“Americans are Aliens”.
A statement said with full confidence in the midst of a conversation about the Romanian perspective on Americans.
One early morning, I was encountered by a local Romanian man who sat across from me at a small café table in Bucharest. He asked me about politics in America but I was more interested in first hearing about his current perspective on Americans.
So instead, I asked, “What do you [as a Romanian] think of Americans?”
He answered with no hesitation, explaining how “Americans are stupid”, “Only eat fast food”, and alongside other stereotypical ideas. But he ultimately mentioned a strong worded statement, “Americans are Aliens to me”. This wording hit home as it held strong parallels to currently used language in America against foreigners. Though, I continued to listen and did not interrupt his remarks, but instead was curious to hear more.
So I asked, “Have you ever been to America?”
As though I offended him, he chuckled and said “No, and I never will”. At this point in the conversation, I could have been upset, or I could have attempted to defend Americans. But after we sat in silence for a moment, he mentioned it as almost an afterthought: His perspective might be different if he actually got to know Americans.
This conversation became by far one of the most impactful moments I’ve had in Romania. In the moment of speaking to me, the guy was able to recognize that his beliefs existed without much firsthand experience or explanation. But on the other hand, it taught me the importance of uncomfortable or awkward conversations about differences. As well as the truth about perspectives: while I encounter new places, environments, ideas, and people in Romania, I may be subject to my own pre-conceived ways of interpretation and understanding. That isn’t entirely bad or good, but it’s certainly important to acknowledge. Just as much as the guy also realized that he had pre-conceived stereotypes about Americans without getting to know them, I could be subject to my own preconceived notions.
For instance, while on an excursion in Transylvania, I was excited to come across the grand castle of Dracula. I imagined his home to be a huge dark gothic castle on top of a tall hillside.
Though as we search for the gothic grand castle in the colorful town of Sighişoara, we find Dracula’s house: a yellow house that blends perfectly with the other houses. So much so that we’ve walked by the house 3 times without realizing that it was in fact, Dracula’s home. Instead, Bran Castle, located near a town we also visited in Transylvania called Brașov, is the Gothic Castle mythically told to be the home of Dracula, but has no real connection to “Dracula” also known as Vlad Țepeș (Vlad the Impaler).
My preconceived conception and lack of research about Vlad Țepeș, is a testament in my own ability to quickly form ideas based on my prior knowledge. As argued by our program director, Mihaela Czobor-Lupp, conversing and encountering with different perspectives and ideas, such that may even compete with yours, will allow you to learn and develop as an individual and as someone a part of a larger humanity. While I embark on my journey through Eastern Europe, I hope to re-evaluate conversations or experiences where I encountered concepts with a one-sided perspective or pre-conceived approach, and learn much more from people and concepts that challenge my original beliefs.