You are Not Your Country:
Top 10 National Stereotypes
Thursday January 15, 2009 11:48 | 12,845 views
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Heaven is where the cooks are French, the police are British, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss.
Hell is where the cooks are British, the police are German, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and everything is organized by the Italians.
This is an old popular joke that never fails to make those who hear it cringe or laugh. National stereotypes have been the subject of many jokes for centuries. Even today when the international community promotes diversity and encourages tolerance, certain people are still tagged according to their nationalities.
Heck, I’m sure you already have heard or thought one or more of these stereotypes-turned-jokes:
- The Romanians are vampires.
- The Swiss love clocks.
- Japanese men have small dicks.
- (Thus) Japanese women love Caucasian men.
- The French have poor hygiene.
- The Chinese know kung fu. And so on…
To some, national stereotypes may provoke racism. To others, national stereotypes are harmless jokes based on the identity that a certain nation or people has established or projected towards other countries through the years.
But is there a sliver of truth in these national stereotypes? Or are they just inaccurate preconceived notions, which can be pretty offensive to many people? Whatever your views are, here are ten of the most common national stereotypes and why they are somehow false. Note that these are stereotypes based on nationalities and not race.
10. Italians are good lovers but bad workers.
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The Italians are known for three P’s: pizza, pasta and passionate sex. Who wouldn’t want that kind of reputation as a people? However, it doesn’t end there. Italy is also seen by others as the land of the inefficient and the disorganized. Hmmm.
This preconceived notion is truly unfair to the Italians. If they were such bad workers who could only spend the entire day at a restaurant, make love, or exact revenge Mafia-style, how could they keep their gigantic textile, chemical and engineering industries going?
Aside from that, the Italians run and organize everything in Italy, which, by anyone’s standards, is one of the most glorious nations in the world. Italy takes pride in its great cuisine, fantastic culture and fine architecture. If they were such an inefficient people, how come Italy’s history is littered with splendid achievements?
9. Canadians are boring.
Those who say that Canadians are boring are probably the same people who think that the Canadian capital is Toronto, that the Canadian culture is based around Celine Dion, and that Canadians live in igloos.
The truth is, the climate is not the only thing that is cooler in this country. Canada offers a wide range of exciting activities such as snowboarding, kayaking and many other sports for the adventurous. You’ll also not run out of reasons to laugh in this more-than-maple country. After all, many comedians in Hollywood are Canadians — Mike Myers, John Candy, Matthew Perry, Eugene Levy and Jim Carrey among others. Their names hardly sound boring, don’t they?
8. Filipinos are uneducated island people.
In early 2007, someone asked this question on Yahoo! Answers:
Where is the best Architecture school in the Philippines?
Hmmm. Interesting. But you know what’s more interesting — the one and only answer. Okay, Breathe in… breathe out…
Janjararaaaaan, the answer:
“I don’t think they have any schools in philippines, its a 3rd world country they live in poverty with no running water. its sort of like africa but like a jungle.”
Hey, hey, hey. Whaaaaat?!?!? Good thing the page is now closed.
Many people also hold a misconception that Filipinos are uneducated. Again, what they don’t realize is that the people who answer their calls and tell what to do because they can’t figure out how remote control works are actually Filipinos. The Philippines is the world’s texting capital and Asia’s blogging capital.
And trust me, there are lawyers, doctors, writers, businessmen and engineers here in the Philippines. And oh, architects, too.
7. Indians are poor, narrow-minded, conservative people.
India has a long history of slavery; thus, this type of stereotype doesn’t really come as a surprise. Even so, it is still inaccurate. Although a significant fraction of the Indian population is still below poverty line, India has improved drastically in recent years. In fact, it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, viewed as a potential superpower.
Moreover, it is also one of the countries with leading software industries as well as a prolific film industry. It is also the largest democracy in the world. Not to mention that with a variety of religions — Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and Christianity among others — all of which survive in tolerance. Is that what anyone could call narrow-minded?
6. The British are violently mad soccer freaks.
They say that British men love football more than they love their wives. Although their affection towards their partners may be very hard to prove, their supposedly extreme zeal for soccer doesn’t need to be measured. The Brits love soccer. It is damn obvious. What should be debunked is the idea that they would always get into trouble for this almost romantic love for the ball.
