Any fellow Americans have this problem?

[ginger007]

I'm in Spain at the moment, and well I'm fully bilingual (English and Spanish) and so of course I conduct myself in Spanish most of the time here.

 

The problem amounts to situations like this one: I was at a bar today (one I frequent), they had the TV on and they were showing the medal ceremony for basketball (USA beat Spain to win the gold)...anyway so I acted somewhat elated. And this Bolivian bartender started with the 'come on you're not American', I showed him my passport (which btw every time I pay with credit card and give him the passport I can tell he's scrutinizing it)...and he's like "that's just a piece of paper" (and he's always asking if I speak English)...I don't know why I continued the conversation but I went on to tell him I was born in Mass., that even if I hadn't been born there Puerto Ricans are Americans...etc. I didn't tell him I've lived in the States over half of my life, that I pay taxes to Uncle Sam since I graduated from college and started working in 2003, that in the past elections I voted for Kerry etc. (Maybe I should have told him all of this when he said: "my girlfriend is more American than you and she doesn't feel American" ??? ...she was born in DC but apparently never lived in the States after infancy idk....how he made this judgment I have no idea as he has no details with regards to my life, ancestry etc. other than I have a US passport and was born in Mass.

 

So this is pretty self-explanatory I guess, his judgement is irrational being he has no info on me, so can I safely say it all stems from envy?

 

I shouldn't be bothered by it because that's probably the cause (i.e. envy) but it pisses me off that people can be so disrespectful and think that they can tell you what you are or are not. Really, gets on my nerves.

 

(For this reason I think I'll only speak in English when at a bar, I had decided to do that before anyway, since pretty much all Peruvian bartenders (it's a bar hopping lifestyle 24-7 here in Spain hehe) think I'm very accessible just because I speak Spanish.)

[annie24]

oh, i love spain so much, and i know, crazy 24/7 bars! i wouldn't read into it. i guess he just doesn't see you as the 'typical ugly american' in the shorts and the camera and the guidebook who can't even ask for a beer in spanish. i'd take it as a compliemtn.

[ginger007]

yeah i guess that not being American is a good thing for him hehe, he's told me he doesn't like the states

[Cognitive_Canine]

I don't think it really matters. I don't think it stems from jealousy, he probably just doesn't peg you as american for some reason.

[pianoguy]

Frankly, he sounds racist. I'd write him off as a jerk and just leave it at that.

[Ixtapa]

Honestly, why would that guy be envious about the fact you are American ??

 

But why is his reaction a problem anyway ? Most people do not believe Im Swiss.....coz I dont act like a typical Swiss and I look more like a Spaniard. Never saw that as a problem.... Who cares ?!

[ginger007]

Honestly, why would that guy be envious about the fact you are American ??

 

In the Spanish-speaking microcosm there's friction between many nationalities and people from PR with regards to their American citizenship. Peru even tried to join the States once, wanting to become the 51st state. My American citizenship was not obtained through my Puerto Rican ancestry anyway.

 

There are Puerto Ricans who will tell you they are not American at all. And then you hear Mexicans (personal experience) telling them "you're not Hispanic you're a gringo".

 

Anyway, maybe envy because his country is not doing well, hence why he's in Spain trying to make it and trying to get a European passport. I'm in Spain, but not out of hardship, I'll be here to travel around Europe for a year and then go back my job in the States where I make 3 times as much.

 

But why is his reaction a problem anyway ? Most people do not believe Im Swiss.....coz I dont act like a typical Swiss and I look more like a Spaniard. Never saw that as a problem.... Who cares ?!

 

It's not about the looks...I'm white, green-eyed with blondish/light brown hair so I don't think he's saying "you look atypical".

 

Well, I guess I don't take it lightly because it feels like all my responsibilities are being demeaned. I mean, I pay thousands of dollars in taxes, I wouldn't know any country better than the States, that's where I righteously feel at home etc etc etc.

 

I think it would bother you that after you tell whoever mistook for a Spaniard that you're Swiss they kept telling you, seriously, that 'no, you're not Swiss you're Spanish".

 

Really, next time I see him I'm telling him that he's not Bolivian, keep insisting on it, and see what he says hehe.

[annie24]

really, i would read too much into it. it's not just about being blonde haired/blue eyed, but it's also the way that you carry yourself. i think there are a lot of stereotypes about american tourists, like i said, you can spot one anywhere, just look for the people wearing the shorts looking like idiots, with their camera out, and not speaking any spanish at all. america is a nation of immigrants, and except for the native americans, everyone in america has cultural heritage elsewhere. even people whose families have lived here for hundreds of years can trace back their heritage to germany/sweden/africa, etc....

[ginger007]

yeah...I don't even like how it all sounds hehe...

 

I like him a lot too as a friend so I might tell him the Bolivian thing jokingly, tell him what he said bothered me and let it go...

[Casanova]

It really doesn't matter but it probably just looked like you were a little boistrous when you were celebrating. I mean you are in Spain so you don't want to overdo the celebration. It may have looked like you were rooting against Spain too. Personally I wanted Spain to win and I'm American, lol.