This is a list of cultural stereotypes compiled in the late 1990s by Spanish high school students between 15-21 years of age who had never been to the U.S. nor had any American friends, as circulated to an international education e-mail list.

Which, if any, are "accurate descriptions" of American culture? Which may particularly reflect how the Spanish students perceived American culture as being different from their own (as a guide toward how each culture might perceive 'others' through their own frames of reference)?

Physical Appearance and Dress

• Most Americans are very tall with blue eyes and blond hair.
• All American men are as handsome as movie stars.
• Men in the U.S. have muscular builds; they resemble Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone. America men like to wear short, sleeveless T-shirts to show off their physiques.
• American women are either unusually fat or unusually thin, never of normal build.
• Women in the U.S. wear a lot of make-up.
• Americans wear very bright colors and mixed patterns, and they wear summer clothes even in the winter. They have no sense of style.
• The typical American "native dress" is jeans, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat.

Work and Leisure

• Americans spend almost all day at work; they have very little free time.
• Although they are extremely punctual and efficient in their jobs, Americans don't consider their work important; family comes first.
• The first two things an American wants to discuss are salary and age.
• The two favorite leisure-time activities in the U.S. are movies and rodeos.
• Young people usually just take walks for fun, because they're not allowed to drink or go to discos.

Home Life

• Most Americans live either in skyscrapers or on farms.
• In big cities everyone has a large car like a Cadillac, but outside of cities people usually travel on horseback.
• Americans divorce repeatedly and have very complicated private lives.
• In marriages in the U.S., the wife always dominates.
• American cities are so dangerous that a person has a good chance of being killed in the street; therefore, American men either know kung-fu or carry a gun.

Food

• Americans eat almost nothing but hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, and Coke.
• Americans generally eat fast food Monday through Saturday, but never on Sunday.
• American men are always drinking beer, even at breakfast.
• American breakfasts are huge. A typical one might consist of eggs, toast, bacon, and pancakes with peanut butter.

Communication and Social Interaction

• Americans speak very quickly and very loudly. They use their hands a lot, often gesturing in an exaggerated way when they talk. Their strange intonation makes their speech sound like singing.
• American English is extremely difficult to understand because people speak as if they were chewing gum.
• The typical American is very rude, often putting his feet on a desk or table and frequently belching in public. He yawns a lot, never trying to hide it. In international affairs as in personal life, Americans do whatever they want and don't care what other people think.