I'm tired of the "American Stereotype" and I'm not even American

I'm a young adult from South Africa and I travel extensively (for work and play). I'm well travelled, well educated, articulate, knowledgeable and aware of my surroundings - and still I find myself bristling at the "American Stereotype" that I run into everywhere in the world, even though I'm not American.<br><br>I get it, America (and Americans) can be very divisive topics. I'm not here to defend or attack either side of the argument. What I am here for, is to ask that we please think of all of the well travelled, educated and open minded Americans that we have met in our travels thus far, and not just paint all Americans with the same brush.<br><br>On my very first trip out of South Africa, which was to Thailand, I had a gentleman approach me and ask where I was from. When I told him South Africa he said "Oh, that's not so far from America!" To which I explained that it was actually on a different continent entirely and very far from America. My point is simply; I fully understand that people from smaller, less well known countries are going to be seen as being from "that one place over there somewhere" but this doesn't help with building a positive narrative about the people from "that one place".<br><br>Just the other day, in a conversation with somebody that I had recently met, they said to me "Oh, you're not typically South African". My response? "What is a typically South African?"<br><br>I've heard the term "Typical American" so often, and I now cringe every time I hear it, because I have met so many atypical Americans, as well as so many typical Americans. I guess my point is, when contemplating this idea of a "Typical American", try to remember all of those lovely Americans that you've met on your travels, that were nothing like the stereotype at all.<br><br>EDIT: First - Thank you so much kind strangers, for the gold and silver! I'm blown away!<br><br>Second - To those of you that felt that this was an "American" forum. It is not. It was simply a post from the perspective of a "foreigner" who has met both lovely and rude people of all nationalities, and is sick of the pervasive "American Stereotype".<br><br>Lastly, to those who felt that Americans should be treated poorly because of the actions of the US Government - I have heard this logic used in regards to Americans, Israelis, Russians and many others through out history. Please remember that the actions of any elected body do not always necessarily reflect the views of all of it's citizens, and that you should not treat anybody poorly simply because of where they are from. It's the way of closed minded bigotry and it has been the justification for bloodshed for too long in this world.