by Sarah Baloucoune

When I was a kid, an idea popularized within African countries was the very known and fantasized about “American dream.”

I grew up with it in some African movies related to freedom from certain situations like poverty or war, which made us Africans believe America was the best and most fantastic land on Earth and that being here is an almighty blessing for any person. But nowadays I think that this idea is dead, and I am not the only one. And now I just wonder, what happened to the American dream? Was this country always like this?

As I am speaking for the African citizens as an exchange student, I have barely seen a country downgrade in popularity as fast as the U.S. during the last decade. This country, which we now see as hate land, an anti-everything nation, a shoot-and-run territory, is moving further and further away from the glorious America that made people dream in the past.

These days most people that want to come live here are either seen as fearless conquerors ready to fight to be powerful in this world, or poor hopeless humans, ready to give their lives to live a normal life.

We exchange students come here to learn from you and teach you. Just like the name states, it is an exchange of my knowledge for yours. Just like not all immigrants come here to save themselves; sometimes it is just because they want to see how it is in the U.S.

One of the biggest reasons why the country is a victim of the reputation it has now is because of the violence that strikes it regularly. Murder, rape, kidnapping – all of those issues are found all over the world, but in the U.S., they are on another level. Not to mention the easy access to guns, which opens doors to violent people who don’t take time to think about what they do.

The media, which at first glance is so nice about this country, talking about everything that happens here, is, in reality, double-faced, as it also talks about everything negative here as well. The U.S. media may not talk about other countries, but those countries constantly see what is happening in the U.S. Because of that, the violence is even more visible to nations around the world and appears to be more regular than in reality. 

For the young population, the ordinary American became a comic image of violence and machismo; and for some, obese gluttonous beasts that hate anything but fast food and their moms. Because of the influence of movies and media that show Americans in a bad light, they have been reduced to caricatures of the stereotypes people created around the world.

But to be honest, I didn’t meet anyone that acts like that or looks like they could act like this, so I can tell this is a misrepresentation that was unfortunately normalized around the world, one that was created to mock Americans.

But I have met only friendly people here. I still haven’t seen in four months, outside of people in the TV or rumors, someone here to harm me or anyone for fun. Some of you even talk to people without knowing them. That’s nice, even if kind of weird.

I won’t say anything about the way people see the political side of the U.S. I try to stay neutral in that, but I can tell that health care is seen as a joke for how expensive it is, and that gun violence is seen as a part of this country by foreigners who can’t see the U.S without it. If I can say something about both, it is that they are serious problems that people view as jokes, even if they are threats to American society.

The country is seen as a successful land with a lot of messes everywhere and many problems hidden behind a beautiful flag, and one of the most popular problems is the educational system, which, as I said in a previous column, is considered to be the worst and most “baby-like” on earth.

You can ask any exchange student if an American school is complicated, and most of the time the answer will be a big “no.” But something we exchange students aren’t ready for is how dangerous America really is. I never expected when I came to this country I would witness an event like the recent shooting at New Albany’s Harvest Homecoming. I know it happened a while ago, but I needed time to process the shooting there.

Every day, a new life is taken for no real reason. Every night someone takes their own life because of how complicated life is. The first idea that comes to my mind when I think of this is: Is America really worth traveling to?

In my opinion, America is worth coming to, with more opportunities to discover than we know, and more fun when we are careful. This country may be violent, but it doesn’t take away that it is an evolving country like any other, with its flaws and graces.

Like I said, we already know about the violence that exists in the U.S., but it is different once you live it. I am very profoundly hurt for everyone who lost their lives, and I pray that their families find comfort in their sorrow.

Remember, your life matters. Take care of yourself and others always and at all costs. Live. Love. Laugh.