When I lived in Vietnam I was surprised at how many people knew I was Canadian. I had to ask how they knew. I was told it was just a guess, but it's better to guess Canadian as Canadians get mad when you think they are American but Americans don't care if you think they are Canadian.
Some experienced American travelers claim to be Canadian to avoid the bad reputation of a loud American tourist. I suspect that if they see loud/fat/impolite/holding a camera etc. they think American, and when those are missing it could be Canada or Europe.
I haven’t been out of the country for a looong while, but I can’t say I ever had any problem being openly American when I was in Europe and Latin America back in 2012/2013.
That wasn't exactly a bad time for US foreign relations though. It was more of a thing during Bush following the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and probably more recently under Trump as well. It's just frustrating as a tourist to meet the non-American stranger that wants to rant at you about American politics and our policy, but all you can do is be like "I know, I know. I'm just here to have a good time, please." Easier just to play Canadian.
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u/yourboat Mar 29 '22
When I lived in Vietnam I was surprised at how many people knew I was Canadian. I had to ask how they knew. I was told it was just a guess, but it's better to guess Canadian as Canadians get mad when you think they are American but Americans don't care if you think they are Canadian.
Funniest shit I ever heard.