I think this definitely not something you can generalize about. There are 300,000,000 Americans and there are probably that many opinions. Don’t worry about it – people will be friendly for the most part and enjoy getting to know you.
San Diego is the same as any other place. Some people will be rude jerks and the others will be nice and friendly. You can’t please everyone here, so don’t worry if people like you or not. I seem to think Europeans are nice.. :)
After I visited China, England and Germany – on separate trips – all my misconceptions about people in those countries vanished. I had always read or been told that Germans were cold and efficient (and hated Jews), that the Brits were uppity and dismissive of Americans, and the Chinese were inscrutable and suspicious. What I actually discovered about the people in those countries I came in contact with is that they were warm and welcoming. Sure, not all “foreigners” are like that, just as not all Americans are. But it’s something you have to experience for yourself. Which brings me to say what I’ve said before on Fluther: I think young Americans should be encouraged by the government, by teachers and by parents to visit as many other countries as possible – with the government supplementing the cost of the trips. I know it’s not feasible, but I think over time it would change many hearts and minds
Americans are pretty much just like Europeans, just with less language skills. If you get to know the people there are good and bad. Most will be civil, some will be friendly, and a few will be jerks.
Most of the tension between the continents and the countries doesn’t really start until you get government officials involved.
There are plenty of web-sites that list stereotypes by nationality, but personally, I wouldn’t bother reading any of them. It will probably be the day-to-day things that will be more of a challenge…not the people.
um.. the good europeans escaped the bad europeans “tyranny and oppression” by coming to America. I think that’s how I looked it up when I was comparing the colonization of America to the Pariot Act II,. New World Order stuff.