The “Ugly American” is back!

Most people have heard about the negative stereotype depicting the behavior of Americans, especially those traveling abroad. It originates from “The Ugly American”, a 1958 novel about American diplomacy in Southeast Asia. It depicted American citizens exhibiting loud, arrogant, self-absorbed, demeaning, thoughtless, ignorant, and ethnocentric behavior while abroad, but also at home. 

Although the term is usually associated with, or applied to travelers and tourists, it also applies to US corporate businesses in the international arena. 

Politics aren’t exempt either of this characterization, in May 2008, the US House sub-committee passed a bill that would allow more foreign fashion models to work in the United States, and was subsequently dubbed the "ugly American bill". 

Because George W. Bush was often referred to as "The Ugly American" because of his stance on foreign policies and his invasion of Iraq. Presidential hopeful John McCain outlined a series of measures to roll back Bush policies and counter the "ugly American" image. 

More recently, many opinion pieces in major newspapers have accused President Donald Trump of behaving in a way that fits the “Ugly American” stereotype. Things like wanting to annex Canada or Greenland, or control the Panama Canal or colonize Gaza, have contributed to reviving that pejorative name. 

Same thing for his VP, JD Vance excoriating the European Union leaders, showing his utmost ignorance in worldly etiquette and in diplomatic relationships or teaming up with Trump to humiliate president Zelensky. Trump’s transactional communication and negotiating style is further confirming that brazen modus operandi and earning him no new friend aside from totalitarian regime heads of state. 

Some folks really never learn!