Don't Make Study Abroad An Invitation For Stereotyping

Twelve children from South Korea were in awe while visiting a Sherman school. They gawked at the locks on the lockers and strange musical instruments during a vacation that expanded their view of the world. I used to live in England and I have had personal experience that shows other cultures look down upon Americans. According to the rest of the world, Americans are obnoxious, loud, have bad diets (they’re fat), little respect, the girls are easy, the guys are schmucks, those kinds of things. But then again according to Americans, the Brits are posh, prude, drink tea and biscuits every morning, have awful teeth, and say cheerio to one another.

Different countries and cultures for some reason or another don’t normally get along as you can see by these mangled sterotypes. I don’t really know where this kind of negative ethnocentricity comes from but theres no denying it definitely comes. Each country is a spectacle in the eyes of the rest and by saying that I'm not trying to say that I'm bothered by Korean children judging us or something like that but just curious as to why different cultures invite judgement. Is the British view of America that I know consistent with what the rest of the world thinks? Or is the view different from cultures like that of South Korea.

I once met a foreign exchange student from Germany whose parents sent him to America just so he could realize how good he had it back home. Study abroad opportunities are a chance to abate all the false pretenses that visitors often come along with. But it is possible that we as Americans earn t

hese labels? I sure hope not but the Southern Korean children did mention the unhealthy salt and meat heavy diets common in America and said they were craving vegetables for the duration of the trip. They also did point out that you don’t see that many fat people in Korea and there is a reason for it. So there is concrete evidence that the fat stereotype did come from somewhere, what about the rest?

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Amy Harvey is a freshman at Austin College. She likes eating chocolate, cuddling puppies, and wearing onesie pajamas. You can email her at ahymeh@gmail.com or follow her on twitter @ahymeh3.