America is a beautiful country that people from all over the world wish to travel to. However, when they get here, non-Americans find several things difficult to understand. A user asked on the forum, “Non-American people, what’s a thing you don’t understand about America?”
These are some of the most exciting responses he got.
THE ALWAYS-AVAILABLE FOR WORK CULTURE
“Scottish person here, but the work/always available for work culture is what I don’t understand. Minimal vacation time, minimal maternity/paternity leave, and the fact you can just be let go. It makes me sad to think about it!
But I love that you guys cram so much into your time off – you guys love a road trip!”
HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS
“What is up with Homeowner Associations? Why would you pay to let a nosy neighbor (neighbor, sorry) dictate what you can and can not do on your own property? I understand living in an apartment block, paying maintenance fees, etc., but in a suburban home?”
THE NUMBER OF NATIONAL PARKS
“The amount of National Parks! My dream came true in 2017 to make an RV trip southwest of the USA. Yosemite blew my mind away.”
THE WAY YOU SAY MIRROR
“How you can say the word ‘mirror’ without the use of any vowels. Mrrrrrr.”
WHY IS EVERYTHING SUPERSIZED
“My first time in America, I went to get iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts, I ordered a large, and my friend is like … are you sure you want large? Yeah, no biggie. In the UK, a large one is not overwhelming, so I was expecting the same thing. Oh my god, it was like a bucket of coffee. Maybe a small would have been equivalent to a UK large, lesson swiftly learned.”
YOU HAVE TO CALCULATE YOUR OWN TAXES
“Why do they make you calculate your taxes if they know what you owe.”
“Because companies like TurboTax & H&R Block use the profits they make from charging us to file our taxes to lobby politicians into making policies which prevent the government from just telling us how much we owe even though the government knows exactly how much we owe so that we need to pay companies like TurboTax & H&R Block to file our taxes.”
TIPPING CULTURE
“The tipping culture is so foreign to me. I would be so scared to make a mistake or not tip enough if I ever go to America because it’s not common here in Denmark.”
NO TEACHER-STUDENT HIERARCHY
“My mom is from Moscow during the Soviet Era, and she is confused about why there is no teacher-student hierarchy. She thinks it’s weird when teachers participate in school plays or speak to students informally.
She also DOES NOT GET pajama day. To her, it’s just the weirdest thing in the world. In Russia, there is an essential distinction between “clothes for home” and “clothes for outside.” They have a concept of “home clothes,” like your cozy or ugly clothes, that you are supposed to change into after school or work. At bedtime, you change out of your “home clothes” into pajamas. As a result, pajamas, for both adults and children, are considered extra-extra private in Russia. My mom perceives pajama day as extreme, like wearing only undergarments to school. That’s how private pajamas are considered to be in Russia!”
WHY IS THE TV SO HIGH UP ON THE WALL
“Why do Americans put their TVs so high up the wall? I understand that sometimes it’s because there’s a fireplace below where it should be, but how do they even watch the TV without straining their necks?”
PARTY LOYALTIES
“How people seem to be liberal or conservative and will support their side no matter what bad decisions they’re making. In Ireland, we frequently change allegiance in terms of political parties and support the ones doing the most for the people at that time- we are person-centered, not party-centered. I could never understand this about America.”
DRINKING AGE
“How you can drive a car and shoot a gun at 16, but God forbid you try and buy a beer before you’re 21.”
HOW READY ARE PEOPLE TO SUE
“Americans love to threaten lawsuits but rarely follow through with them. In the past year, I have had four people tell me they would be suing me, but I have yet to see a subpoena.”
SHOES INDOORS
It is intensely weird. It must result in dirtier floors or a need for more frequent cleaning, and there does not seem to be a good reason.
ABORTION LAWS
“I understand that the U. S. is one of the few countries in the world where it costs several thousands of dollars just to give birth. The U. S. has also criminalized abortion in many states, so I don’t understand what you are supposed to do if you fall pregnant, can’t get an abortion, and can’t afford to give birth. You cannot leave the baby inside you until you’ve saved enough cash.”
WRITING DATES
“I immigrated to the US 30 years ago and still don’t get why we write our dates as mm/dd/yy. It should be either small to bit (dd/mm/yy) or big to small (yy/mm/dd).”
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Anika Jindal
Anika is a CPA and founder of What Anika Says. She shares simple and actionable frugal living, money management and money-saving tips to live a debt-free financially independent life. She has been featured on popular websites like Bankrate, Forbes, Mint ,and Authority Magazine. Byline: MSN