Ugly American Syndrome

My wife and I went on our first cruise together celebrating our first wedding anniversary, our first port of call was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Besides Canada and the United Kingdom, Jamaica was my first experience with a foreign country. It was impossible to not notice the beggars present at the cruise terminal and the shops at the port that were selling overpriced "Jamaican" merchandise catering to the tastes of mostly American tourists. Caribbean cruises stand out to me for their ports of call that cater to the "Ugly American," people that compare everything at the port of call to American standards.

When examining "Ugly American Syndrome" one cannot help but think of Social Identity Theory as an explanation for how we characterize a group of people. As much as Americans like to claim that we are multicultural with different backgrounds; when we are abroad we are generally viewed as "Yanks" or worse, the "Great Satan." Americans are characterized this way for a reason; this list of what not to wear or how to act in Europe might give some insight into some of the truths of the perceptions of Americans around the globe. The list helps to verify one of the key points of Social Identity Theory, the in-group "Americans" are catering to the needs of the in group while excluding the needs of the out-group "the visiting culture." From Bratislava to Aruba to Roatan, it's been very easy for me to find "Authentic American Cuisine" such as McDonald's, Subway, or Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Cruises have been a fun, economical way for our family to visit destinations that would be unaffordable if we had to fly to each destination. A representative from Carnival Cruise Lines even mentioned to us on our last voyage that 97% of all Caribbean Cruise passengers were American. It is natural for a company that makes money off of Americans to try to cater to American tastes and desires. However, if you really want to enjoy a destination, avoid the "little America" sections of the town and begin to try to absorb the local surroundings and culture and adapt to the areas that you are visiting. Get off the tour bus, visit a local shop or grocery store, hire a local driver or if you are truly adventurous, take the public transportation in a country where you do not even begin to understand the language. Social identity theory explains why we are predisposed to gravitate to what is comfortable with-in our group. To grow as individuals, we should seek to leave our comfort group of nationality and enter another group, that group that includes appreciative world travelers. Two great resources that have helped us in traveling the world have been Rick Steves (European Travel) and Cruise Critic (Ship Ports of Call). Not only will you appreciate the destination, you're identity will take on some of the place visited and hopefully help cure some symptoms of "Ugly American Syndrome" back at home.