If the Brits are violently crazy over their favorite soccer team, how come, according to The Economist, it is Sweden where there are more soccer-related assaults each year? If there’s one reputation that the Brits should earn, it’s that they are a business-crazy people. After all, the London Stock Market is bigger than any other European market and is one of the world’s largest.
5. Spaniards are lazy.
Siesta is a well-known part of the Spanish culture. But is it enough to conclude that the entire Spanish people’s deadly sin is sloth? If indolence could be measured, wouldn’t it be by looking at the output or product?
In other words, a people’s assiduity and laziness should reflect on the country’s economic performance. But if that’s the case, then it is Germany, and not Spain, that could be dubbed as the lazy man of Europe. Germany has been showing disgraceful economic performance in the past few years. Germany’s GDP growth is only a little over 1%. Spain, on the other hand, is growing at a rate twice higher, with an average annual growth rate of 2.8%. (Figures not updated, sorry.)
4. The Irish are drunkards.
In many movies, we have seen the Irish being portrayed as those ill-tempered drunkards who love to have some cheerful bantering in their spare time, which is every time. In fact, many of us think of Ireland when we hear the word “pub.”
However, if they were so addicted to alcohol like pop culture shows, how come Ireland is the best performing economy in Europe with a fast-paced 7.7% growth rate? Not to mention that its highly educated population attracts massive numbers of pharmaceutical, hi-tech and financial services companies, despite fierce competition for jobs within the EU.
And how come Ireland ranks only third in a 2004 survey by World Drink Trends, behind Luxembourg and Hungary? Okay, I know it’s still high, but…
3. Americans are very liberal.
Outsiders usually have a very defined vision about the Americans — liberal. In general, many see the United States as the land of the open-minded. But is America really home to the world’s most socially liberal society in the world? The answer is a big “no.”
Americans are a little too conservative. Virtually every country in Europe has a much more open and liberal view of things such as sex and other social relations. For example, in many parts of Europe, nudity is not taboo. You may find naked people at some random European beach or hotel pool. If someone takes off all his clothes in the US, he’ll be making a big scene.
Surprisingly, gay marriage is illegal in America and allowed in some provinces of Canada, a nation that some see as boring.
2. The Chinese eat anything that moves.
They say that the Chinese can eat anything with four legs, except tables; anything on water, except boats; and anything that flies, except airplanes. Although Bruce Lee’s lot actually have a diverse range of foods to choose from, saying that the Chinese eats anything is a downright hasty generalization.
What many fail to realize is that every culture has its own food taboos. Some Asians find eating rabbits gross but it’s normal to Westerners. Moreover, for a culture as diverse as the Chinese, it can be very hard to group over 1 billion people and say that they ALL eat a certain “exotic” food. While some Chinese eat dogs, some don’t. Some like eating meat; some are Buddhist vegetarians. Some find cheese distasteful, but you’ll find cheese shops in some streets of Beijing and Shanghai. Besides, if people really don’t trust the taste of the Chinese people, how come Chinese food is so popular all around the world?
1. The French are arrogant.
“Never trust the French,” they say. When it comes to national stereotypes, the French suffer the most. Only the French think that they are not arrogant. Outside France, ask any random guy who the chestiest people are and they are likely to include the French with a passion.
However, do they really think highly of themselves to the point that they get the ire of foreign nationals? One argument that is often mentioned is that an average Frenchman do not smile at strangers. The truth is, it doesn’t mean that they are rude. It’s just not part of their culture. Unlike others who wear a smile all day, the French do not show emotions that they do not feel. No one is required to smile in France and it has nothing to do with being polite or rude.
Moreover, if the French are so drowned in their mightiness, how come they are humble enough to donate to countries in need more than any other European nation? According to “The Economist,” France is the third largest aid donor in the world, after the US and Japan. That is hardly what anyone would call “arrogant.”
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Perhaps it’s about time that we stop perpetrating unfounded myths about other people and accept that mankind is a mixture of fine, unique individuals with different ways of living life. We should avoid branding a certain nationality with a negative notion for it can be offensive and dangerous. But maybe for some of us, they are stereotypes for a reason. Maybe there’s some truth in it. Maybe it applies to some people. But the problem with stereotypes is that they tend to generalize.
