Before the trip, Professor LeTourneau warned us about how we will stand out, and Italians can tell who is American and who isn’t. Boy is that true. And I don’t think many of us on this trip dress in an outstanding way…it’s got to be something else. Part of Italians’ perception of Americans is that we are loud, overweight, and like to drink way more than we need to. We are loud, that’s for sure. Also, according to LeTourneau, Italian men think American women are “loose”. Well, isn’t that fantastic.
Coming to Italy, I expected the Italian men to be very aggressive and grabby. I haven’t had too many experiences since I’ve been here to uphold that assumption. I was also warned about pick-pocketing. I haven’t run into any of that either, thank goodness.
So assumptions and stereotypes can be misconceptions. I’d say, in my case, I don’t completely fit the Italian perception of American women, and many of the Italians I’ve met don’t fit my misconception of Italians.
