I realized on travels as an American that sometimes, we're insulted and used. I want to go a little deeper into those lies.
1. We're lazy
Yes, some of us are messy and/or large. But Americans are not lazy. We could, in fact, be considered overworked! Lots of us work a regular 9 to 5 job, have to try hard to earn money, and we have do something to get what we want. We're not infinitely rich, we actually work towards our goals. We're also all out very late a lot of the time, whether that's working, dining, or being with a friend. Americans work hard, long, and efficiently, all to get a bad rap for being lazy.
2. We're all rich
This is also a big one. A big lie. There are poor parts of America. Big parts. You can go to a football game (either kind) and see families, out on the streets, trying to fend for themselves in this bustling and hurried country. It's a devastating sight, and an even harder thing to realize that some people don't have it nearly as good as others, and that the financially higher class simply has it better. That being said, people do work to make this better.
3. We don't like diversity
This is so untrue. Just over %50 of America is white. Saying that we don't appreciate diversity is so untrue, because it's half of our population. People from all over the world move to America, and to say we don't like diversity is wrong. A lot of our biggest celebrities aren't from America or don't have purely American roots. Nobody does, though! Diversity and mixed culture makes America America. We love the different perceptions, ideas, solutions, and more that foreigners bring to us. We also aren't all racist. A lot of people try to prevent that- as I was saying, celebrities. They use their positions for activism a lot!
4. We only speak English
Oh gosh. This one is so bad. Americans are usually bilingual! Just because so much of the world speaks English doesn't mean we take advantage of that and don't try to learn. I myself have a relish to learn, and learning new languages is a fun hobby. I'm currently trying to learn Dutch (no, I don't mean Deutsch). Plus, as I was saying before, there's so much of America that's not pure American that a lot of us learn different languages. In lots of high schools and colleges, you have to choose which language to learn. In elementary schools, Spanish is taught to all students. America does try hard to be multilingual.
5. We're unfriendly
This one is a very widespread lie. A lot of Americans are friendly! Most of America is extroverted, but even the introverts like me are very friendly and are not afraid to flash a smile. We prefer to be on good terms with someone, and we don't look for fights. Americans genuinely try to be good people, and we don't want to be mean.