Is the “best country” the only one that counts? Land of freedom. Home of the brave. The best country in the world. The many names given to the United States of America indicate that the typical American views his or her country as the most powerful, freest, and overall simply better than all others. Although the line between pride and nationalism is thin and dangerous, it is commonly accepted that pride in one's country is an admirable trait. It can be, as long as it includes healthy criticism of U.S. laws and policies when necessary, as well as respect for the progress and cooperation of other countries around the world. Unfortunately, American pride is often centered on superiority and ethnocentrism, an unhealthy way of evaluating other countries and cultures based on what Americans consider normal. The American tradition of ethnocentric thinking hinders international cooperation and understanding, creating stereotypes and misconceptions that harm all foreign peoples. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In American media, other cultures are often defined solely by their perceived differences from American culture rather than by their qualities unique, making it difficult for Americans to recognize similarities in strangers. For example, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie came to the United States from Nigeria to attend college. Her roommate, having only learned of the stark differences between her home country and Africa, immediately expected someone she could never relate to, instead finding a girl who spoke her same language and listened his same music (Adichie). By placing so much emphasis on differences, people are trained to look for them rather than look for similarities. If only Adichie's roommate had been informed about the diversity of African culture, she would have immediately understood Adichie, who would have had a much smoother transition in this foreign country. If America prides itself on being a place where people can be safe and achieve their dreams, Americans should create a welcoming and safe environment for every immigrant entering the country, instead of expressing rejection and launching insults. Even if, as in Adichie's case, the misconceptions created by American misunderstanding were not necessarily harmful to her, as a foreigner, they can easily make foreigners feel ostracized and misunderstood, in turn creating negative stereotypes about America. This vicious cycle caused by inaccurate cultural expectations inhibits cooperation between countries and creates a feeling of unease for all world travelers. Especially when outside the Western European sphere, the United States looks down on other countries that hold views noticeably opposed to its own. Because America holds its own values ​​as a norm, immigrants and refugees from needy foreign countries, like Syria, are rejected because of this fear of the unknown. This is when Americans' seemingly harmless ethnocentric views hurt, and even cost their lives, foreigners. One man, Brandon Stanton, aims to counter Syrian misconceptions through a project called Humans of New York: Refugee Stories. By photographing and detailing the emotions and losses of refugees throughout their harrowing journeys, he succeeds in demonstrating the similarities between all human beings and, through these stories, cannot help but evoke empathy andcompassion for people previously misunderstood or even feared. The refugee crisis is one of the most egregious examples of the prejudicial American view that the "best country in the world" only needs to protect its own and that no other life is worth as much as American lives. . This thought process, coupled with fear based on ignorance, discourages helping frightened foreign families, based on the underlying fear that they are simply too different. If only all Americans would read Stanton's stories, perhaps the United States would begin to work toward global cooperation by participating in the international effort to help those in need, regardless of their circumstances. Place of birth. If only Americans saw their “normal” culture in a different light, they would finally see the ridiculousness of ethnocentrism and the division it creates between people. This is precisely what Horace Miner accomplished in his essay “Body Ritual among the Nacirema”. In this work, Miner highlights how ethnocentrism transforms a culture into something strange and uncivilized, rather than something comparable. Presenting American culture as having "such unusual aspects that it seems desirable to describe them as an example of the extremes to which human behavior can go," Miner begins the essay with the image of a barbaric and bizarre group of people who clearly have nothing. in common with the proud American of today (1). He goes on to detail usual American morning routines in a way that resembles the magical rituals of a tribal group lacking modern technology (2-5). By presenting American life in this way, it becomes clear that any culture can become something completely incomprehensible depending on how skewed it is. How we see the world and others, if not based on direct experience, depends entirely on the person relaying the information. It's easy to see how quickly stereotypes can form after reading the essay, because suddenly everyone in the group Miner represents is the same. He does not note the variations between individuals and does not attempt to make them accessible to the reader, but instead succeeds in making Americans unattractive and delusional. The realization after analyzing this essay might force Americans to reconsider their superiority complex toward foreign countries and stop interpreting difference as something that should be avoided instead of embraced. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom essay now from our expert writers.Get a Custom Essay Many Americans strive to help their fellow citizens wake up from media-induced illusions. Advocates like Brandon Stanton and Horace Miner, or immigrants like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, need only to make Americans aware of the disillusionment they feel with the world around them. It may take global tragedies, like the Rwandan genocide or, more recently, the Syrian civil war, to spark compassion and a call to action among some Americans, but for others, the same events might simply serve to affirm their unfounded beliefs. A very common perspective in America often goes unnoticed, despite being one of the most dangerous grounds for rejecting other cultures. It’s the idea that no foreign life is worth saving if it risks the life of a single American woman. If this is not analyzed, it almost seems logical: of course, everyone must protect their own nation at all costs. However, looking more.