Kenyan thoughts about America/white people/me

**there is a new blog below this one**

Living here, especially in the rural area - has opened my eyes to many of the sterotypes and judgements Kenyans have about America and Americans in general. Of course, not every single Kenyan believes in these things. However, most I have talked to, including well educated teachers, parents, and students as young as 3rd grade all have expressed belief in these judgements.

Here are just some of the common ones:
1.) All white people are rich and most white people are Americans, therefore America is the richest place in the world
2.) Poverty, crime, homelessness, street people, drug or alcohol problems, etc do NOT exist in America
3.) Everyone has a job in America, jobs are plentiful and if a Kenyan came to America, they would secure a job immediatley and become wealthy. When a student graduates from a university, they are given a job by the government
4.) Everyone has a car in America
5.) White people and black people do not associate with each other or get along well in America
6.) One American represents all Americans, one white person represents all white people. So, when people here talk to me about Americans or white people they say, "you whites" or "you people" or "you Americans" as if I represent all.
7.) You can do anything if you are an American
8.) Canada is part of America, Europeans and Americans are similiar in all ways, most Americans have been to every state and know people in each state
9.) The American government restricts how many kids each family can have, which is why families are smaller in America than in Kenya
10.) The whole country of America is very cold and the sun only shines for a little part of the day, the rest of the time is darkness

Sterotypes about me
1.) I am a missionary, I am here to volunteer and donate lots and lots of money
2.) I am not capable of knowing when others are talking about me in Swahili (which I do know) or knowing when people are trying to rip me off (which I do know)
3.) I am rich, rich, rich
4.) My parents and the government paid for my education and paid for me to be here
5.) I have never had a job
6.) I can't eat the food here
7.) I can't handle the temperature here

Other things that drive me crazy
1.) when my mom thinks that I should be treated differently or tries to treat me differently in public because I'm white.
2.) when my kids I teach and love and am so proud of disapoint me by asking for money and food after school
3.) when people stare and stare, whisper and point, but refuse to say hi or shake my hand
4.) when people yell "Barrack Obama" in my face where ever I go
5.) when the whole congregation in church turns around to look at me when I walk in
6.) When people ask me how I can help them get to America
7.) when people laugh at my accent, can't believe that I am not cold in 70degree weather, and continually tell me everything about my country, its people, and what it is like when they have never been there and probably will never get the chance to go there
8.) Lastly, they think that my common meal consists of snake meat, they told me they were taught in school that Americans eat snakes.

Kenayans in general are educated about news about current events in America are often on the front pages of their newspapers. They know how big America is and that the population is huge. They hear about the economy and the cost of living, as well as unemployment. How can so many Kenyans beleive these things. Most of the sterotypes are so unrealistic. It drives me crazy.