being with incredible people. It is funny when I visit LA these days. The do look at you sideways if you want to walk. I took public transit from the airport to my brother's house this summer and people though I was insane. I think with the rising cost of gas and the financial crisis, folks are embracing walking.
But there are philisophical differences too. An obvious example are the differences in politics between southern states like Texas (who were pro Bush and Republican) and very democratic states like Massachusetts who have legal gay marriage. But this also gets more distinct in large States like California. I acutually witnessed Los Angelinos and San Franciscans getting into an argument at Burningman. The San Franciscan came at the Angelino saying their camp was to be a pure environment and did not want to hear about "toxic" things like the film industry. The Angelino came back with a I don't want to hear about herbal healing, acupunture, massage and organic food. . . (Angelinos were forced to move camp!)
So that's my point - the stereotypes within stereotypes. . .
stereotypes
It is funny to see how much sometimes, people want to show that 'their (national!) culture' really is different than what most other people tend to believe. A critique towards people's perception, when you tell them where you're from, should be a bit wider than just explaining the differences. (But this coming from me, that guy who tries to give up with Dutch culture, is a bit too easy maybe ;)
See for example also the responses to my post "Americans don't like to walk", which also was just an observation. I knew the post would be provocative but I especially love the contrast between the first comment (true!, why do United Staters still have those 2 legs?) and Star's comment, who, so it seems, felt completely offended by me saying that Americans never walk.
Identity
For all the nomads passing through casa and my life, questioning one's national identity seems like a common theme somewhat. Some questions...
What makes you want to detach from your national identity?
Exploring other countries, other lives, redefining ourselves as something else than where we happened to be born in, with the price of suppressing parts of what we used be. For me, the reason: finding my tribe, regardless of where they are located in the world, mostly sharing a self-defined neo-nationality: nomad.
Then: how do you define yourself if not through national identity?
It never really goes away totally I presume, but rather becomes smaller part of your self-assembled identity than for those who are happy being "just" a Finn, Dutch, French, African ;), New Yorkese, whatever. You define yourself by what you're up to rather than where you're from, tag yourself as a traveler, artist, hacker, hitch-hiker, trainhopper, activist, whatever or all of the above :D
identity-collage of me & German neo-Finn AC, a handful of days before leaving Finland
as an american,
I have to say that all the stereotypes are true.
the only food I eat is "cheez wiz". I can't hold a conversation, and I have an illegitimate baby with my sister.... Vegans are a kind of tractor trailer... right?
Americans
Unitedstaters!