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How do Americans generally perceive Britain?

posted 14 years ago by bythelightdivided
102 replies | jump to latest

With the heavy influx of immigrants from the four corners of the earth, the rising crime rate and the fact that London as a city is barely 50% white British any more I thought that the American myth of Britain being a homogenous, immigrant free, prim and proper, rural country of little country villages with friendly vicars and church spires had been firmly put to rest.

Admittedly, I haven't spoken to many Americans about this topic, but of the 70% I have, most of them have held the view of Britain that is a very homogenous society of low crime rates, low immigration, high reverence in the royal family, have the lowest crime rates in Europe, are patriotic and in some cases are very religious.

As a British person, this image of Britain being a conservative, low-crime, homogenous country just doesn't sit with me. We're one of the most multicultural countries in Europe - even in the smallest towns in the UK people of races other than white are visibly represented and in the bigger cities they often number more than whites - and I'm not even getting onto the fact there's quite possibly getting on for a million Eastern Europeans living in the UK.

As for low crime rates, statisics often suggest we have some of the highest crime rates in Europe, which is quite plausible, there's some nasty bits of work in the UK. Patriotism and reverence for the royal family is long gone, quite often there have been cases of being putting a flag out on their house only for the local council to request it's removal. Flags create a massive stur in the UK, there is the constant fear they will offtend foreigers and upset the multi-cultural balance. As for the royal family, they are of no consequence to the UK anymore, you've got to remember even countries like Sweden and Holland have royal families.

As for religion, if you find a less religious country, let me know.

[–] rdbphhqeujum 14 years ago

As for the royal family, they are of no consequence to the UK anymore, you've got to remember even countries like Sweden and Holland have royal families.

Well yeah... they have royal families, just like the UK. But of course these families don't rule their country any more, not in the UK and not in any other European country.

So I really don't get the point you wanted to make by mentioning the other European royal families?!?

[–] meddle712002 14 years ago

I'm a yank, and I can see the confusion Americans have about the U.K.. We don't get a lot of the news or hear much about Britian, really. We have BBC America and there's some news programs on the international cannels on satellite,the History Channel or we get the odd reruns of AbFab or Are You Being Served and The Avengers. Ha Ha. I do like Chef though. Black Books. I love that one. Have all the sets. The Young Ones. Top Gear, but we don't get much info on Britain.Britain, a low-crime country? Really?

[–] chips-ahoy 14 years ago

I'm American and I guess I never really heard to much about England. The only thing is that I am very much a soccer fan so of course I see the Premiere League and I've always heard of hooligans and of all the WAG gossip and stuff. I also knew that England is pretty secular compared to other countries and that supposedly people are colder there than in America.
BUT, since the whole Skins shows came out(here), I began seeing the Skins UK series and that kind of really changed my perspective of England. I guess now I think of England as very much non-conservative and, I guess I kind of see England as related to that Skins lifestyle ...

[–] littlekaren 13 years ago

I've been an Anglophile for ages and have always wanted to visit...but haven't. From what I *read* (not knowing firsthand), London is already 'lost' to the particular culture that allows them to worship openly on the streets -- and sometimes, that culture can be virtulently anti-Western. I perceive that the big cities of Europe, in general, have that same influence. So yeah, I wish England *was* that country of tea and scones but obviously, that's been tarnished.

[–] WileyDairyGnome 13 years ago

I've never even been to Britain but I perceive to be...well, the first way that you described it. My family jokes around that in a past life I was English or maybe they're just trying to figure out how to tell me that I'm adopted. Ha. Anyway, I think anyone who isn't aware of how multicultural the UK is, is kind of a moron. Also whoa whoa whoa, who the hell thinks that you guys are super religious? I have met so many Brits who are atheists it's crazy. But yeah, I don't have that misconception about Britain at all. If it really was homogeneous and everyone was super religious and patriotic...well my family wouldn't be so convinced that I need to be in England. I mean what you described sounds like certain parts of America, or what a lot of Americans wish it were like here.

-- I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been

[–] James_Senior 13 years ago

Can't we just be England? I'm sick of been associated with Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with the people. It's just why should we be called out for their mistakes? When the London riots happened we were suddenly England. Suddenly the riots were an English problem. However when a Scottish idiot releases the Lockerbie bomber its suddenly a British problem. Let's just stop calling a spade a shovel and divide the countries.

This is England? No apparently, it's not! And I want it changed!

[–] grrarghh 12 years ago

@James Senior - Unbelievable! The riots of last year were solely English. Not one bit of civil unrest took place in Scotland (or Wales or NI), so the riots WERE English! I'm not sure how the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi became a "British problem". It was the Scottish government who released him and therefore was a Scottish decision. If it was seen as being British then I can only assume that conclusion was made by people who do not realise that Britain is made up of separate entities.

Oh, and Scotland has had to put up with the whole "Scottish sometimes, British other times" for decades. Get over yourself. And I'm saying this as a Scot who has happily lived and worked in England for 12 years. This stuff really doesn't matter! There are more important things to worry about in life.

[–] covermejoey 13 years ago

Now the shoe is on the other foot!
Britain (and a few others)have murdered,rape looted and plundered MANY countries,then took them over.
Where ever they went,they segregated the indigenous people,then sent them to "no man's land" while they took the prime.
Then made indigenous subservient,subhuman,and treated inhumanly.
Now they know how it feels.
How does it feel to be invaded!?
"What goes around,comes around."

Now go cry in your tea.

[–] covermejoey 13 years ago

evanmang87

True,they are dead,gone,in the past.
But,the pride and arrogance still lingers on.
And as for being called,"xenophobe and racist".
I'm neither.
I don't care what walk of life one comes from, as long as they don't tell me how I should live and how to dress.
Like what's going on in the UK with the Muslim Asians.
UK's human right laws needs a BIG overhauling and FAST!
Nip it in the bud now,before it's to late.

[–] keshav7732 13 years ago

It does seem like there is a lot of immigrants in the main cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, London. But when I venture out to small towns or more remote cities like Bridlington or Doncaster I barely see any South Asians or Blacks at all.

A lot of the smaller Middle Class towns in England are quite preserved in their old ways.