San2
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Hi, Spanish people do not hate americans. I am sure there are idiots in Spain, as in every country, who have not noticed that there is such a thing as persons, and each person is unique independant of their nationality, race, religion or creeds. There is, yes! a general feeling that USA is playing Empire, and hence the antagonism against actual US politics and govenment but not agains the people.
We, the spanish, as U and many others, have been also had an empire and our actions during that period made us quite unpopular during quite some long time. Yet those were other times...more ignorance, less infromation etc.
The spanish as most other people in the world are proud and dont take abuse or insult kindly. If you do not act prepotent, which your concerns indicates you wont, and you act normal and humane, as if spanish were not different than many of your neighbours, there will not be a problem.
Even if you do not know Spanish learn some basic words like Hola - hello, muchas gracias - thanks, por favor - please, si - yes, no - ;), buenos dias - good morning, buenas tardes -good afternoon , buenas noches - good evening, and then the rest you can use your hands or babble in gibberish, if the introduction is polite usually people stop often giving you very concrete directions, sometimes foreigners are surprised when people stop and even offer to lead them somewhere close just to help.
Spanish as well as Europeans and Americans are also ignorant about many things foreign too them, however, being a touristic and historic cultural transit zone has taugh us tolerance with other customs and we respect them even they are not our own.
Remember that although often Americans feel they are a cultural melting pot, they sometimes forget that the whole world is a cultural melting pot. Hence in Spain, we have had many cultures conquer, pass, visit and remain in the Peninsula interbreding amd mixing with local peoples and cultures and many visitors stayed in last centuries. Hence weve had Iberians from the Caucasus, Celts from the Atlantic, Phoenicians from Lebanon, Carthaginese from Tunisia, Greeks from Hellas, Romans from ;o), Goths, Vandals, Suevos, Alanos, Francs from the Germanic and nordic areas, Muslims from Asia and Africa, Sepharditic Hebrews who were very much integrated and still speak spanish , Gypsies from India, South American Indians who were welcome back, and even after our criminal politic during the empire the interbreding in old Spanish colonies is quite remarcable compared to other colonizers. We also have asiactic roots and preoples like Filipinos etc. Recently English, Swedish, Germans, Dutch, French, Finnish, South and central Americans, and Arabs have come to spain and leave here quite harmoniously despite the actual mediatic endoctrination that promotes hate against some of these collectives which are in truth as diverse as we are, or as you are. We have mixed our cultures with theirs and adopted many foreign customs and traditions.
So just be polite, tolerant, but not a fool. In spain we also have bad people and sometimes, as they are quite stupid or they would have another profesion, they try to steal from "obvious foreigners" incorrectly deducing they have a treasure on their wallets. However this in Spain is more like petty crime, wallets stolen, purses, ocasional luggage, specially in bad areas of huge cities, and tourist traps so when you are in the cities behave as in any other city, awake, secure and friendly. In the villages asn countryside they are more concerned with the "evils" :) of the neighbouring village than with foreigners.
People in Spain are genrraly helpful, friendly and tolerant so as long as you do not go around flashing an US Flag, dysplaying I LOVE BUSH pin buttons or ACTING like you are the owner of the world, you will not have any problem. And by your words, I can infer that you should not worry about that.
So have fun and welcome to Spain
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