Small, rural towns are pretty much the same everywhere - America, Germany, wherever. They don't like modernity too much, they tend to be very conservative, they tend to keep to themselves and they don't like outsiders.

Maybe she's never been stationed near a small town in the United States? I used to be stationed at Camp Lejeune, which is located in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The locals are downright hostile to the Marines. One day I lost it on a shop owner who treated me like dirt and muttered some comment about those goddamned marines upon which I spun around on my heel and pointed out he sure doesn't mind taking their money! When I got back to base I told the NCO authorizing leave passes about it and they put up a sign warning Marines to not visit that store. After losing a substantial amount of business the guy started singing a different tune.

Anyway, all that is to say small towns are different and they're not as accepting of outsiders. Even in the United States.