And remember that a person is judged not according to his race and definitely not his nationality. Humanity is defined by how good we have been to ourselves and other people, not by the country we live in.
image courtesy of msnbc.msn.com, cartoonstock.com, wulfwaru.wordpress.com
sources: www.sulinovadatbank.hu/letoltes.php?d_id=11308
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- Category: Lists, Public Affairs, The World
- (60) Comments
Skron
I got a lot of Indian friends here. Most of them think about money and prestige, they have no love for other things. They’re smart though, and so laid-back. Some of them, however, are unbelievably artsy and symbolic. But yeah, they’re a rising Nation. In addition to Bollywood and Software Development, they’ve recently ventured into automobile (Tata Nano, the cheapest car in the world) as well.
As for Americans, I don’t know why they’re called open-minded, liberal, and immoral. There’s a lot of bigotry here, labeling, and prostitution is also illegal. I think people just watch too many movies. That’s all.
Yoshke
wow wow. i didn’t know about the Indian automobile venture. hmmm. Tata Nano, never heard of it before. good to know, thanks for that, skron.
vins
3. Americans are very liberal. <<< True if we’ll base it from their TV Series, Movies, etc. but, as far as I know Americans are conservatives.
Yoshke
yeah, TV might be the culprit. haha
Maki
Sabi ni East Timor President Jose Ramos Horta (in one of the forums in AdDU), the Filipinos are the most brilliant, enterprising and resourceful individuals. Kahit nga daw sa building ng United Nations, may mga Filipino secretaries na may sideline na RTW at kung anu-ano.
Yoshke
wow, haha, one good thing about blogging is that i learn a bunch of things from those who comment.
I didn’t know this. And it’s really, really nice to know this.
Thanks Maki.
ron
hahaha! had fun reading here as usual… i know some stereotypes towards us but that one was waaaaaaaaayyyyyy over the line…
how our country be africa? wala na nga tayong halos wildlife…hehehe!
Yoshke
wahahaha, honga, paubos na wildlife kasi nasa government na halos lahat
waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy over the line nga. haha.
Pilar
i’ve heard about tata nano, it will come daw soon sa Pinas… mga 150k lang daw…
i hate stereotyping.. kakainis ang sabi nila sa pinas a… hahahaha… ano kala nila satin lahat, unggoy??? excuse me…
:D:D
Yoshke
P150K?!!?!?
SERIOUSLY?!!? haha. asan na yang mga kotseng yan! Ilabas na yan! Haha
maccallister
who said that answer about the philippines?haha its annoying ha!
Yoshke
hindi ko na maalala, basta sumagot sya sa yahoo answers. eh matagal na ring closed yung page na yan.
toronto
True but funny at the same time. great post =p
gilbert
tagal nako sa callcenter, at eto perception ko sa mga banyaga.
Indian – di marunong makinig
Americans – walang pasensiya
Australians – mga bobo
Canadians – nakakainis ang pagiging nice
Kiwis – really really friendly
Yoshke
wahahaha, natawa ako sa Canadians. haha. may mga kilala rin akong Canadians and yeah, nice sila.
Hmmm… I should ask my friends na dun na nakatira.
Haha, ayan, parang nangsestereotype na rin ako.
coldman
Filipinos: hard worker.
I don’t have any problems working with Americans, they treat me nice.
Halika na, punta ka na dito!
Yoshke
basta ba aalagaan mo ako, sige ba. haha
andreEeEe
There’s this story last night on CNN…
A Czech artist made an installation that is on exhibit at the EU office, as tribute to Czech Republic’s EU presidency. It roused negative reactions because the artwork showed “stereotypes” of the EU member nations:
Italy was shown as a football nation.
Romania was represented by Dracula.
Bulgaria was represented by squat toilets.
France was represented by a banner with the word “Greve!” written on it, symbolizing the labor unions.
For Poland, a priest was raising the Rainbow Flag.
Denmark was made of Lego
And the funniest was UK. It had an empty space for UK, depicting the country’s aloofness from the mainland Europe.
Hahaha.
Yoshke
OMG it’s funny, yes. but gaaaaah… awful.
Germany has a swastika-ish formation about it!
Kevin
But I love the British history sooooo much after that of Italy’s. I so love Elizabeth I although I loathe her father. Hehehe.
Nonetheless, yeah, I’d say they’re aloof with much of Europe but it’s what makes them stand out, economic-wise, especially. Look at London now, it’s fighting neck-to-neck with NYC as the economic capital of the world.
Also, they started the Industrial Revolution, they took a rather big part in the Renaissance period and the two Great Wars and much, much other events that made history what it is that we read now.
Hindi naman masyado obvious na nasa British side ako di ba?
—–
“For Poland, a priest was raising the Rainbow Flag.”
