What is Ugly American?
1.
The tendency of American tourists visiting foreign countries to completely insult the culture of those countries, almost always accidentally. Many behaviors practiced by "ugly americans" are simply innocent mistakes involving actions that are perfectly acceptable in America, but are shunned in foreign countries. Some universal symptoms of an ugly american is excessive amounts of luggage, overly casual clothes, etc. However, others vary from country to country. For example, in France, you will get your ass kicked if you refer to fries as "freedom fries". They're french fries over there, and they're eaten with a fork. To them, this signifies an overly patriotic American with no respect for other cultures. A far easier mistake to make is, in Australia, the peace/victory sign made by sticking out two middle fingers is the equivalent to saying "up yours" if the palm is facing the person it's directed at.
I could go on and on and on about the different symptoms of Ugly American. My advice to all Americans: Thoroughly research a country before visiting it.
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2.
Taken from the book of the same name, an Ugly American is an American citizen that visits a foreign country and views everything from an American standard, refusing to acknowledge local culture and standards. Because of this ethnocentric viewpoint, the American is often ignorant to or dismissive of the foreign culture and is perceived as rude.
While visiting China, Fred refused to eat anything that wasn't from the lobby of the Hilton and referred to everyone as "Wong". Fred is an Ugly American.
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3.
the ugly american is homer atkins a true american hero with an ugly face and ugly hands and an ugly wife but of a peace corp type heart ( read the book!!)..would that all americans were ugly americans like him then we could be proud of ourselves..."pretty americans" are the beaurocratic plague of the earth a shame and a pox.. :-)
read the book the ugly american... he, homer atkins was a volunteer salt of the earth peasant lover who worked in the dirt.
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