19 Unfair Stereotypes Foreigners Have of the U.S., and Americans Are Tired of It

Some foreigners view Americans as severely obese individuals constantly at risk of being involved in a firearm incident.

U.S. citizens know this isn’t (always) the case, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating to hear a stereotype about us that just isn’t true.

During my more than one decade of traveling abroad, I met foreigners who shared funny to startling American stereotypes with me. These are some of the highlights. To forewarn you, some of them are a bit tongue-in-cheek.

1: Everyone Eats Fast Food

Photo Credit: ltyuan via stock.adobe.com.

Yes, America graced the world with McDonald’s, KFC, and the like. But that doesn’t mean all Americans are overweight folks who frequent fast food chains. Head to Colorado, Hawaii, and Vermont, and you’ll encounter a relatively low obesity rate, ranging from 25% to 26.8%. Meanwhile, states like West Virginia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma help feed into the fat American stereotype, with 40% or more of their residents being obese.

2: Houseplant Life

Photo Credit: Daniel via stock.adobe.com.

Some foreigners believe that people from the U.S. don’t travel often. While it may look that way from the outside, it would take 50 years for an American to travel to one state per year. And that doesn’t even factor in trips to see the 429 parks within the National Park System. Of course, some Americans don’t travel, and that’s cool too.

3: Saying the Pledge Is Weird

Photo Credit: rangizzz via stock.adobe.com.

Some foreigners think kids saying the pledge of allegiance in school each morning is odd. Nationalistic is a word I’ve heard used to describe it. In reality, many Americans regurgitate the pledge without giving much thought to its words.

4: Richness Abounds

Photo Credit: Srdjan via stock.adobe.com.

Some foreigners have Americans pictured as being drenched in money and fame. Thanks, Hollywood. Reality paints a different picture: Homelessness rose 12% in 2023 alone, with over 650,000 unhoused people living on the streets across the U.S.

5: All or Nothing

Old home in South Carolina.
Photo Credit: davide bonaldo via stock.adobe.com.

On the flip side, some foreigners have heard about America’s homelessness problem to the extreme; I’ve heard the stereotype that Americans are either really rich or really poor. Data shows the middle class is shrinking, but most Americans don’t fall within those extremes.

6: Everyone’s Ignorant

Photo Credit: Miljan Živković via stock.adobe.com.

Perhaps the concept of ignorance in the U.S. stems from certain foreigners believing Americans aren’t well-traveled. Either way, while there are undoubtedly largely uninformed and misinformed Americans, the U.S. is among the top 30 countries in the world for having residents with a high average IQ. Just don’t tell anyone that we rank 29th on that list.

7: Life Is Like a Film

Photo Credit: fergregory via stock.adobe.com.

Fun fact: Hollywood movies are popular in many countries. Unfortunately, that means some foreigners have a skewed perception of what life is like in the U.S. As most Americans would agree, our lives are a far cry from a Hollywood movie.

8: Gross Cheese and Bread

Photo Credit: Prostock-studio via stock.adobe.com.

Yes, yellow slices of American cheese are pretty gross, as is squishy white bread in a bag. But the stereotype that all cheese and bread in the U.S. are disgusting is unfair. Major and specialty grocery chains alike have bakeries and cheese sections, offering an excellent selection of quality goods. Take that, France.

9: No Concept of the Metric System

Measuring tape
Photo Credit: Eduardo via stock.adobe.com.

It’s true that many, if not most, Americans aren’t fluent in the metric system. However, to say we have no concept of it at all is an unfair stereotype. Thanks to grade school science class, most Americans know, for example, that a millimeter is super small and that a centimeter is larger but still small.

10: Day Trips Between States Are Possible

Man looking at a map.
Photo Credit: simona via stock.adobe.com.

Unless Americans live within a reasonable distance from a state border, day trips between states are impossible. Heck, even day trips within the same state are often unreasonable. Can you imagine a Californian taking a day trip from San Diego to Sacramento?

