Treatment from the locals; your experiences

[SirJonthe2th 0]

I find it annoying that I have to justify myself and explain I had to leave a perfectly good job to come to the US to be with the one I love. I also find it annoying to have to explain to US citizens (and I am talking about educated ones here) that the UK and Europe is not some 3rd world country that needs to be escaped from.

[BermyCat 1]

I find it annoying that I have to justify myself and explain I had to leave a perfectly good job to come to the US to be with the one I love. I also find it annoying to have to explain to US citizens (and I am talking about educated ones here) that the UK and Europe is not some 3rd world country that needs to be escaped from.

Try coming from Bermuda. People think that island = underdeveloped. We are an international banking and reinsurance centre. There are no grass huts there! I've also heard "but you speak English so well!" I ususally only get these sorts of reactions when people know I'm Bermudian before the meet me. Normally, they have no idea that I'm not American.

~ Catherine

[Dave and Helena 0]

I find it annoying that I have to justify myself and explain I had to leave a perfectly good job to come to the US to be with the one I love. I also find it annoying to have to explain to US citizens (and I am talking about educated ones here) that the UK and Europe is not some 3rd world country that needs to be escaped from.

I am with you on this one.

[M.O 6]

I find it annoying that I have to justify myself and explain I had to leave a perfectly good job to come to the US to be with the one I love. I also find it annoying to have to explain to US citizens (and I am talking about educated ones here) that the UK and Europe is not some 3rd world country that needs to be escaped from.

I am with you on this one.

[Jose Rizal 1]

Ironically in my case the Asians are quite hostile to their fellow Asians.

[Ladylethal 12]

Well, I live in Puerto Rico so I'm hispanic like everyone else and do not stand out. When I talk people do realize I'm not boricua and have all treated me wonderfully and they love the accent and the fact I'm from Brasil.

[jundp 191]

It does depend on where you are settling down and where you come from, I think. For my husband, he finds many similarities between his home in Germany and Seattle/Pacific Northwest. He says the people are a bit friendlier here (I don't notice, because when we are in Germany they're very kind to me). Plus he works for a company with several immigrants. One of his bosses is married to a woman from Eastern Europe. For a few years this man tele-commuted until he and his wife could move to the US together.

Over all he's felt very welcomed, I think.

And Gemmie: Yay! Welcome to your new home

[clueless_in_usa 8]

There have plenty of things throughout my experience in the USA, but I want to mention two really bad that come to mind now (maybe later I will remember more):

1) A man got out of his car to yell at me and when I spoke back he said: "Go back to your country!

Funny, because at the time I was already a USC

2) I often get the question (about my future wife from Russia): so, from which catalog did you order her? The best answer is no answer

And my cousin (a woman) often complains that where she lives people are very intolerant with foreigners.

3) I remembered another: I was in car in Oakland, CA with three other foreigners and my friend (the driver from Switzerland) was waiting for somebody to leave a parking space to park the car there. An impatient woman couldn't stop honking the horn. My friend spoke to her and she said: "it had to be a foreigner."

All is not Rose petals, especially in some big cities.

[clueless_in_usa 8]

There have plenty of things throughout my experience in the USA, ...

I meant: There have been plenty of good things ... it is difficult to write correctly while working on something else

[Carlawarla 1]

Most of the people I meet here are very welcoming and friendly. Actually I would say I don't know that I've ever been to any country more welcoming than the US. Interestingly, most people I know have been to Canada during their lives and loved it. Most say that they'd never move to the US if they had been from Canada, and tease my husband about how he should have moved to Canada.

[Mrs.J06 4]

I did not have one single negative experience so far. People are very friendly, very interested about my homecountry and quite few have actually even been there!

A lot of people have German ancestors in the area where I live and the most common comments I'm getting is "I wish I could go there and see it one day" and "what does my last name mean in English?"

[betazed 0]

I find it annoying that I have to justify myself and explain I had to leave a perfectly good job to come to the US to be with the one I love.

Oh yes, this one is a hard one to deal with! I hate it when Americans point out that coming from Canada, I probably left a good job even by their standards.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

A lot of people have German ancestors in the area where I live and the most common comments I'm getting is "I wish I could go there and see it one day" and "what does my last name mean in English?"

My husband gets a lot of people that once they hear he is German will say random things to him in German, which turns out to be all they know or can remember. But he says he was surprised how many people here took German in school. He didn't know so many people here cared that much to actually attempt to learn it.

[Dave and Helena 0]

A lot of people have German ancestors in the area where I live and the most common comments I'm getting is "I wish I could go there and see it one day" and "what does my last name mean in English?"

My husband gets a lot of people that once they hear he is German will say random things to him in German, which turns out to be all they know or can remember. But he says he was surprised how many people here took German in school. He didn't know so many people here cared that much to actually attempt to learn it.

My husband is of German heritage and proud of it. They didn't learn German as kids (except for "Danke" and counting to three) but they love German restaurants and food. Anytime he wants to treat his parents to a nice dinner it will most likely be German food.

Wisconsin and Ohio at least have a lot of German history (don't know about Indiana). Though my husband tells me there is a good German bar in downtown Indianpolis. Go figure he would find it.....

Edited July 3, 2009 by Dave and Helena

[Cdnwmn 0]

Great people here in Idaho. Very friendly. I get teased about "aboot" and "eh" but no big deal.