You couldn't be more wrong to assume that. Let me take a minute to discuss what I am learning about the US--which sometimes seems more than I am learning about Cordoba and Argentina! I think that it is so striking to me because I expected the US students to have more in common; I already knew that Argentine culture would be worlds of different from my own.
First, a display of the various places in the US we call home (look for the yellow dots!) :
Now, let's discuss some of the differences that make this country great...
Call me a simple girl from Wisconsin, but I had no idea that boys from Connecticut can only find taxidermy animals in antique shops. Just come to my basement! I have to admit that some stereotypes do hold true. For example, I have found that my friends from California tend to be, oh shall we say, a bit more liberal than the kids from the Midwest. Actually, it seems like pretty much everyone is more liberal than the Midwest... Just leave us to our farm fields and families please! But then again, it is very difficult to make broad generalizations. Of course, a certain type of person will do this study abroad experience and that could affect some of the trends I see.
It is so interesting to get in discussions about things like gun control with our varied and diverse group. In Wisconsin, we have so many hunters, and I come from a family where we have a passion for the outdoors: hunting, fishing, you name it. But hearing from people who have little to no experience ever being around or handling a gun makes me realize why this continues to be an issue in our government. Of course, you always have the other end of the spectrum... I've heard from my Southern friends that you assume someone has a gun in their truck and would be surprised if they didn't. Certain aspects like these make me feel like the Midwest relates well with the South, but sometimes I feel a million miles away from them too.
Have you ever heard Kelsey Marie Phipps talk? I'll give you a chance... watch this:
Now, not only is she describing something unheard of in little ole Wisconsin, but her accent!!!!!! I am fascinated by the way her and her compatriots talk. I probably annoy them so much by constantly analyzing their pronunciation and syntax. For example, where I would say, "Hey do you want to go to a movie later?" Kelsey would come with, "hey would ya'll be wantin' to go to the theeeeee-aaa--ter later on?" It's fascinating! But I do receive a fair amount of grief for my pronunciation sometimes as well. Apparently, the way I pronounce "so, spoon, boat, about, milk, pillow" and various other words are hilarious... Wisconsinites, back me up here--I pronounce them just fine!
More than the way we talk, it's the food we eat, the music we enjoy, our towns/ cities, our hobbies, our vacation spots.... a myriad of things distinguish us.
Basically, I tell you all of this to draw these conclusions. I encourage you to never make broad statements about the United States as a whole. Each day I learn how diverse we truly are. At the same point, we do all hail from the Red, White, and Blue and we are all so proud of the places from which we come, both individually and as a country. I couldn't be more proud to stand next to these fine individuals and call them my countrymen... no matter how they pronounce their "oi"'s :)
More than the way we talk, it's the food we eat, the music we enjoy, our towns/ cities, our hobbies, our vacation spots.... a myriad of things distinguish us.
Basically, I tell you all of this to draw these conclusions. I encourage you to never make broad statements about the United States as a whole. Each day I learn how diverse we truly are. At the same point, we do all hail from the Red, White, and Blue and we are all so proud of the places from which we come, both individually and as a country. I couldn't be more proud to stand next to these fine individuals and call them my countrymen... no matter how they pronounce their "oi"'s :)
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