In my experience, Russians is one of the most judged ethnicities in America, mainly because of the media.
I was born in Russia and lived there for about seven years. I then moved to America, and, much to my chagrin, I have been exposed to the common Russian stereotypes.
St. Basil’s Cathedral, located in the Red Square in Moscow, is one of the most famous sites in Russia.
With my background, I can actually discern the truth from the exaggerations.
However, Americans that have not traveled to Russia or have not researched its history accept the “facts,” when in actuality, many of them are false or exaggerated.
For instance, I commonly get bombarded with questions at school like, “Are you in the KGB?” or “Do you miss the cold weather?”
After a certain point, I get extremely insulted by how ignorant some Americans are.
In addition, there are so many action movies, even children’s movies, in which the evil villain is blatantly Russian or just happens to have a Russian accent.
Sophomore Madison Graham stated where she gets most of her opinions about Russians.
“Mostly movies [spread prejudice.] The Russians are always the bad guys,” said Graham.
Some of the most popular movies with Russian villains are as follows:
1) Red Dawn (1984)
2) Act of Valor
3) This Means War
Til Schweiger plays Heinrich, a Russian criminal, in This Means War. He also happens to be German in reality!
4) Salt
5) Iron Man 2
From an early age, little children develop bias from television, parents, and friends.
Some of these older adults who have lived through the Cold War have remnants of anger and paranoia directed towards Russia.
Essentially, a large majority of Americans have certain views of Russians, most of them insulting or just ridiculous.
History teacher Joe Dominick commented on the ways prejudices are developed.
“I think Americans get opinions about anything from the media,” said Dominick. “They don’t read enough and base it on what they hear. If you really get to know people… [you’ll learn] they’re not all that different. The media and government twists it around a lot.”
Let me debunk some of the most common misconceptions about Russians, based on personal experience.
All Russians are spies in the KGB: Russia is not as desperate to steal American secrets and technological advancements as some Americans think. The KGB (Komitet Gosydarstvenoy Bezopasnosti- Committee for State Security) is the Russian equivalent of the American Central Intelligence Agency. Not every American is in the CIA, right?
All Russians are Communists: Russia is officially democratic. Like every country, however, there are multiple factions. Certainly some have “economic equality for all” mindsets, but there are also more conservative Russians.
The Mafia: America has some famous gangs. Think of the Mafia as a widespread, city-centralized, powerful gang. Yes, members can be extremely violent. However, they have no reason to attack American tourists. It is a safe to visit, just be aware that like every other country, there are pickpockets and dangerous parts in cities.
Russians drink: Many older Russians have lived through the Cold War and economic turmoil. According to WaytoRussia.com, some were not strong enough to withstand it, so they turned to alcohol to forget their troubles. Most Russians, though, are not alcoholics at all, similar to Americans.
Russia is freezing cold: Just in case some do not know their geography, Russia is the largest nation in the world, spanning Europe and Asia. The United States has an extremely diverse climate, so it only makes sense that Russia’s climate is even more so. Southern Russia does actually get comfortable temperatures in the summer. Siberia, or Northern Russia, is famous for its arctic temperatures. The middle of Russia has four seasons, just like the United States. They have an excellent climate for farming.
Russian culture is backwards: It is true that most Russians are traditional. They go to Eastern Orthodox churches regularly. Since the time that tribes of Vikings occupied Russia, the official religion has been Eastern Orthodox. Men do most of the physical labor while women take on less laborious work. However, Russians listen to modern music, even American music. Russian technology is just as advanced as American technology, too. In fact, young Russians are required to take computer and programming classes.
There is nothing more disappointing than listening to Americans speaking about Russia as if they know everything about it, when in fact, the ‘facts’ they spout out are false.
It is necessary for people to be more open about different societies. In this age, when technology brings people together, many conflicts can arise due to ignorance.
Sierra Patterson, a sophomore, mentioned the impact of technology.
“The internet helps pass [prejudice] along,” said Patterson. “[We need to] hear positive things about the government [from the media],” said Patterson.
Americans should be wary of what they see and hear in order to develop their own, unbiased opinion.