11: No Resemblance to British English

Telephone booth in London.
Photo Credit: Deyan Georgiev via stock.adobe.com.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that many Americans join foreigners in believing that American English has no similarities to British English. History tells a different tale.

When rich British folks stopped pronouncing their “r”s in the mid-18th century, Americans in ports like New York City and Boston jumped on the train. Meanwhile, Brits who weren’t as rich continued speaking with “r”s. These less prosperous travelers arrived in agricultural areas in the south. For this reason, to this day, many Americans in northern port cities don’t speak with an “r,” while those in the south do.

12: No Desire To Travel Internationally

Wing of an airplane.
Photo Credit: Josh via stock.adobe.com.

In the case of many Americans, it’s not that they don’t want to travel internationally. However, in most cases, traveling between countries is more expensive and time consuming than, say, traveling between European countries.

Additionally, aside from having so much area to get to know in the U.S., American geography is so diverse that some residents get their fill of deserts, the tropics, mountains, and the tundra right on their home turf.

13: Federal or Nothing

Photo Credit: Bits and Splits via stock.adobe.com.

Contrary to what many foreigners believe, just because something isn’t federally mandated in the U.S. doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Thanks to state legislation, laws vary depending on the state one lives in.

14: Medical Turn Aways

Photo Credit: rogerphoto via stock.adobe.com.

Many Americans would agree that the U.S. has a long way to go in terms of getting all of its citizens affordable health care. However, contrary to what many people abroad are under the impression of, it’s against the law for an emergency room not to provide life-saving treatment to people who can’t afford it. Noncitizens of the U.S. are included in this law as well.

15: The US Is Too Dangerous To Visit

Holes in a metal sheet.
Photo Credit: FedBul via stock.adobe.com.

Yes, firearm violence is a problem in America. But that doesn’t mean The Land of the Free is too dangerous for tourists. For starters, it’s uncommon for shootings to happen in tourist areas. Secondly, crime tends to happen in known red zones, as could be the case in the tourist’s home country.

16: Terrible Beer

Friends drinking.
Photo Credit: Guys Who Shoot via stock.adobe.com.

Many Americans would agree with foreigners that Bud and Coors Light aren’t beers to write home about. But beer lovers needn’t worry. The craft beer scene is excellent and growing in the U.S.

17: Lack of Education Abounds

Student writing letters on a chalkboard.
Photo Credit: ElinaManninen via stock.adobe.com.

I’ve experienced several situations where non-Americans talked about poor education in the U.S. Yes, it’s true that most American students don’t learn a second language starting in kindergarten, and if you ask us to point to Liechtenstein on a map you might be met with a wary look.

However, while there’s always room for improvement with the U.S. education system, Data Pandas’ education index ranks the U.S. 13th in the world for a high level of education.

18: All Healthcare Is Privatized

Photo Credit: Peakstock via stock.adobe.com.

Nope, it’s not. However, it’s true that publicly run hospitals are becoming less common in the U.S., which likely contributes to this stereotype. In the past quarter century, there’s been a 40% decline in government-owned hospitals. Not-for-profit and for-profit businesses often stepped up to buy public hospitals.

19: Burger Nation

Woman holding a hamburger.
Photo Credit: korchemkin via stock.adobe.com.

Newsflash: Americans don’t eat hamburgers every day. Given that over 40,000 McDonald’s exist across the globe, it’s understandable how the U.S. got this stereotype.

19 Historical U.S. Myths That Annoy History Buffs to the Core

Photo Credit: stokkete via stock.adobe.com.

If your teacher taught it in history class, it’s normal to assume it’s true. Ask any historian, though, and you might be surprised to learn the stuff of school history lessons is often riddled with inaccuracies. 

19 Historical U.S. Myths That Annoy History Buffs to the Core

Traveling Without ATM Fees

Woman at an ATM.
Photo Credit: HappyAlex via stock.adobe.com.

How does never paying an ATM fee when you travel sound? Discover the trick to doing just that from a traveler who’s saved hundreds of dollars in ATM fees.

How To Never Pay an ATM Fee Abroad

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *