[upnorthkyosa]

In many places in the world today, people from my country are looked down upon and treated outright rudely. I was wondering how kiwis view Americans? Will we have a hard time integrating when we come over? Will my children be singled out because they are Americans? Will kiwis accept us on the merits of who we are?

[willsken]

This may answer some of your question

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6898&highlight=americans

[suzer]

Welcome fellow American. After living abroad for a year (and coming over as a quiet American), you will have to develop a thick skin anywhere you go and pay no attention to those who stereotype us, as they typically do so with little knowledge unfortunately, never having lived in the states and interacting with few who have/do.

[Hannah]

Hi American folk!
A bit off topic but i remember hearing somewhere (probably on this site) that in the 24 hours following George Bush's re-election emigration sites such as this were taking 10,000 additional hits.......from Americans.
I do feel for you guys as people do generalise, in the same way that some idiots think that Muslim + Beard = Terrorist.
I agree with the last post - develop a thick skin and go live your life. There will be people who have an issue with you being American...in the same way that there will be people in New Zealand who may have an issue about me being a pom, or about 'all the Chinese coming in' and so on. All I hear about in the UK every day is Polish this and Polish that, and how they are taking over etc. etc. Last year it was the Albanians, the Iraqis and the Afghanistanis. The world is here for us all, none of us lay claim to any part of it (apart from the patch we might be buried in when we die....and it doesn't really matter then). The best we can do is do right by ourselves and by those around us. If anyone has a problem with that - its' their problem. Yeah I got a bit of stick for being a pom when in NZ, but it was all very tongue in cheek and a bit of a laugh. Some good kiwi friends called us the 'token poms they invited to their parties so they could be seen to be Politcally Correct by their kiwi friends!!!' .

Anyway, from a kiwi perspective you will have one big factor in your favour - you're not an Aussi !!!! :-)

[Jonathon1977]

Due to election results over the last several days I have noticed a positive change in Kiwi attitudes towards Americans. Several Kiwi's have reflected to me that they are glad to see that Americans can think for themselves and that we have the potential for redemption.

I am not sure that the Democratic victory will actually cause a major policy shift in American policy but Kiwi's seem convinced that it is a step in the right direction.

Regards,

Jonathon

[K&CS]

I have an American friend here, and we were just talking about this this morning. She says they do experience anti American rants sometimes. I was quite shocked at some of the things that were said. They are mostly anti Bush, rather than anti American, but it took me by surprise as I, as a pom, have never experienced anything like that. As someone else mentioned, I think you need to develop a thick skin and maybe come up with some good retorts. Most people will be fine - you just need to know how to deal with the idiots who will judge a person by where they're from.

[Ana&Steve]

It's funny that immigrant Americans get flack for our government; many who seek to move to NZ aren't the ones who voted for the current...regime. I guess that's hard for people to remember when the US is constantly in the World news, and not usually for happy reasons. :(
Ana

[toesonthenose]

I have only visited NZ a couple times, but I never found any dislike toward me or my family. Of course if you are to go and act AMERICAN, you know the type, "Your money looks like monopoly money", "Back in the states...", "You Kiwis should...", "If it weren't for us in WW2, you'd be speaking...". If Americans listened half as well as we lectured we wouldn't be in so much trouble around the world.

George Bush was asked by a reporter how he felt about doing poorly with the polls. Bush said he wasn't surprised since the Americans don't like him either.
(polls=Poles)

[MB]

I have only visited NZ a couple times, but I never found any dislike toward me or my family.

That has been our -- more significantly, Mrs MB's (she has an obvious N.American accent) -- experience. She spends time in two different work environments and we have lived in a handul of different places since we have been here, and she says she has not yet had a single negative encounter.
She says that sometimes people will politely bring up politics, and also that the majority of folks who express any interest at all in her accent initially ask her if she's Canadian (several reasons why they might do this, I guess!)

In the rural places we have lived, what seems more to be going through folks' heads is a benign "What is someone with that accent doing in this town?" Now that does interest them, but it's more curiosity than anything. If US politics does come up -- and ISTR this was true in Auckland as well as here -- many Kiwis seem to be interested and have at least something of an opinion, but not massively or savagely so.

So few Americans, relatively, move here to live that regular Kiwis' opinions of them as a day-to-day 'phenomenon' don't seem particularly sharply defined. Their impressions of the Aussies and Brits are probably more so, because they have seen more folks from those countries.

[Howie]

She says that sometimes people will politely bring up politics, and also that the majority of folks who express any interest at all in her accent initially ask her if she's Canadian (several reasons why they might do this, I guess!)

That is so true. I am obviously from one of two countries in the world and if anyone comments on my accent, they always just ask "where are you from?"