I love this. Hahahaha
bananachoked
im tempted to stereotype. but i refuse to succumb to tempation. hayaan na lang. but i hate this overly annoying…sabi ko nga wag na lang. maybe i will write something about them some other time–when the topic is no longer about stereotyping.
Yoshke
haha, sige, sige. ireserve natin yang comment na yan.
Boring Man
Napadaan Lang… Uli. haha
Yoshke
bakit kelangan “Boring Man” ka? Ehehehe.
You’re not boring at all.
Will
Haha. That’s funny. I’ve also been labeled with stereotypes in my life being Native American. Like one time this guy asked me, “How did you get here? Did you ride a horse?” I looked at him and said, “No, I booked my flight online and rode the plane.” Oh and another one I also get is “Do you still live in teepees.” Which is wrong cuz I’m not a plains Indian that you see on those old black and white western videos but rather Navajo and our traditional home is the hogan. All in all, I agree with ya on your blog about your view of stereotypes. But sometimes, you find a person that embodies the stereotype and you can’t help but smile.
And as for the Japanese one. I gotta do some research of my own to see if it is true. 
Haha. J/K.
samjuan
Kami nga dito ng kapatid ko, feeling nila orange chicken lang kinakain namin. Haha. Chura nilang mga judgmental sila. Kapag asa bus kami may mga Mexikanong magsasabi ng “orange chicken! orange chicken! chinese! chinese!”
Kevin
Ang mean naman nun. Ano sinasabi niyo sa kanila? Murahin niyo nang Tagalog. LOL
chard
must be fair to say that the french are individualistic, in a not-so-humble way. if you get past that character of them, i guess you can go along well with any other nationalities. (i don’t really buy the donation thing.)
i am not fond of french people but the very few i like i really look up to. (uhm, like truffaut and godard and bazin, haha)
markey
wow kainis yung nagcomment about philippines….
Seph*
nicely written.
Yoshke
thanks seph.
KZ*
LOL. Maybe they just don’t know din na the people who help them turn on their computers are Filipinos. HAHA. Para ano pa ang tech support kundi i-guide silang magbukas at magboot ng sariling computer. HAHA.
Yoshke
trew! right, sis? haahahaha
Trixie*
Oh yes the Brits are stark raving mad about football. I live with Brit guys. Football night is like…fight night.
Yoshke
hahaha. i have a brit friend na ganyan din kaloko actually. pero hindi naman violent.
Mimay*
number 8 just reminded me of how my former boss thought i didn’t know how to use a cutter and lock a doorknob.
Yoshke
^^ MIMAY! SERYOSO?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!
Kevin
OMFG! OA ang boss mo huh?!?!
aiyeezh
seryoso?!?! adik ung boss mo!!=) meron din akong boss before na nung inoffer nmin sakanya ung polvoron…sabi nya ang mga pinoy daw an we-weird..kasi kung anu anu daw ang kinakain ntin… pero fave nya chicken-pork adobo! baliw dba?! =p
Fern*
pwede ka na sa ang pinaka ES with lots of top ten thingies. hahaha.
Yoshke
in fairness saken, nauna ako sa Ang Pinaka. haha
Mimay*
dinemo niya sa akin paano palabasin ang blade ng cutter at kung paano i-lock ang doorknob na parang nabuhay na something something for dummies. nakakatawa siya actually, bukod sa nakakainsulto. hahaha.
Yoshke
^^^ TANGENA, kung ako yun, insultong insulto ako. Sheeeeeeeet. Gusto nya bang maumpog sa door knob at masaksak ng cutter?!?!? haha. Chika lang.
Kevin
Bayolenteng totoy oh. LOL
Chinky
I love this post, very enlightening
someone
Did you base number 8 entirely on that Yahoo! Answers thing? Because Yahoo! Answers is clogged with the stupidest people capable of using the internet.
Some memorable questions include “How do I scan a mirror and use it as my background”, “Where can I find scuba-diving equipment for my horse” and “I heard on TV that there’s a war in Georgia, when do we evacuate” (The person lived in the state Georgia of the US, the war was in the country Georgia halfway across the world.) It’s also likely that a lot of the people there are being asses on purpose.
Yeah, this post’s main purpose was just to rant on Yahoo! Answers
) But I think our reputation is more on being ignorant and too prideful. 
Not to mention kurakot.
Yoshke
Hi someone.
