OPINION: Countries mean more than just stereotypes

By Megan Osborne, Staff Writer
March 29, 2019

Whenever someone is thinking about traveling to a foreign country they think of things that are stereotypically associated with it. For instance when you think of Australia you may think of kangaroos, sunny weather and great beaches. But what people don’t realize is that there is more to countries than just their stereotypes.

Something people might find surprising is that Australia is a very diverse country. According to the website EscapeHere, “There are over 200 languages spoken in Australia including 45 different indigenous languages. The most popular ones spoken after English are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin.”

When one hears “Australia” the last thing they would think is how diverse the languages are and how unique each person can be. Australia has a stereotype of kangaroos crossing the streets and putting “another shrimp on the barbie.” But those stereotypes are not necessarily bad, they’re just part of the country itself. Another country that is marked with rash generalizations is China.

Nowadays when you think of China you may think of polluted areas and highly populated cities. What people don’t realize is that China does have a beautiful countryside. Farming and aquaculture plays a big part in China’s economy.

When thinking of China people may automatically think of fortune cookies and Chow Mein. But there is more to it than that, just like there is more to England than British accents and afternoon tea.

And when you think of London, England you may think of the royal family. Even though the royals play a huge part in London, so does the food. Fish and chips is one of the more popular dishes but there’s a growing diversity of cuisines including Indian and Asian. It may be surprising to hear that London has some great dishes.

There are so many stereotypes and misconceptions about countries that in order to know all a country has to offer one must travel there for the experience. Form you own opinion about a country after traveling there.