Americans are very patriotic
I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with being patriotic.
It shows that you cherish the country you live in and that you respect it, which is great.
Americans, on the other hand, are seen as being way too patriotic. The kind that hate or highly dislike other countries.
Patriotism is the act of showing love and devotion to one's country.
I observed and researched the Americans around me as well as the trademarks that come with being very patriotic for this stereotype.
My observations:
The first thing I noticed about being in America are the endless amounts of waving American flags that are displayed all around the nation. Every shop, restaurant and city have countless flags and in many sizes: small, medium, large, and the full-out building-sized flags. This is a simple sign of patriotism that is clearly shown everywhere.
When it comes to the American people, one cannot simply say that they aren't patriotic, however, one can say that the level of patriotism varies. I spoke to several people in Florida as well as New York during my stay and some would be very upfront about their love and devotion by saying: ''Yeah, they probably don't have that in Holland/Aruba, huh? America does. We have (this and that) here and it's the best thing in the world! America is the best nation.'' Other Americans would be very discreet and wouldn't say that their country is the best in the world and nothing beats America, but their sentences imply that they think that even if they aren't saying it.
Another thing: anybody can start shouting, U-S-A, very loudly and everybody else would follow. This was the funniest thing I saw during my stay.
In my opinion, Americans can be very patriotic. Most of them vary, however, in the ways they show their love and devotion: some get tattoos, have flags, and some would get physical if you say anything bad about their country.
Research:
The poll above shows which acts are considered patriotic by Americans. (Poll was made in 2008)
The most patriotic act an American can do is to vote during the elections. A whopping 78% think this.
Serving in the US military is the second most patriotic act an American can do based on this poll.
Source: http://www.gallup.com/poll/108646/Nearly-All-Americans-Consider-Military-Service-Patriotic.aspx
