During my two week stay with a host family in Spain this past summer– where I met teenagers from all over Europe and the rest of the world– I quickly realized how many misconceptions foreigners have about America. I constantly found myself debunking stereotypes on a wide range of topics: some funny, others more serious. It became clear that many Europeans’ views of the United States were shaped by inaccurate media portrayals and generalizations rather than reality.
Many of my European friends expressed their thoughts that Americans had a terrible sense of geography. I was often asked questions like “What continent is Sweden a part of?” or “Do you even know the difference between Asia and Africa?” They were always shocked when I was able to answer these questions correctly, proving the belief that Americans don’t even have a basic understanding or education on these topics wrong.
Perhaps the most serious misconception was the belief that school shootings happen constantly in America. This is a very common myth; even many of my European friends were under the impression that school shootings happened on a daily basis and were completely normalized. This conception is often exaggerated by European media, giving the impression that these incidents happen nationwide and all the time. While tragic school shootings do unfortunately occur, they’re nowhere near as frequent as many Europeans believe. When they do happen, they’re taken very seriously– with intense media attention, law enforcement responses, and other measures.
Building off of the previous myth is the idea that everyone in America owns a gun. I remember being asked multiple times by many different people, “How many guns do you have at home?” I was always surprised by this question– especially considering the frequency at which it was asked– because, in reality, gun ownership is only common in certain areas. Generally, people in more rural regions are much more likely to own a firearm, while Americans residing in urban areas are less likely to. In fact, according to Pew Research Center, only 30% of Americans own a gun. This isn’t a small amount, but the belief that every single American owns a gun is definitely not the case.
Along with serious misconceptions, there are also many lighter and funnier stereotypes about American culture. Among these is the myth that all of Illinois is like the infamous “O-Block,” a neighborhood in Chicago that has become widely known through media portrayals of crime and gang violence. When I first arrived in Spain, I told everyone I met that I was from Chicago, expecting that a large and well-known city would resonate more with them than Illinois. Yet, whenever I mentioned Chicago, I was met with some jokes and genuine concern that I was supposedly living in such a “dangerous” environment. In reality, O-Block is just one area of Chicago and it doesn’t represent the city as a whole, which is full of diverse areas and iconic landmarks.
I also found it ironic how many of my friends didn’t know whether Chicago was a city or a state. It was a bit surprising to me how little some of them knew about basic geography, especially considering the widespread perception that Americans know nothing about the topic. While they were teasing me about how I supposedly couldn’t locate Sweden on a map, many of them were shocked when I told them that it would take me over twenty hours to drive from Illinois to California– they seemed to think that I could just casually drive across the entire country for a day trip! This may sound surprising, but it makes sense considering the fact that Europe is very travelable. In Europe, you can easily take a train or short flight and be in a new country within a few hours. Because of this, many Europeans find it hard to grasp the size and diversity of the United States.
Sofia Zarmella, a senior at LFHS who grew up in Switzerland and Italy, agrees that there are many misconceptions that Europeans and Americans have about each other, even when it comes to little things.
“Most Europeans think that all food in the U.S. is over processed and unhealthy,” said Zaramella.
Another very common misconception about Americans is that the only popular sports in the U.S. are basketball and football. While these two sports are undoubtedly huge, they’re far from the only sports that the U.S. is passionate about. Baseball has always been a large part of American culture, and soccer is rapidly gaining popularity– especially with the rise of the MLS (Major League Soccer). Sports like hockey and lacrosse are also very popular in America. While football and basketball may dominate the media, there’s a wide variety of sports that Americans love to play and watch.
There were also some things that my European friends were surprised to hear about the U.S.: the fact that cheerleaders, southern accents and yellow school buses are real; the ability to obtain a driver’s license at 16; the legal drinking age being 21 and over. These are all seemingly normal parts of our lives here in America but, to Europeans, they can come as a major shock– similar to how some aspects of their lives may surprise us. For example, in Europe the legal drinking age is 18, and even 16 in some countries. As for driver’s licenses, you can’t receive one until you turn 18.
These are just a few of the hundreds of American stereotypes that I discovered through my time abroad in Spain, but the experience has also made me realize that we have just as many misconceptions about other cultures as they do our own. As I spent time with my new friends, I realized that many of the things I’ve grown up hearing about Europe are far from the truth.
For example, one thing that I have constantly heard about Europeans is that they’re very formal and reserved. However, during the time I spent in Europe, I realized that this is untrue. From my personal experience, everyone I met was extremely friendly and open. Many people were excited to share their culture with me and just as eager to hear about mine. The idea that Europeans are serious and stiff does not reflect the reality of how I was treated during my time in Spain.
My trip to Spain served as a valuable lesson on how easily we all fall victim to stereotypes, whether they are about Americans, Europeans, or any other culture. We often form opinions based on what we see in the media or hear from others, but these portrayals rarely show the full picture. Whether it’s the idea that Americans know nothing about geography, or that Europeans are unwelcoming and unkind, there’s so much more to each of us than what meets the eye.
What’s most important is that we keep an open mind and recognize that our own perspectives can be just as biased and limited as those of others. Understanding different cultures takes more than just listening to the media or repeating what we’ve heard; it requires real conversations, experiences, and willingness to change our assumptions.
