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American patriotism is famously goofy that way. I'm convinced one of the major reasons the USA is such a cultural juggernaut is that it gleefully co-opts other

American patriotism is famously goofy that way. I'm convinced one of the major reasons the USA is such a cultural juggernaut is that it gleefully co-opts other cultures and absorbs them right up into the mishmash that is America. (American English is pretty extreme in this regard.) But there's no point acting offended or put off about it. Americans certainly aren't the first or last to do it. But it's certainly done with gusto.

exelius 12y ago
One of the most striking things I notice when traveling abroad is that almost everyone in a given location looks the same. Germans are tall and blonde, people living in Mexico are short, squat and brown skinned with black hair, Nigerians are tall and skinny with very dark skin. It's not a universal truth, of course, and it can even vary by region within a country, but by and large a person will look like his neighbors. Americans, on the other hand, look nothing like each other. So it's striking for an American to go to another country and see people who all look very similar to each other, because we don't see that at home.
- sogen 12y ago
  You should see advertising in Mexico. Thin, White, Tall people. Everyone in tv ads is a 6.5 ft Sweden blonde.
  - exelius 12y ago
    Oh, I have. Mexico has a bit of an identity crisis because by and large, the people with money and power are of European descent and live in Mexico City - the economic and media center of Mexico. People in Mexico City are taller and lighter skinned (though maybe not blonde) as a result. But outside of the center of Mexico City, the country is filled with short brown people, half of whom live in poverty. But this portrayal in the media is an extension of the historical imbalance of power that favored the European aspects of Mexican heritage and looked down upon the Native American aspects. That attitude has been changing in recent years, but it still doesn't change the fact that the people who wrote the history of Mexico were nearly all of European descent.

exelius 12y ago

One of the most striking things I notice when traveling abroad is that almost everyone in a given location looks the same. Germans are tall and blonde, people living in Mexico are short, squat and brown skinned with black hair, Nigerians are tall and skinny with very dark skin. It's not a universal truth, of course, and it can even vary by region within a country, but by and large a person will look like his neighbors. Americans, on the other hand, look nothing like each other. So it's striking for an American to go to another country and see people who all look very similar to each other, because we don't see that at home.

sogen 12y ago
You should see advertising in Mexico. Thin, White, Tall people. Everyone in tv ads is a 6.5 ft Sweden blonde.
- exelius 12y ago
  Oh, I have. Mexico has a bit of an identity crisis because by and large, the people with money and power are of European descent and live in Mexico City - the economic and media center of Mexico. People in Mexico City are taller and lighter skinned (though maybe not blonde) as a result. But outside of the center of Mexico City, the country is filled with short brown people, half of whom live in poverty. But this portrayal in the media is an extension of the historical imbalance of power that favored the European aspects of Mexican heritage and looked down upon the Native American aspects. That attitude has been changing in recent years, but it still doesn't change the fact that the people who wrote the history of Mexico were nearly all of European descent.