The answer is, not really.
I'm an American who's been living in Europe for nearly 13 years. On a nearly daily basis I'm confronted with attitudes about the USA that vastly simplify American culture and attitudes.
Some Europeans tend to adopt a more multi-cultural than thou attitude on this issue which is interesting. As if we're in competition.
Well, maybe they are.
A quick perusal of this subject on the Internet will reveal that Europeans not only aren't aware o the social diversity...but that they deny that it even exists.
Part of this may lie in the fact that the US is not as divided along geographical lines, like Europe. What I mean, is that in the USA(and probably other immigrant countries) the diversity is side-by-side. So what might seem like all one similar thing is not.
It's like if you have a smorgasbord with lots of different food, but you you put it all in one big tray and sort o fmix it together so that the applesauce is lying on top of the tacos and the greenbeans are right under the strawberry mousse, that's the US. Whereas in Europe, the food is neatly divided. Anyway.
Part of this may lie in the fact that the US is not as divided along geographical lines, like Europe. What I mean, is that in the USA(and probably other immigrant countries) the diversity is side-by-side. So what might seem like all one similar thing is not.
It's like if you have a smorgasbord with lots of different food, but you you put it all in one big tray and sort o fmix it together so that the applesauce is lying on top of the tacos and the greenbeans are right under the strawberry mousse, that's the US. Whereas in Europe, the food is neatly divided. Anyway.
Some popular simplifications.
Some of the misconceptions that Eurpeans have are:
- Americans all speak English. Although it's true English is the dominant language, any American knows this is nonsense. I don't think there is a city in America that doesn't have parts of town where English is rarely heard. I've heard people in Europe tell immigrants that they they can't expect, say, government offices to speak English in , for example, Germany:, after all they would have to speak English in America! Which of course is not true.
- Americans have the same attitudes when it comes to politics. OH my god. It's unbelievablee how Europeans underestimate the amount of political debate in America! This was a particular bugbear of mine at the height of the Iraq War. It didn't matter whether I supported the War or not. Many Europeans, with their own unique understanding of nationalism, will generally see America as one monolithic place, as if the USA was George W Bush's personal fief and all Americans, his slack-jawed, gung-ho, flag-waving minions. Even if you pointed out the vast unrest and protest during the Bush years, it would be shrugged off.(Conversely, all protest and unrest under Obama is swallowed whole in Europe as it fits their that All Americans Are Racist narrative. But this is a different topic altogether.)
- Americans are ethnically homogenuous. This is the weirdest one. Most Europeans are aware that Americans are not ethnically homogenuous. Yet I've been met with challenges and utter disbelief when I've said one simple truth that most Americans can relate to: I have never, ever had a class in school, worked a job or attended a church, gone to a party that did not have at least one if not several non-native speakers from abroad. My last job, at a small business, I worked with a Korean, a Filipino(who were married and owned the business), a MOngolian, a Mexican, a Slovak, a Pole and about 5 native born Americans including myself. And that was not that uncommon. My last name is LaSalle, which of course is French. You would not believe how many people tell me that 'that's not a typical or a 'normal' American name.' To which I always reply, 'well, what IS a typical American surname?
But forget Ethnic Diversity.
Not everything is defined by ethnicity. I hate that, in fact. And differences are not even all regional.
There are tons of subcultures living side by side in the USof A. Your next door neighbour is a different culture.
Your co-worker lives in a different universe.
Your pig-wrestling cousin from Ohio might as well be an alien.
People just don't get that. They see 'AmericanEnglish speaker' and they think they are the same.
Is the USA the only diverse country. No. No way. Not even close. WE pale beside countries in Africa and Asia, I'm sure. A country like the Russian Federation is mind-bogglingly diverse. Even Western European countries are pretty diverse--the bigger, the more so, obviously. It's different in tone, it's got geographical boundaries and deep history behind it, to be sure.
But doo Europeans underestimate the diversity in the US?. Most of them do.
Now, if you were to ask if Americans were aware that Europe(as a continent) was as multi-varied and socially diverse as it is, I'd also have to say no.
Not at all. Europe as a continent and collection of countries is even more diverse in many, many ways(though perhaps not all ways.) than USA.
Both places are big.
But, then, that's not what you asked!
Americans are ignorant about the Rest of the World. Everyone knows that.
And, in general, Europeans certainly have a greater understanding of the USA than Americans have of Europe. Much greater.
Do they underestimate the size? No. Of course not. They can see that it's a big country.
But they underestimate the effect that that size has on psychology. But it's hardly a subject that's been given a lot of subject anywhere.
Sadly diversity in both places is vanishing fast. While I welcome the day that the human race moves beyond racism and ethnic nationalism, which are sort of dark celebrations of diversity, I reckon, , I find the overall homogenization in the Age of Communication that's going on in the US, in Europe, and all over the world to be a little sad. Maybe we're forging a new identity as humans, but something is getting lost.
It's our differences that make us interesting.
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