Being an American in Germany

Despite what I expected, I have not received much flack for being an American. I had thought that the anti-American sentiment would be pretty high, considering recent political events. When I came to Germany when I was in highschool, it had just been revealed that the US had been spying on German government officials.. This, unsurprisingly, offended a lot of Germans, who wondered why one of their closest allies was spying on them. So there were anti-American protest going on at the time. That was 4 years ago though. I though maybe sentiment would be similar, given the election and political developments in recent years, but it is not the case.

Germans are almost always understanding and helpful when they realize that you are American. Europe is a very cosmopolitan continent, so they are used to foreigners. Konstanz in particular, as it is such a tourist destination within Europe. They are also used to people not speaking German, and English is used as the international language by tourists from all over Europe. They do not even get annoyed if they don't speak English, because they are just so used to interacting with people who do not speak German.

I have only had one negative interaction based on my nationality and language ability. Once when I was in a store, a confused looking woman approached me. She was speaking rapid German with a thick Swiss accent, so I could not understand anything she said. She was quite annoyed that I could not speak German, to help her with whatever it was hse needed, and asked where I came from (I understood that bit). I said the US, and she just scoffed and walked away. Clearly the sentiment was “of course, an ignorant American.” This was an isolated occasion, as it has only happened once out of all the interactions with GErmans I have had.

Being an American in Europe also means a new sense of identity, or at least for me. I am used to being a part of the majority, but here I am the other. This is not a bad thing, just a new feeling. I am not part of the dominant culture, but rather an outsider who must learn the lay of the land. It has also given me much more of sense of my nationality. Before I never felt particularly strongly about being an American, it was just a fact of my life. I still can not define what makes being American different than being a German in a fundamental way, as one can point out the obvious differences like styles of clothes or taste in beers. But it feels like there is a difference on a deeper level. I know this is the case for no-American exchange students as well. I was talking to one Australian student who was saying his time over here had made him patriotic for the first time. Australia is not a country known for nationalistic fervor, so that's saying something. It was not people here attacked him for being Australian or had anything but good things to say about his country. It is simply that being surrounded by the other gives you a more defined sense of your own identity.

When in Germany , do as the Germans do. Beer, bread, sausage