5 Reasons Europeans Think America Sucks And Why They’re Wrong 

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5 Reasons Europeans Think America Sucks And Why They’re Wrong 

I grew up in Europe and then moved to the USA in a small town of North Idaho called Bonners Ferry. When I came back, I realised Europeans think Americans suck at a lot of things but they’re not always right! Here are 5 reasons Europeans think America sucks and why they’re wrong!

1. Americans suck at geography

In Europe, we love to make fun of Americans and their geographical knowledge. We’ve all seen those videos where Americans cannot pinpoint Belgium on a map or where they get confused as soon as the map is flipped. All of this has started the general consensus that Americans suck at geography.

2. Do They Really?

From my experience, that could be true if we didn’t forget about one important detail. We’re not much better than them! i thin we have to remember that geographically speaking, the USA is roughly the same size as Europe. Yes, Europe isn’t a country but geographically speaking, they’re similar in how they’re built. The USA is made of states similarly to Europe being made of different countries. I don’t know a lot of Europeans who would actually be able to pinpoint Ohio on a map or list Ohio’s bordering states. Most Europeans wouldn’t be able to say what the capital of North Dakota is. 

All to say that, yes Americans might not be the best at geography but is it really fair to say they suck at it?

3. American Food sucks

Europeans see America as the land of burgers, fries, sodas and large portions. Movies, Tv shows and a trip to the US can quickly confirm that Americans aren’t big cooks. But is it fair to say they suck at it?

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4. American Food Beyond Burgers

Living and traveling across the USA, I realised there is a world beyond American burgers. Maine for example is known for lobster rolls. the south is known for its gumbo while the north can provide excellent salmon. Not everything is about burgers and if you look beyond fast food chains, you can find real meals!

5. Americans Don’t Cook Fresh Produce

We, Europeans are huge on cooking. We don’t always love to cook but it is engrained in our culture. As a French person, I would never eat out every day. I cook fresh meals everyday while eating out is more of “an-on-occasion” thing. Americans are seen as eating out or ordering in all the time which usually means they’re eating fried oily food. But is that the whole truth?

6. Americans Do Cook Fresh Produce

You’ll be happy to learn that it isn’t. Surprisingly enough, in my small town of North Idaho, many families actually cooked on a regular basis. It was almost disappointing as I wanted the real American experience and this didn’t feel so real. The town even had a communal garden where people would grow their vegetables. I remember explaining that back in France and people not believing me! so yes, Americans do cook fresh produce too.

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7. You Need A Car No Matter Where You Are

Ah America, the land of the trucks! Europeans know how big America is and how limited the public transportation network is. Can you take a train from New York to Florida? Unlikely. Can you take a train from France to Italy? Yep! In the USA, you almost always need a car to get around, or do you really?

8. You Don’t Always Need A Car

Surprisingly enough, you don’t always need a car in the USA. New York is a great example. With the metro, taxis and buses, you can get around the city fairly easily without needed to drive. Plus the metro prevents you from getting stuck in traffic anyway. Is it as good as the London tube? Probably not but it’s a start. Chicago is also known as one of the cities where you can walk almost anywhere. now, of course, if you live in North Idaho, you’ll likely need a car but that’s no different than living in a remote French or Irish village! 

9. Americans Suck At Education

Europeans have a general consensus that America sucks at school education. Europeans usually think that the high school levels are lower than Europe and that high school graduates are generally less prepared and less knowledgeable than their European counterparts. 

10. Americans Don’t Suck (Completely) At Education

Having gone to high school in both America and France, here’s my take: Americans don’t suck at education, they just do it differently. From my experience, both Americans and Europeans can be extremely stubborn in thinking that their way is the only way. Having studied in both, I stand my grounds that a mix of both would be ideal. American high school isn’t only focused on scholar classes. Students can take pottery and art classes for the same credits and can also take part in clubs and sports. These classes not being scholar doesn’t mean they’re not as valuable. Students can learn many skills through them which help them be more confident, and creative. In France for example, these classes don’t exist. The curriculum is focus on purely scholar classes like maths, French and history. There is no room for anything else. There are many more differences between the two but all together just because we, europeans are so strict, doesn’t mean we should consider a different way consequentially sucks. 

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