More On Visitors’ Reactions to the United States

I am enjoying the recent widely shared reports of discoveries by visitors to the United States coming for World Cup games. As these visitors explore our country, they have been reminding us life-long residents of the United States that we take much for granted.

There have been for several years YouTube channels by visitors traveling the United States that I have found encouraging by reminding me of the wonders of the United States and its people - wonders I often overlook and assume are universal. One way to find some of these is to look for a foreigner’s reaction to Buc-ee’s (this is a gas station?!) or to Walmart or to a modern American supermarket.

Most of the videos by visitors to the United States take note of the vast distances, the variety and enormous sizes of places and things, and the abundance (even excess) of food in the United States. Most also note the friendliness of the American people, and the openness of Americans to help others and to introduce such visitors to the country, and especially to their particular town.

But sometimes these visitors note some more fundamental characteristics of the American people and system that are not necessarily universal, yet are so deeply embedded in my experience that I hardly notice them at all.

An interesting entry into this genre is a pair of YouTube channels by two sisters, Hanaya (or Hana) and Ina, who escaped from North Korea a few years ago. They now live in South Korea, but have made visits to America and have traveled extensively by car. They do not speak English well, so they use voice-overs by an artificial voice and subtitles for the English translation. But their observations are valuable because they come from a place and culture so different from the land of the free.

Hanaya (I think she’s the eldest) expresses more philosophical thoughts and provides more background. Ina has more of the wide-eyed wonderment reactions, especially to the vast quantities and variety of food and the abundance of cute American men. (-:

One video that surprised me was on their observations of how differently Americans and North Koreans see the local fire department when they visited a fire station in New Orleans.

They were initially afraid to approach the station. They explained that in North Korea, firefighters are agents of the oppressive government who are more likely to report you for some infraction than to help you, and that the North Korean fire departments exist to protect government buildings and officials. “Ordinary” people are on their own if a fire breaks out. So the eagerness of the New Orleans firefighters to show these women their equipment and tools surprised them. A reminder that I, who grew up with fire departments as true helpers, always safe places to go, and probably the most open and friendly of government agencies, take those characteristics for granted, when maybe I shouldn’t.

And firefighters in North Korea are conscripted by the government. So it amazes these women that in America, people choose to take a job that involves putting themselves at risk in dangerous situations to help others. And of course, what better place than a fire station for Ina to encounter hunky American men!

Another video of particular interest displays their surprise when they made mistakes ordering food at a restaurant. Despite the inconvenience, the staff was very understanding and helpful in trying to get the order right. They were so used to the North Korean system of severe punishment for even minor infractions that the idea that American freedom to make mistakes or even to be wrong impressed them.

Yes, we have our problems, including many stemming from actions in the local, state, and federal governments. But, these visitors to the U.S. are reminding us that, for the most part, the American way is good and that we ought to recognize the unique characteristics that define us, for which we should be grateful and work to keep alive.

Let's hear it for what foreigners can remind those of us who have lived in the United States all our lives!