YOUPOST 2

Hello Followers,

How are you doing today?

If I tell you "United States", what comes first to your mind? What are the stereotypes and the preconceived ideas that you have?

Personally, I have many that I could mention:
- Americans are very patriotic.
- Americans don't know much about the history, languages and geography of other countries.
- Americans are obese.
- American football players always date cheerleaders.
- Americans are really conservative and religious.
- Americans carry guns on them all the time.
And many others...

But are all those stereotypes true? I'm going to develop one in particular and try to reveal the origin and the truth of it:


1) Americans are very patriotic:

Many Americans claim themselves as very patriotic and proud to be American. According to a survey led by the Pew Research Centre (an American think tank based in Washington DC), around 83 pourcent of Americans are proud of their nationality.
This patriotism is noticeable in different ways. First
of all, the American flag is everywhere, it is hanging in front of schools and inside the classrooms, in front of many houses' façades, on the back of many cars and even drawn on T-shirts. It is a symbol for liberty and democracy guaranteed by the Constitution.
As I was in America for my senior year in High School, I had to recite every morning "the Pledge of Allegiance" before starting class. And every time I had a sport competition with my swimming or soccer team, the anthem was always played before starting it. I always thought it was cool; it gave us spirit and motivation to win the competition.

Secondly, American people always thank their troops for the sacrifice they make for their country. They often honor their troops, particularly on Veteran Days. As I lived next to a military post on Fort Carson in Colorado, I went to see the "Welcome back from Afghanistan" of the troops. It was a very formal and emotional moment where the soldiers could see  their family again after 9 months-1 year deployment. During this ceremony, they usually play this song "I'm proud to be an American" (youtube video), showing their patriotism and their respect to the Nation.


All those elements show that this stereotype is true. This solidarity has lasted since the unification of the 13 founding States ( which are also the 13 stripes of the American flag) and the Independence of the United States in 1776.




Do you have other stereotypes about Americans that you could share with me? Any funny ones? If yes, don't hesitate to write comments! I would be happy to read you !

Hope you enjoyed this article, and I can't wait to discover more things and write you about my adventures!



Sources: Military post Fort Carson
               http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2010/07/05/01003-20100705ARTFIG00653-les-americains-                cultivent-leur-patriotisme.php
                http://www.pewresearch.org/2010/07/01/proud-patriots-and-harsh-critics-of-government/
               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence