I realize everybody has some general ideas about a foreign country, but i'm just wondering if people can think of something else than Amsterdam, Drugs, red light districs etc. (or they start about windmills, tulips and cheese which hasn't got anything to do with Holland for a long time).
2006-08-01 01:48:36 · 9 answers · asked by Magius Paulus 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Geography
When an area has something out of the ordinary, people tend to associate that thing with the area. Amsterdam allows much more than most areas, so that is what people remember.
Most people in the USA have not been to the Netherlands. The only thing they know about it is what they learned in school as small children (windmills, tulips), or what they have read about as adults (drugs and red light districts).
2006-08-01 02:01:28 · answer #1 · answered by fire4511 7 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The same reason people generalize the United States or any other country for that matter.
On a related note, I prefer Holland, Michigan over Holland, the Netherlands anyday. And, yes, they still have windmills and tulips in Holland, Michigan. Wooden shoes, too!
2006-08-01 11:50:43 · answer #2 · answered by AF 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am used to stupid questions about this topic. I am hungarian, and people in the world always ask about communism. How was it? Did I have a good time then? I was 7 when it was over!!! And this era filled in about 20 years from our history, which is more than 2000 years. So I am not suprised because of your question. For us, people in Europe, Netherlands not the country of drugs, tulips, etc. More than this. Unfortunately, US people don't know as much as we know from the world. It's not their fault. It's because of the lower level of education.
2006-08-01 09:40:28 · answer #3 · answered by hellloooo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because Netherlands has a much better policy towards this than the US. But I've been to Amsterdam and the Hague and I realize that there is much much more to see and do in the Netherlands.
2006-08-01 10:00:24 · answer #4 · answered by Mike R 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thta's what everybody thinks, not just the US. When I say I'm from Romania all people think is Dracula (and that's not even real!). I guess the positive aspects of a country are not very often promoted. And the outrageous ones stand out because they are very uncommon in the rest of the world.
2006-08-01 09:10:23 · answer #5 · answered by Foxy 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A lot of the stereotypes are perpetuated by the media. In movies such as 'Eruotrip' this is the image of the Netherlands that is fed to American youth and adults alike.
2006-08-01 12:18:07 · answer #6 · answered by ? 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Netherlands are very liberal about the things we here in the states dub as "illegal". Our laws are so strict here that I guess, to be honest, we are simply jealous of the fact your country isn't scared to "live a little".
2006-08-01 08:56:28 · answer #7 · answered by BigMissle 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Unfortunately many of us Americans are ignorant about your country and geography in general.
2006-08-01 09:59:31 · answer #8 · answered by workingclasshero 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Are you not yourself making a generalization about the US with your question? Isn't that just a tad hypocritical?
And is that what you think of the US?
2006-08-01 12:04:54 · answer #9 · answered by Matthew S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