Traveling abroad can expose people to many different perceptions of other cultures. Sometimes, these perceptions are based on stereotypes that simply aren’t true.
One traveler, having spent over a decade traveling abroad, shares some of the surprising, and sometimes humorous, American stereotypes encountered.
While U.S. citizens often know these aren’t always the case, it can still be frustrating to hear untrue stereotypes about their country.
Here are 19 false American stereotypes that, according to the source, foreigners need to ditch:
1. Everyone Eats Fast Food
While America did introduce the world to major fast-food chains, the stereotype that all Americans are overweight and frequently eat fast food is incorrect.
The source points out that obesity rates vary significantly by state, with Colorado, Hawaii, and Vermont having relatively low rates (25% to 26.8%).
Conversely, states like West Virginia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma have obesity rates of 40% or more, which may contribute to this stereotype.
2. Americans Don’t Travel Often
Some foreigners view Americans as having a “Houseplant Life,” meaning they stay put. However, the U.S. is vast; it would take 50 years for an American to visit just one state per year, not even factoring in the country’s 429 parks within the National Park System.
While some Americans don’t travel, the stereotype that they generally don’t is not entirely accurate.
3. Saying the Pledge Is Weird
Some foreigners find it odd or even “nationalistic” that American kids recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school daily. In reality, many Americans simply recite the pledge without giving much thought to its words.
4. Richness Abounds
Thanks partly to Hollywood, some foreigners picture Americans as being incredibly wealthy and famous.
The reality is quite different, with homelessness rising 12% in 2023 alone, leaving over 650,000 people unhoused across the U.S..
5. Americans Are Either Really Rich or Really Poor
On the other hand, some foreigners hear about homelessness and stereotype Americans as falling into extreme wealth or poverty.
Although the source mentions the middle class is shrinking, it asserts that most Americans do not fall within these extremes.
6. Everyone’s Ignorant
This stereotype might stem from the belief that Americans aren’t well-traveled. However, despite the existence of uninformed Americans, the U.S. is among the top 30 countries globally for residents with a high average IQ. The source notes it ranks 29th on that list.
7. Life Is Like a Film
Hollywood movies are popular internationally, which can lead some foreigners to have a skewed perception of life in the U.S.. Most Americans would agree that their lives are far from resembling a Hollywood film.
8. All Cheese and Bread Are Gross
While yellow American cheese slices and squishy white bread might not be considered gourmet by everyone, the stereotype that all U.S. cheese and bread are disgusting is unfair.
Major and specialty grocery stores often have bakeries and cheese sections offering excellent selections of quality goods.
9. No Concept of the Metric System
It’s true that many, if not most, Americans are not fluent in the metric system. However, the stereotype that Americans have no concept of it is unfair.
Thanks to grade school science classes, most Americans understand basic metric units, knowing, for example, that a millimeter is very small and a centimeter is larger but still small.
10. Day Trips Between States Are Possible
Unless living close to a state border, day trips between states are often impossible due to the vast distances. Even day trips within the same large state can be unreasonable.
11. No Resemblance to British English
Many Americans might even agree with foreigners on this, but the source argues history tells a different story. American English does have similarities to British English.
The source explains that when wealthy Brits stopped pronouncing their “r”s in the mid-18th century, Americans in northern port cities like New York City and Boston adopted this.
Meanwhile, less wealthy Brits who continued pronouncing “r”s often settled in agricultural areas in the south, leading to many Americans in the south still speaking with “r”s today.
12. No Desire To Travel Internationally
For many Americans, it’s not a lack of desire to travel internationally. However, traveling between countries from the U.S. is often more expensive and time-consuming compared to travel between European countries.
Additionally, the diverse geography within the U.S. itself (deserts, tropics, mountains, tundra) can satisfy some residents’ desire for varied landscapes without needing to travel abroad.
13. Federal or Nothing
Contrary to foreign belief, things don’t only exist if they are federally mandated in the U.S.. State legislation plays a significant role, meaning laws and practices vary depending on the state.
14. Medical Turn Aways
Many Americans recognize that affordable healthcare is a challenge in the U.S.. However, contrary to the impression some people abroad have, it is against the law for an emergency room to turn away someone needing life-saving treatment because they cannot afford it. This law includes noncitizens.
15. The US Is Too Dangerous To Visit
While firearm violence is acknowledged as a problem in America, the source argues this doesn’t mean the country is too dangerous for tourists.
Shootings are uncommon in tourist areas, and crime tends to occur in known “red zones,” similar to other countries.
16. Terrible Beer
Many Americans might agree that large-scale beers like Bud and Coors Light aren’t exceptional. However, the U.S. has an excellent and growing craft beer scene.
17. Lack of Education Abounds
Some non-Americans perceive poor education in the U.S.. While it’s true that most students don’t start learning a second language in kindergarten and locating obscure countries on a map might be difficult for some, the U.S. education system has room for improvement but is not universally poor.
The source cites an education index ranking the U.S. 13th in the world for a high level of education.
18. All Healthcare Is Privatized
This is false. While it’s true that publicly run hospitals are becoming less common, which likely contributes to this stereotype, not all healthcare is privatized.
In the past 25 years, there has been a 40% decline in government-owned hospitals, with not-for-profit and for-profit businesses often acquiring them.
19. Burger Nation
The stereotype that Americans eat hamburgers every day is false. The source suggests this stereotype is understandable given the global presence of over 40,000 McDonald’s locations.
Alicia Richards