YankeemovingAbroad

Ok,its perfectly fine to admit how you feel.What its says about me since you ask is that I make the effort to appreciate those opportunities which I know could have easily been offered to some one else.No one is saying we all must think the same.Its called individualism.Others might call it character.BTW,why must stereotypes be used to describe Americans? I will show that I'm the bigger person by not returning the favor.

paddingtongreen

Yankee, The expats who post on these boards did not come here to escape oppression or poverty, nor were they displaced refugees. Those were the people who knelt and kissed the earth when they arrived.

I have been here for more than half my life, I am a USC and I have no desire to live in the UK, I came along with the "brain drain" of the sixties, married an English girl i met here, raised a family, but I am still English, I cannot go back in time and change my formative years.

I would suggest that when the leopard goes to work in the country of the tigers, he will adapt to the ways of the tigers, but he will not be able to trade his spots for stripes, he will still be a leopard.

I would further point out that the refugees who kissed the earth on arrival, did not assimilate, they formed ethnic groups and left it to their children to "feel" American. At the same time though, they wanted their children to keep the old customs and to marry within the community.

I worked for American companies in London, for almost all my working life before I came here, and few of my American colleagues from those days showed any sign of assimilating, they formed a "little America" in London.

YankeemovingAbroad

What a wonderful post.You put a human face on why its important to retain apart of who you were before you made your transition to America.I love a poster who can weave a story.

Jerseygirl

As usual PG a brilliant post.

cindyabs

Yup, I do enjoy his "story" posts,

Manc

most of us are secure enough in our nationality not to want to be something else.

Indeed I'll hazard a guess that the major reason most Brits take the oath is so they can actually leave the USA for a length of time rather than an indication of staying a length of time.

veronica jayne

To be honest I have found that the Americans abroad do not seem to like other Americans. I was once manager of a jewellery store on QE2 for over a year and most Americans requested to sit at a 'British table' for meals and were annoyed if not. However, if they are LIVING abroad as opposed to visiting they do seem to form groups as far as I have seen in London. I have lived in New York for so many years that although I still have a British accent and will always feel like a Brit, I am a British New Yorker.

You mention 'gives me shelter and took me in as one of their own' but that is not always the case. I was chatting on a bus queue to a lovely lady about the crosstown bus being very few and far between that day and someone shouted 'If you don't like it here, get back to your own country'!!!!! I heard a European saying something about the rain the other day and she was met with the same cry. Also, the giving shelter, had I not worked every day of my life here I would have no shelter or medical benefits. Nothing is given here, everything is earned (and that is the way it should be, I am not complaining, just mentioning it) I had a very good job in the UK and lovely flat. Same here. I belong to a few British charities in NY and to the American Red Cross.

TouristTrap

Question. Have you ever lived overseas?

veronica jayne

Oooops, just to add, the British charities I belong to, we are all Brits but the money goes to American charities. We are not working to send money home.

Sophia_S

I just started my Citizenship process,although I've been here for 19 years (PHEW!!!,the time has REALLY flown!),the only reason I haven't started the Citizenship process before was because it would've meant running back and forth to Chicago(we both hate the place!),there are lots of things I will always miss about the UK,but I also know things have changed a lot over there since I left,I like living here,and there's been a lot of changes since I've been here as well,nothing ever stays the same,no matter where you are,becoming a USC isn't going to make me any less English than I am right now,I'll still have my accent (if it hasn't changed by now,I doubt it ever will!),I'll still do everything the way I always have.....I'll just be an English-American!
I lived in Germany for three years,I was always amazed that so many of the other Brits I was there with,wouldn't even attempt to speak German,and moaned all the time about the Germans not speaking English,even if they could....I really loved living there,and even though I didn't speak German,I tried,and picked up enough to do my shopping as well as a few simple sentences,I made lots of mistakes as well,and everyone would laugh,but then they'd also help me out because they knew I was trying,thats what made the difference.........I didn't go to Germany expecting everything to be done 'the English way',and that's the same way I feel about living here...if I wanted everything to be 'just like in the UK',I would've stayed in the UK.....I live in America,so it's up to me to adapt to living here, if I want to enjoy living here....I have and I do...but I'm SO glad there's a World Market nearby,and a British section in Miejers!! ......Sophia

TruBrit

yup, i'll agree with that

jumping doris

We are two Brits and so it is hard to join in with US traditions.
I know what Thanksgiving is, I know what to cook but it doesn't have any meaning for us. We don't have family memories or family traditions of Thanksgiving.
If you come here to marry a USC you can take on board their family stuff and learn about special US things.

We always keep Boxing Day because we've grown up with it and do special things. It is harder because we don't have a lot of others around on Boxing Day.

We join in with everything but we will always be English.

Hiro11

How would you feel about a fat Yank in London wearing a NASCAR shirt and whining about how Britain owes him?

happynz

The UK is full of eccentrics. What's one more?

TouristTrap

Good to see you Sophia How's the quilting going? I haven't been able to do any for ages - too busy with the business, kids schooling and teaching