Comments on: Is it ever right to hide your nationality?

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 23:53:54 +0000

It’s interesting because I’m both American (US-born, lived most of my life there) and Australian, the latter passport acquired via my husband and having lived there the last five years. When people ask where we’re from we always answer ‘Australia’ because that’s where I lived most recently. But I usually add in that I’m originally American. It’s a good experiment because I get to see people’s reactions to both. I’m never afraid to say I’m American but that doesn’t define me. When we lived in France I remember getting a very positive reaction to John being Aussie and a mixed reaction to my nationality. I am the kind of person who couldn’t care less what people think, so I would never hide it. Lately I haven’t had any negative reactions to my being American, but I’m sure that won’t always be so.

By: Jtraveler

Jtraveler — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 02:12:09 +0000

Also boats also fly the flags of different countries toavoid pirates and drawing unfriendly attention to themselves. My friend semester at sea in college and off the coast of africa and around asia the flew flags of latin america and were told to stay low.

By: Jtraveler

Jtraveler — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 02:08:54 +0000

I’m guilty of claiming that I was canadian. I was traveling around australia when the US started the war in iraq. There were protest all over the world and it was a scary time to be an american abroad. Iwas in oz for 3 months. I’m also east indian and am always mistaken for a national from neighboring countries when traveling. I’ve been asked if I was from england, brazil, italy, greece, israel, pakistan, chile. I don’t mind though I like being able to fit in. Usually american isnt their first guess.

By: Islam

Islam — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:09:47 +0000

Brilliant discussion, very informative, and a very well laid article Andy.

There’s prejudices and stereotyping all over the world. I remember a few years back Frenchman came to Egypt packing lots of water because he expected the plane to land in the desert! and that he was going to be taken straight to his tent!!

People sometimes hide their nationalities because, even though you can almost always separate the people from their governments and the actions of their governments, sometimes it’s not that easy or that simple. Often it’s easier to just pretend to be someone else to avoid getting into certain arguments.

However, I think that sticking to your nationality, even if you don’t get served, because it’s these little arguments and conversations that add to the overall travel experience.

By: TonyW

TonyW — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:01:12 +0000

During the Vietnam War (which the Vietnamese call the War of American Aggression), many American men of draft age became very familiar with Canada and its major cities. Many of us made excursions to learn about Vancouver, Toronto, and/or Montreal as possible new homes as an alternative to being drafted and sent to Vietnam. That knowledge, combined with an item or two of Canadian clothing, such as Roots shoes, a maple leaf patch, and some Canadian money, made it very easy to pass as Canadian in social situations. In 1970′s Europe, Americans were no longer loved for their help in defeating Hitler, but were generally disliked because of Vietnam. Pretending to be Canadian was an easy way to avoid unpleasant discussions of Vietnam, but you had to know something about hockey and have an opinion on the Quebec separatist movement. In all, it wasn’t worth pretending to be something that you weren’t, and I don’t think that anyone tried to do that for very long.

Extra points, though, for the Canadian government, which made it possible for draftees to become landed immigrants and to establish new lives in Canada.

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 09:38:45 +0000

Thanks again to all for sharing some enlightening perspectives. I had imagined that it was mainly an American issue, so it’s fascinating to hear of so many others who choose to hide/disguise their nationality. I like your closing line Giulia; let differences be the pretext to widen our knowledge. Very true.

By: giuliadventures

giuliadventures — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:35:56 +0000

I never thought about hiding my nationality, I’m Italian and never had to hide it.
It’s funny coz I’m not the “typical” Italian woman one could expect, with dark hair and eyes: I have fair skin, green eyes, light hair. Sometimes I play with my nationality as nobody ever guess it at first glance – they say I’m Polish, English, Russian, Armenian (!!!) but never guess I’m Italian.
But I’m never ashamed to reveal my nationality in the end.
I hate stereotypes and prejudice. Let differences be the pretext to widen our knowledge!

By: Guurrbi

Guurrbi — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:24:31 +0000

I’m English with dual English/Australian nationality, and don’t think twice about saying where I come from. Except once, when a group of us were accosted in the middle of the Panamanian rainforest by two men in camouflage gear, faces smeared with grease, waving AK47s and shouting ‘Foreigners to the right; Panamanians to the left’. This gave me pause for thought. If they were Colombian guerillas I was better being a Panamanian; if they were Panamanian forces, it was safer to be a foreigner.In the end truth won out. Not because of any national pride, but because I’m blonde and was unlikely to get away with a lie. Thankfully they turned out to be Panamanian Police (called Ki-kay and Archangel lol) so I lived to tell the tale and got a great group photo for the album. So my advice: if your safety is at stake, lie through your teeth – providing you’ve a chance of getting away with it.

By: Dylan Lowe

Dylan Lowe — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:13:18 +0000

On a different take on this denying of one’s nationality, I tend to deny any presumption that I’m Chinese – even though I’m ethnically Chinese – and say that I’m British/English – which I am nationality-wise. What I discovered, especially in countries like Morocco where the locals love to tout, is that Chinese (and Japanese) people are seen as the most lucrative of tourists and are easy targets. It’s also that I can shake off the camera/hang-out-in-clusters/whatever-mentioned-in-that-East-vs-West-post-you-tweeted-about stereotypes.

But then, despite whatever’s in the blood, I’m an Englishman at heart.

By: Wanderingtrader

Wanderingtrader — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:04:34 +0000

I actually have three different passports, united states, venezuela, and italy. Everytime I travel to venezuela I travel with my american passport and they always interrogate me why i dont have my venezuelan one! (because i dont want to go to the venezuelan army!!) LOL

If you are from a nation that runs itself backwards then yes I think its right! lol