Sometimes, I pretend I am Canadian

[kskiska]

Sneering, insults, condescension – it's not so much fun being an American in London since the election, says Helen Kirwan-Taylor

There was a moment when we Americans living in Britain, all 200,000 or so of us, thought we were home free. The years of being mocked and antagonised for our country's leader were coming to an end. "Actually, I'm voting for Kerry" was the simplest way of getting out of a difficult conversation. The truth is that many Americans in Britain probably voted for Bush, but have kept it to themselves. It's about as fashionable as admitting to having the clap.

"Every meeting I go to, every social occasion, even when I'm out shopping, someone hears my accent and challenges me to a debate," says Annie Ouroussof Jordan, an executive headhunter who, though American, spent years in France and the Middle East before moving to Britain 15 years ago. She did not vote.

"There wasn't a proper candidate as far as I'm concerned and I wasn't going to vote for Kerry just not to vote for Bush. The truth is that I would have voted for Bush if I had to make a choice. Many of us Americans feel this way because we don't know what Kerry believes in. He stands for nothing. I have gotten flak for it but part of being an American is speaking up. I am often provoked in social situations and have taken to avoiding the subject altogether." Still, this is nothing compared with French anti-Americanism. "It's pure hatred there," she says.

Anti-Americanism is running so high in some British circles that, at a recent party, I resorted to saying: "I'm Canadian". Months of getting into arguments and defending America (its people, not its leader) have caught up with me. Now, I feel embarrassed and worried. Every new headline makes my stomach turn. As for the future, I think we can expect a lot more polarisation, Bush-bashing and America-hating.

"Worried, ashamed, scared, depressed" are the words I have heard over and over again from my American friends. "By being hostile, the British are trying to say that we are not like you : we believe in fair play, in integrity, in doing the right thing," says Mark McDermott, a reader in psychology at the University of East London.

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/11/13/ftyank12.xml&sSheet=/arts/2004/11/13/ixartleft.html

[candy]

1. This annoys me----I've always loved London but will avoid it now--

I don't need the grief. To dislike all of us because they don't agree with half of us is a bit arrogant I think.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

8. Arrogant and narrow-minded, too.....

This is one of the worst fall-outs of the Bush administration to me personally. I haven't traveled to the UK or Europe since 9-11. At first it was because I was afraid to fly, but when world opinion started turning against us, Rummy made his "old Europe" comment, and the France-bashing began, I was too ashamed to go there, and worried that we would be shunned, or worse. I really was seriously bummed out, because travel has always been my main source of joy and freedom, and what Bush did ruined everything for me.

I figured we would do ok in the UK, because we could converse on a deep level if need be, but the only other language I can even get BY on in Europe, is French. We like to travel in rural areas of France, where very few people speak English. It gives me a chance to practice my French, which is not very good at all. Even in the 90s we would meet people who hated what America stood for in their minds, and therefore were suspicious of Americans.

One of my favorite things about travel is meeting people, and exchanging ideas. SOmetimes conversations would start up in bistros or sidewalk cafes, and with my pigeon French I would sometimes be called on to explain to people who understood no English, my point of view on such things as why Americans are so violent, so sexually hung up, etc. It was very hard work, to say the least, and marginally successful. Most people were so open-minded and tried to understand, and good, but some were not. SOme just wanted to hate America and Americans. We have plenty of those types here too, who feel the same about Europe and Europeans, etc.

This election day, when all the exit polls favored Kerry, I had a sudden (and short-lived) glimmer of hope that maybe that great sense of joy and freedom in travel would return.

Sorry for this long and probably self-indulgent post, but I have wanted to say this for a long time, and don't have many opportunities to share thoughts and feelings on this issue.

[candy]

11. Thanks! You put into words what I'm not articulate enough to say. n/t

[aquart]

2. I shall try not to call Annie a stupid, traitorous bitch. I will.

[HawkerHurricane]

3. Did it for years.

Called myself Canadian, that is. Lots of places in the world where it's not SAFE to call yourself a American.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

9. Best to dress in black and not wear Nikes

Most fun when you cannot be pegged as being of one nationality or another.

[indigobusiness]

4. It's fixing to get much worse, in coming years

I fear.

[JohnyCanuck]

5. Can't see how the Brits get off giving the Yanks grief over Dumbya

when the Brits allow their own POS, brown nosing toady and numero uno Shrub enabler PM Tony bLIAR to have his way with them.

[Darth_Kitten]

6. So this Annie Jordan is a dumb coward who cannot stand up for....

her beliefs? Don't call yourself canadian, Annie, you ungrateful, self-serving idiot. :)

[thomas_a]

7. The Hypocrisy Disgusts Me

The hypocrisy of the whole situation disgusts me, from wimpy Bush lovers who deny that they are American to Brits who look down on us for having Bush as our president while their pathetic excuse for a prime minister has the sole ambition of being the next Mussolini. To say that "we believe in fair play, in integrity, in doing the right thing" is astounding when you blindly followed Bush on his crusade in Iraq for no better reason than to grab a share of the country's oil. The less said about the Dutch, the Poles, the Italians and the Norwegians the better. But for me, the all time low came when Herr Schwarzenswagger was elected governor of California. Nelson Mandela, who had made a grand show of leaving South Africa when Bush came for an official visit, actually called called The Terminator to congratulate him, an act that is in my mind is no different than calling Hans Frank to congratulate him on becoming governor general of Poland. I guess the morality of one's positions on foreign policy is entirely dependent on the roles one has played in Hollywood movies.

[depakid]

10. Interestingly enough

The last two times I travelled to Britain and Australia, people thought we were canadian- and at times, we didn't dissuade them. Actually, we're from Oregon- which apparently sounds like a Canadian accent minus the long oou's (as in about) and we don't say "eh."

I feel sorry for people going abroad with a Southern accent. You just know they'll get shit in the pubs.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

12. mistaken for Canadians

That's happened to us too, in fact we took delight in that not once did someone ask if we were from the US. We are very waspy looking, brown hair, and from the midwest, so were amazed when Europeans asked if we were Dutch, Canadian, Danish, and once,Italian-!

We love our country (in the This Land is Your Land way)but you know European's stereotypic image of us is loud and obnoxious with sports-themed clothing, and stubbornly monolingual.

If they guessed our nationality wrong, usually we felt good telling them, no, we are American. Then they would be pleasantly surprised and we figured we were being good ambassadors. :)

[stavka]

14. I had the same experience

Most Germans/Austrians and the ANZACS thought I was Canadian (I live in Michigan, a border state)

[godblessthebeastinme]

13. pretending to be a canadian

for my first two years at LSE I swore that I was from canada.

i got caught out when I wasn't able to explain what iceing the puck means.