Getting to Know Americans

Re:Getting to Know Americans by ido on Monday April 04, 2011 @10:34AM (#2406568)

I don't know where in India you are, but I've spent 2 months there and have encountered my share of educated Indians who, for example, didn't know where or what Austria is or that Israel has a lot of Jewish people in it (or even what Jews are). Another example off the top of my head was an educated engineer (who went to graduate school) who didn't know what the Roman Empire was.

All of these examples or equivalents never manifested themselves when I was in the US.

Many (upper class) Indians are extremely ignorant about the world outside of India.

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Re:Getting to Know Americans by hessenwolf on Monday April 04, 2011 @11:01AM (#2406714)

India is a bit like America in the fact that it is huge and multicultural, and you do not need to leave in order to travel, in my experience.

(incidentally, from Ireland, I must admit I had met and drank beer with several Israelis years before I knew anything about the whole Jewish thing. It's pretty easy to ignore history & geography when you are younger.)

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Re:Getting to Know Americans by FraaJad on Monday April 04, 2011 @12:11PM (#2407135)

I'm from Bangalore.

I know about Austria (and it's infamous son), Israel and it's formative years and it's current influence on my country and middle east. Also, as a South Indian, I know that Jews have lived in my part of the country for nearly two thousand years. Of course, I may be atypical.

My point is that I'm yet to meet atypical people like myself in US even in handfuls after three years of living here and travelling to many big cities.

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Re:Getting to Know Americans by ido on Monday April 04, 2011 @12:56PM (#2407354)

I am surprised to hear that, since my 2 visits to the US were much briefer than the time you spent there and I have met many such people.

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