If you have been on the Internet for any length of time, you have no doubt experienced a sharp divide between European and American users. One can often find the two groups arguing about food, stereotypes, tourism, and most often and most divisively; politics. No other topic can rile up a European vs. American fight faster than the actions and decisions of their respective political leaders. Both sides have harsh judgements for the other and rarely is anything resolved. After coming across these types of cultural disagreements, I wondered if I would encounter such issues as an American traveling to Spain.
And encounter I did! In meeting fellow students, those finishing up classes for the summer and still living with us in the dorms, I would often receive questions about my political opinions. Former President Trump was often a topic, as many of the students had seen the zealous support of the leader from his voters on the news and wondered where we stood. Many had opinions on the politicians up for election in the current cycle, wanting to share their thoughts on the viability of either presidential candidate. Since guns are banned for personal use in Spain, people wanted to know whether we owned guns or had ever used one. These questions were quite disarming, as they would often come out of nowhere. Many seemed to want to find out whether the stereotypes about Americans were actually true!
Conversations like this seemed very strange and out of place initially, until I considered it further. After discussing with one of the professors on the trip, I learned that many Spanish news outlets cover American political news at length. In her opinion, these news organizations prefer to avoid difficult topics of political news in Spain, instead focusing on the loud and flashy nature of American politics. This, in addition to recognizing that much of popular media is produced in America, helped my understand why so many felt so close to the idea of what America and Americans are. Growing up hearing, reading, and watching media about American life informed the image of Americans to these Spanish students. American culture being so different from their own experience yet so familiar must make those types of questions nearly impossible not to ask. I often found it tough to field strong opinions about my home from those who had only surface level knowledge of it, but I did my best to stay open-minded and participate actively in this exchange of cultural identities.
