I am from China.
Still now, after studying in US for 2 years, I couldn't give a summary to my friends in my country when I was asked about my general ideas about American people. I was taught people here were open, frank, and easy-minded. However, when really contacting people in this country, I couldn't agree they conform to all of my images in the past.
But many a time, I could feel everywhere in this world people's ideas and images are curbed more or less by governments. If a person from a communism country comes to a capitalism country, will people suspect he is a spy when he becomes the top student in a chemistry class? If a person from US to a conservative country, will people there suspect he is a lewd person who wants to sleep with innocent women? If we laugh at those assumptions, that could just mean we are not narrow-minded people. But people are always at sometime somewhat ignorant.
I couldn't say I think American people put commercial interest first, although in fact there are some. Months ago, when I was dating an American guy, he told me he wanted to come to China with me during summer vacation. I was glad because I wanted my parents to see him whom I had mentioned a lot. My parents are very friendly and kind-hearted. They love each of my friends since I was in kindergarten. And Chinese culture respects foreigners no matter where they are from. But later, I was very disappointed when he told me his mother didn't allow him to take the same flight with me because she didn't want her son to buy flight ticket for me. I was somewhat shocked because I never wanted him to do it and had never said it. I felt I was not respected. If I could see her, I really want to ask her whether she knows that her son comes to my home, even if not as a boyfriends, but just as an international friend, my family will welcome him very warmly, because it is an emotional thing, not a thing related to money. I was sad. But I couldn't ask her like this because my culture teaches me to respect older people. I broke up with him later without letting him know the reason.
But I do meet some American people who make me believe many emotions are common in people's heart. When I stayed with my professor's family for Christmas, at the moments when his daughter and I chased his dog running in his farm, and when he pointed to the remote high school where he used to have classes for me, I felt a warm and happy feel flowing in my body because he reminded me of the kindness of my father.
If a young person working or studying in a foreign place, there must be some people who give him or her encouragement and love after some people just give him or her some coldness.
I still think people are the same. We care about world political situation when we have free time. But what we care about more is parents, children, dinner, holiday, and exams. Perhaps we are predestined to live in the same era. If by a coincidence, people walk into a restaurant you run or sit close to you in a same bench in the park, why not smile to them? We know each other in a moment, and later this moment might become a whole life, if this is also predestined. But your neglected moments might become other’s eternal history.
How are American people? It might be difficult no matter what kind of descriptive word before the people. I think people are the same. And people could change. Last semester, my literature professor once wrongly commented that, "We, American people put sincerity in people's marriage first. But some Third World country's people think economic situation and money are the consideration in love." I was about to refute her opinion when an American guy lifted his arm and said, "I cannot agree with you. True love is universal in the world."
See, this is the most interesting thing in America. That people are always different, even in a same background.
