America, I need Your help!

[Afera]

Hi! c:
I'm from Poland (middle Europe) and I want to play some rp with my friends. The character I want to create is from US. I want to write my character as realistic as I can, so I need some help. I want to know few things about diffrent states in America, their stereotypes and mentality of people in general. ^^

So, if you're American and you have time to talk a little bit about your country, please send me PM or just write here! I'll send you a message first. c:

Have a nice day!

[ilikefruits]

Hey I think I can help you with some common American stereotypes! I’m just giving these based off of my experience since i of course can’t speak for everyone ^_^

Stereotype 1. American people are overly patriotic.
This can vary depending on where you’re from specifically, but for the most part I would say this is false. A lot of people could care less about having an American flag plastered all over everything they own

Stereotype 2. Americans love sports.
This one is definitely true. Americans go all out for sports hence why everyone was so dissapointed when sports seasons got suspended due to Covid-19.

Stereotype 3. Americans love to eat.
I would say yes. Every corner you turn around there is a fast food restaurant waiting for you. It’s also an extremely cheap and a fast alternative to dining in even though most fast food places offer dine in options.

Football is also called “Soccer” in America because Football here is a completely different sport from what it is considered in other countries :•)

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me and I’d be happy to answer.

[tyrannicalTerror]

Hi there! Born and raised in the States so I might be able to help out? I pulled some questions from reddit and I'll answer them here:

1. Is hunting a common hobby? You have a lot of guns and game animals.
Yes and no. While it's true that we have a lot of game animals and lax gun laws, whether or not hunting is popular has to do with where it's at. A lot of the more urban areas in America don't actually have big open space where animals can live and where it is, it's usually protected land. Fishing is more common but there's one license for both activities.

2. do you still have guacamole Doritos?
Yes, they're amazing. We have lots of weird, novel foods like that. They're not usually good but you buy them at least once just to try them, and then forget about them entirely until they're taken off the shelves.

3. Why is there such a big gap in your bathroom stalls?
It baffles and frustrates us too.

4. Why are Cheese Cake Factory portions so big? And how do people finish their meal there and get dessert?!
Well for one, people usually don't get desert, at least my family doesn't. Desert is only a thing on special occasions. For two, our portion sizes are big so that you can eat enough to be full at the restaurant and take some home for a cheap lunch or dinner the next day. Most of the contents of American fridges are leftovers from either eating out or cooking at home, it's why all of our tupperware are stained.

5. Which states offer best quality of life?
Anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. Washington, Oregon (though they don't let you pump your own gas there and it really frightens Oregonians to think about doing it themselves), California, etc. Dead last is anywhere in the midwest, to be honest. Any stereotypes you've heard about Americans, you can find aplenty in the midwest.

I don't know if that helps any, but dm me if you have specific questions

[amithethird]

Hello, resident of the Midwest here. My region gets a bad rep even from fellow Americans, so I just wanna add some perspective on that.

How does the rest of America feel about the Midwest?
They don't. We're called "fly-over country" for a reason. People rarely remember that yes, there are cities out here! People live on the plains! Us and our thousands and thousands of beef cows. When people DO remember that we exist, it's like tyrannicalTerror said, they think of all the American stereotypes. Loud people who love to eat, who are super patriotic, and who really love their guns and their cars.

Are the stereotypes true?
Yes and no. There are definitely people like that, but we're just as diverse out here as people are along the coasts, and even the more stereotypical uber-patriotic hunter types are more complex than that. We have everyone along the political spectrum (though it's true that people out here are largely conservative) and while I'd say most of the people you see out here are white, the Midwest is home to a large Native American population, and in larger cities you'll find other people of color as well. In my city we actually have decent Indian, Filipino, and Jamaican populations because of the university and (I think) because of work programs that give people visas for filling needed job positions. Like a third of the nurses in one of our hospitals are Jamaican. Not what you would expect from a rinky-dink Midwestern town. People are also diverse in their hobbies, though out here we do have lots of outdoorsmen because there's not much else to do. Speaking of which-

What is it like living in the Midwest anyway?
Boring, mostly. Unless you live in a larger city, there's really not a lot to do besides vandalize things, run around outside, and watch old movies at your local tiny theater. And go to high school sporting events. Even in a larger city, there might not be much to do, though a bigger city will have music festivals in the summer, maybe downtown events for holidays, and markets for local businesses to peddle craft beers, art, jewelry, food, and antiques.
Politics can get frustrating if you're liberal or a minority, but by and large people get the most worked up about national agricultural and economic policies because most of our population is rural. The countryside is covered in farmland and your closest neighbor might be like a mile away from you. People from farm towns may have to drive hours just to go to Walmart, so grocery shopping is a big event.
On that note, the Midwest is BIG. And distance means absolutely nothing to us. An hour drive is a short drive. We'll drive 12 hours straight to get somewhere and not even blink. I once drove 5 hours straight to another city for a certification exam, took my test which took about two hours, then drove all the way back home. Didn't get a hotel. Only stopped for gas and maybe a very quick lunch. We do stuff like that aaaaalll the time. Sometimes for fun.

Ok I think I've rambled enough about the Midwest. Feel free to ask questions if any of that got the creative juices flowing for you. :)