You’ve heard the term Ugly American. You may have even been called an Ugly American at some point during your travels. (Although, you probably didn’t know it!) It’s a term used to describe the loud, arrogant, thoughtless and ethnocentric behavior that some Americans display when they travel abroad; characteristics that other world citizens find demeaning and downright rude.
To re-evaluate the Ugly American sentiment and find out what Europeans really think of us and each other, lastminute.com conducted a global poll, asking the British, French, Spanish, Italians, Germans and Americans what they thought about each other. Results show that perhaps we have been somewhat brainwashed by the Ugly American sentiment and have started to believe it ourselves. In the poll, Americans called themselves greedy, rude and poorly dressed, but Europeans disagreed.
American Insecurities
Ranking themselves lower than any other nationality on these accounts, results showed more than one-third of Americans think they are the greediest nationality in the buffet line; 21 percent believe they have the worst manners when traveling; and 21 percent deem themselves the worst dressed. However, the majority of Europeans gave the English the vote for poor fashion choices, just barely beating the Germans. Europeans also bashed the English for drinking too much while on vacation, but they narrowly missed the top spot for worst manners, as the Germans earned that title.
Other Findings
Contrary to what most Europeans think, both Americans and the British perceive each other as the most helpful hosts when traveling. Perhaps this is because they don’t have to learn how to say “Do you speak English?” in a foreign tongue. Not as influenced by the English language, the majority of other European nationals said the Spanish are the most helpful, making Spain a good choice for first time travelers to Western Europe, while non-English speaking Europeans view Americans among the least helpful.
The survey also found that even though many Americans still consider themselves rude, they are confident in their looks, claiming that the most attractive men and women reside in the U.S. Europeans disagree with this, too, as the majority of them think that the Italians are hot, hot, hot!
Are you an Ugly American? Find Out!
Not sure if you're guilty of arrogant, thoughtless and ethnocentric behavior? Here’s a mini-quiz to find out:
- 1. Have you ever approached the currency exchange booth at the airport and plopped down some USDs without saying a word?
2. Have you ever received harsh glances from other diners as you loudly bark your order at a Paris café?
3. Have you ever worn your American flag t-shirt while touring the Roman ruins?
4. Have you ever argued with locals about why your football is better than their football?
5. Have you ever found yourself defending G-Dub, insisting his foreign policy really isn’t all that bad?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then you may be an Ugly American! Check out the World Citizen’s Guide for tips on putting your best foot forward when traveling abroad.
Here are just a few bits of advice from the guide:
- You’ll never go wrong with a smile.
- Speak lower and slower.
- Dress up, you can always strip down.
- Think a little locally.
- Show your pride, but respect others.
Photo courtesy of IgoUgo member stomps.
