Throughout my travels, it´s always been interesting to hear/see others´ perceptions regarding my home country, the United States of America. I think in some ways, you don´t really know and understand where you´re from until you leave it, see it from a different point of view.

I´ll never forget the little old Vietnamese man who, in a very broken English, described how he remembered the helicopters and soldiers upon finding out I was from the US. All the taxi cab drivers who have gleamed with delight upon having the “privilege” to transport a Gringa. The little Cambodian kids thinking I was a millionaire –duh, all US folk are millionaires. The hundreds of Europeans with little respect for my kind. The countless people who have told me they know so-and-so who lives there. And the Venezuelan who put me in my place for calling myself American: “We´re all American in North and South America, that doesn´t tell me anything. I don´t know where you´re from. So where are you from?”

So many more examples. And of course all of the examples mentioned above have their counterparts.

I think this graffiti is an interesting perception of the United States. Using the symbol of freedom, Lady Liberty, to stand over the world, loaded with missiles, is quite a perspective. I´m not saying it´s right or it´s wrong, but no matter what, this is how somebody –and I can tell you manyyyy more feel the same—thinks about where I was born and raised.

The US has a mighty impact on the world. As a non-US citizen, you might not know a thing about Chile, Vietnam, etc., but everyone knows about the USA. Our movies, music, politics, wars, priorities…It´s a powerful position.

I often wish the US set a better example…