America in Barcelona

America In Barcelona:

My time in Barcelona has given me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and many from different European countries. More importantly, I have been able to recognize the way that all travelers in foreign countries somewhat portray their own culture as well. For myself, I have always been taught to grow up as a proud American. In every history class I have ever taken, I was taught that we are such a wonderful country because it is all the cultures represented in one nation. I still consider myself German and Polish all the while knowing almost nothing about those cultures. Though, I love America I don't necessarily think we hold onto specific heritage or cultural representations of where we came from. Being in Spain, I have experienced many more authentic different representations of cultures, which feels a lot more like how the melting pot should feel right before melting. 

I don't believe that here in Barcelona they believe the "America The Great" or "Melting Pot" opinion we have of ourselves. For example, a few of my classmates and I went out for a wine tasting fest where we go tent to tent getting a new glass of wine. A very animated (slightly drunk) woman from Barcelona came up to us and was very friendly, she talked about how great Barcelona is and obviously we agreed. She then said she doesn't like to speak english (only when drinking) and more or less said she hates America. She wasn't being rude and I can't say I wouldn't agree with her. European culture is so much different Americans must seem needy and pushy (ex. "Can I have the wifi", "No hablo espanol", and my favorite "Really no air-conditioning?") 

To be entirely honest, I don't know if Americans have a positive or negative influence on Barcelona. If I had to assume I would say it is positive (even though they all are just as confused as we are about our presidential candidates).  A lot of our fashion and Hollywood trends come here and are well liked. Even my host family's daughter watches Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Orange is the New Black. However, negative connotations are recognizable as well. For instance, while shopping in Girona,  (soon after the Orlando attack) the cashier asked us where we were from. When we said America, he responded with "Oh you guys have problems with guns." I don't necessarily agree or disagree with him but he may just say that because of how much our media hypes up gun control when this stuff happens. In Spain, I have noticed police walking around with machine guns and don't know if I should assume that is because of  their gun violence or for preventions of it here. This makes it hard to tell if its an opinion in comparison to Spain or misinterpretation depicted by our media.

 I think that the opinions that the people here have about Americans might rely more on personal experience and involvement rather than the way their country views us as a whole. I have had mostly positive interactions with locals but I am doing my best to be mindful of their culture and respectful towards the differences. So to all Americans reading this, don't ignorantly attempt to represent your culture and remind yourself to be respectful to the cultures surrounding you because they are what we really came from.