Not really. I did not base it on that. I just used it as an example. It’s just that most of my friends abroad always tell me that people’s first impression of them is like that.
But yeah, I feel you especially re your last paragraph. Most of my non-Pinoy friends always tell me that some of their lot find our being-so-proud-yeah-we’ll-rub-it-in when it comes to our achievements annoying sometimes, especially on the Web.
and the Kurakot part. the sadder part is, you know there’s truth in that.
Hey, thanks for dropping by. I appreciate your comment. It makes me rethink a number of things, actually.
slyangel
“I don’t think they have any schools in philippines, its a 3rd world country they live in poverty with no running water. its sort of like africa but like a jungle.”
nakakaawa yung nag answer, how ignorant.
starfusion
too bad na from their point of view, hindi sila nahahabag o nababahala. They wouldn’t say such if they were ignorant. Hindi sila manhid para maging mapangdiskrimina. If you talk to such (kind of) people, prepare yourself – baka kailanganin mong magsumbong.
Manny
Hello to everybody,
just try to write a phrase “IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT FILIPINOS” at google or yahoo search.maybe you would be surprised the results.
Anybody just try.
Proud Pinoy
Yeah, for those who don’t know about this.for best result,use google search.
“Imagine a world without filipinos”.and you would be inspired with the result.
starfusion
Guess what:
There’s just NO silver lining in all such things as these sterotypes – a lot of people breed on these for purposes of racial discrimination, crab mentality, frame-ups, racial profiling/ripping-offs, etc. – you name it – to the point of no return (could you imagine getting to that point?)
In some countries (the United States as a major example) there is this called hate crimes – criminalities (whatever it is – murder, assault, foul play, etc.) founded on bias/hatred bullshit due to stereotypes or whatnot. Because they hate a particular group such people perpetrate crimes that sends a powerful message (smacked to your face if you belong to that group in which the victim belongs) from that alone – the victim getting a “taste of his own medicine” from the hands of the ruffians. It’s a very deep message that has a very drastic (to the point that is unimaginable) effects. Why?
Click here to find out (the “Psychological Effects” section is the important part)
Frankly the Americans (possibly to include Canadians) are big-time racists.
About the #8 in the list I could have wished that something else must be done there (too bad that the original has been deleted but that what you have – and the original URL where it originally was) can serve to be a good evidence (this usually require investigative autopsy to track down the culprit and be able to report it to the right authorities). Why? As a Filipino myself I think we cannot stand being compromised (to the point of no return – a few miles we just might get there) – in case you didn’t know, the world would be a better place without Filipinos. Sorry but I did not say this – I am speaking from a racist’s perspective (especially not less than 20% of the world population in my guess).
The thing is I cannot stand these racists anymore because public apologies don’t even do the trick – such people need to go to jail and die there! Even if they apologize, the whole world had themselves influenced by the racially discriminatory remark and might pay no atttention to the apology (if they ever apologize, that is). That’s where we get these sterotypes. If you want click my name and message me we’ll make an online petition to defend our country – real thing!
Manny
Imagine a world without Filipinos
By:Abdullah Al-Maghlooth(Arab News. 16 Jun 2008)
Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says:”When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite”.
Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him.”There is no comparison between Filipinos and others”, he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.
Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers ” 1,019,577 ” outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors.They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.
Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 millionFilipino sailors.
So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.
What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas.
When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world’s total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduateeach year. Many of them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.
Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, anurse, used to take her to hospital and ask her to watch the work. She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather’s blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections,” she said.
This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom.
The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy.
We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.
We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop.
We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us”.
Hey! isn’t it enough for us to be a proud filipino? If you are a real filipino,you can feel it!
And to the non-filipinos,think about it.
Manny
For those who don’t know yet about this,this is what i meant in my previous comment.but more people,anywhere in the world had read this article.
To the one who made a bad comment about the filipinos,you must read that article a million times…good luck!
Berniemack HabagatCentral
How about regional stereotyping here in the Philippines? I’ll be a hypocrite if I didn’t heard of any regional stereotyping usually referring from one region or one ethno-linguistic group or a local from a certain place….
Winston
interesting.. pwedeng gawan. hahaha.
karl deogracias
this post is quite old pero comment pa rin ako.i have been here at france for around 10 years now and theres a little truth the the frenchies arrogance. but for me the worse people are the brits. they are the most racist and the most arrogant..if not for the english channel and the americans, the british would be speaking german.