What is it about world travelers bad-mouthing their countries of origin? Is it out of shame, or do they really dislike their home country that much? Did I miss something in the secret World Traveler Handbook? I cannot tell you how many countless times I have come across various travelers / volunteers / expats who have nothing but bad things to say about their home country. And more often than not these people are from the United States. I frequently find myself arguing and defending my love for my home with fellow U.S. citizens! Which leads me to wonder: what is the perception of the United States in other countries, when its own citizens are talking bad about it?
Now, to be clear, I agree that there are many problems back home. I, by no means, harbor a blind patriotism that is ignorant of the progress we still need to make domestically and abroad. But it’s not all bad. Spending a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer opened my eyes to the incredible energy and dedication the American people have to keeping their communities alive and vibrant.
And these same people are dedicated to being good world citizens. I have a number of friends who have gone abroad to volunteer their time and skills to impoverished countries, genuinely trying to make an impact. The majority of my fellow bloggers on this site are U.S. citizens, and I believe each of them is sincerely trying to make a difference in his or her country of current residence. Aren’t these individuals great examples of the good that comes from the United States? I would never want to bad mouth a country that has genuinely good people fanning out all over the globe trying to make the world more just.
So my question is: how do we become good ambassadors? How do we make sure that all those fantastic people out there, doing incredible work, are proud to say they are U.S. citizens? Because I for one want to take credit for all the good that is being done by these people, these people and these people.
Lauren Foukes is currently teaching English and helping local businesses in Ecuador. For more about her experiences, check out her personal blog.
Latest posts by laurenfoukes
- Saying Goodbye to Ecuador - March 29th, 2010
- At Some Point I Became Lorena - March 15th, 2010
- Aftermath of Chilean Earthquakes - March 7th, 2010
- Taking the Plunge - March 1st, 2010
- Lo bueno, lo malo y lo feo - February 20th, 2010
- Forget Language Teachers...I've Got Kids - January 31st, 2010
- Staying Flexible - January 25th, 2010
- Pollution Matters - January 22nd, 2010
- "...But Is It Safe?" - January 11th, 2010
- Saludos de Ecuador! - January 4th, 2010
It’s human nature to share problems and empathize with each other. Of course there are extremes and we need to be careful not to cross that line. We can all be good ambassadors by working towards the solutions to problems we find so glaring in our own cultures and abroad.
I understand your sentiments because I sometimes feel uncomfortable saying I’m American when traveling. Usually I share my background (Indian with a half-Nigerian, half American husband) and explain that “Americans” can look like very different and have very different views.
Unfortunately, I do think a few people and actions can give us a bad name. And since the U.S. is rich and powerful, some of our policies could be considered harsh and overbearing.
But I wholeheartedly agree that there are selfless Americans truly helping people in their own country and abroad. And in some sense, those are our ambassadors.
Thanks for approaching a controversial topic.
Sheethal Shobowale
Kiva Fellow, Bolivia and Peru