OnMyMind

One of the benefits of being an American living abroad, is that you get a new viewpoint on your home country. In my travels, I have come across more than a couple of people who hate America, and countless numbers who have poor opinions of both America and Americans. Much of it is based on America’s political stances, but a lot can also be attributed to the “American Attitude.” More than any other people in the world, Americans tend to be the embodiment of ethnocentrism.
Take this statement as an example:

“It’s national pride. They want their country standard to be the international standard.”
Ellen Matten, international issues analyst for the U.S. Codex Office, on Japan’s reaction to a soy sauce dispute with the U.S. which wants all soy sauces created the same way. (Washington Post)
From Japan Today’s Quote of the Day

Imagine Japan laying claim to soy sauce standards. Just because they practically invented it, they think that they can force their view of proper soy sauce on Americans? Imagine a culture trying to protect its assets, trying to protect its traditions, is that so wrong?

Soy sauce becomes focus of global trade dispute
At a UN-sponsored meeting in Washington on Monday, Japan plans to demand new labels on soy sauce bottles that would distinguish traditionally brewed types from newer versions. 
The United States and others leading the opposition say such rules would penalise some producers, and they want each country to be able to decide for itself. 
If approved, the proposal could force some brands like US producer ConAgra Foods’ La Choy and Chun King to disclose that they either take brewing shortcuts or skip the process altogether. 
We think consumers should have a way of telling the difference between traditionally made soy sauce and these other brands that don’t even start with soybeans,” Japanese Agriculture Ministry official Hironobu Naka said. 

Imagine Japan trying to impress its version of baseball, or apple pie for that matter, on America. Americans would be up in arms. There would be protests, embargoes, demands…
It is the downside of the “Great American Melting Pot”: America absorbs all cultures into a rich beefy stew, but although each spoonful is full of wonderful heady spice, all that remains of the original components is a lumpy homogenous mess. It is a mystery how the ingredients that go into the Great American Pressure Cooker are for a wonderful international stew, but what comes out is a lumpy oatmeal. This is how we get second generation Americans who do not speak their parents native language, this is how we get Americanized “International” cuisine, this is how we have become a country without a culture. Americans tend to see the shadows of other cultures, the diluted shell of what once was, and think that they understand the world. It is rather sad actually.
I do not put myself above my opinions of my fellow Americans. I merely believe that I recognize my errors, and therefor I am better equipped to face them. It is one of the reasons that I think that every American should live abroad for a short time. It has been an incredible learning experience for me, and has changed my world view drastically. It is like reaching the top of a mountain trail, looking back and seeing where you have been. On the hike, you see only the trees and trail, but from the peak you see the mountain and the forest. In America, I saw only the trails and trees. Now I see the forest that is America, and it is not as grand as I had thought it was.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 29th, 2004 at 10:14 am and is filed under Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.