What just happened to me in Lima, Peru, yesterday...

[GetRidOfThem]

We (my girlfriend and I, whom I happened to be married to for over ten years) just got back from a fabulous vacation in Peru, and we spend the last night in Lima. At breakfast in the hotel the following conversation took place with our waiter, let's call him Juan (not his real name, I don't wish to reveal him):

Juan: Where are you from?

Me: We live in Washington, D.C.

Juan: Really? I always wanted to visit America, and I am thinking of going this fall. I was thinking maybe Washington.

Me: Oh really? Where else where you thinking?

Juan: I was thinking New York, Miami, and maybe the West Coast.

Me: The fall and spring are the very best seasons to go to Washington, D.C.

Juan: I am a little worried, because my English is not so good.

Me (and my "girlfriend&quot : Your English is very good, I would not worry at all. It is very confident, and you are way ahead of us in English if you compare it to our Spanish. You won't have any difficulties!

Juan: I am also a bit worried going to the U.S. now, being a Latino. Friends are telling me to be careful.

Me: I apologize for my country if you feel this way. Let me explain: You will have no difficulties in any of the larger cities, and there are huge Hispanic communities there. You will not have a problem in New York, Washington D.C., Miami, San Francisco, or any of those areas. The problem lies in the countryside and in smaller cities and more isolated communities.

Juan (somewhat relieved): So it is not so bad as one hears?

I am shocked to have to come so much into the defense of the U.S. This will in the end hurt not only our tourism, but our overall image abroad. The damage this Republican presidential campaign, if you can even call that, is truly disturbing. This reminds me of the days, back in 2004 or so, when we were visiting Europe wearing T-shirts that read, in all seven U.N. languages, "I apologize that my president is an idiot. I did not vote for him."

[tonyt53]

1. I do business in Europe. They ask the same questions. Trump as prez scares the rest of the world

[whathehell]

2. You had that t-shirt too?

I wore it on a trip to Europe in 2007.

As to your experience, I think you have to remember that non-Americans are likely as vulnerable to exaggerated fears and "getting it wrong"
about foreign countries as we are. I just came back from a language holiday in Croatia yesterday, and I was surprised at some of their misperceptions about America that I encountered there.

[GetRidOfThem]

3. Yes, I had that T shirt too!

I work internationally throughout the world as a development economist, and I travel many times. Right now I have Latin America, the Caribbean, and East Africa on my plate. This is the first time I have had something so direct expressed to me.

It is also sad.

Of course what I did was give him our contact information, and told him to touch base if he decided to visit D.C.

[whathehell]

7. You are the only other person I know who had it..

It's nice that you offered to keep in touch with the guy...Most people who visit America come away with a higher opinion of Americans

than they previously had. Let's hope he ends up the same.

[Ms. Yertle]

4. Safer in the cities, huh?

Check out what happened to this immigrant in Philadelphia.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2016/08/29/victim-of-lawncrest-attack-dies-from-injuries/

I have lived in rural areas all my life, and the violence here is negligible, compared to even small cities.

[a la izquierda]

5. Happens to me every time I go to Mexico! Nt

[ArcticFox]

6. The damage has been mounting since Bush II

I first travelled to Europe about eleven years ago, and found US citizens saying they were Canadians way back then.

[Yallow]

8. I Went To Nice (France) In September 2008 - Wore An Obama Shirt

Had no problems.

[Jopin Klobe]

9. Don't forget ...

... these people had to live through the George W. Whatshisname's administration's cesspool swim marathon, also ...

[GoneOffShore]

10. Presently in Normandy, France. Not a problem as an American.

We've had one political discussion which was less than two sentences -

"You're American? Please, no Trump. Never Trump"

"We'll do our best."

"Good. Have a good time in France!"

[LuckyLib]

11. Folks I know who have worked or travelled outside the US in the past year

have countless tales of being asked "Really? Donald Trump? What's up with that?" We are doing lots of explaining as we interact with a world that is shocked that this idiot is a candidate. Lots of head-shaking and shared sympathy.

[MiniMe]

12. Most of what I hear from people from other countries is shock about gun violence

The only thing I can say to them is that is scares me too, and I wish congress would do something about it.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. I wore that T-shirt with the apologies in Europe in 2004 as well!