What do American's think of British immigrants? (Legal)

hello everybody,
Good evening, that's invalid because it depends where you are in the world you get the point. Anyway the reason why i'm asking this question is because i'm seriously thinking about moving from the UK, but I would like to move to a place where they still speak English. So America is the first place I had in mind but i'm not sure what the American view is on British immigrants coming to your country. I hope its not negative because there are tons of Americans where I live, near a US airbase and we treat them as if they have always lived here. How hard is it for a Brit to make friends over there? I love having friends so you know that's kinda important. And lastly I hate getting the 'you don't belong here look' when I go somewhere different (haven't had in in the US) so will I be treated like one of you? Yeah I know these answers vary depending on the personality of the person so I guess I will just follow the majority of answers.
Thanks Guys,
Your a huge help on and off lucid dreaming :content:

I highly doubt you would get the "You don't belong here" look any more than naturalized Americans do. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

thanks but are you personally ok with British immigrants? Do you know any?
Thanks Again :)

Something I've always admired about Americans is their general attitude towards immigration. I'm obviously not from the US, but as an outsider looking in, I've always been given the impression that it's a very welcoming country. This is in sharp contrast to many other places around the world where immigrants are often viewed with suspicion.

Right here in the UK for instance, those on the right tend to be very wary of newcomers to the country and those on the far right are just outright hostile to anyone who could be considered a foreigner. From what I've seen, this kind of xenophobia is a lot less common in the US, and judging from that, I don't think you'll have any problems.

The point of the US is to accept all. We fail at that occasionally though. Most people (women :shadewink:) like accents if that makes you feel better.

We generally accept people. If you arent accepted by somoeone, he is probably just a jerk. :P

@HeavySleeper yeah I felt the same when I was in Orlando and New York, they are really loving and caring.
@ BrandonBoss really the accents? Nah just kidding I have heard that before :content: which is awesome because I love an American woman's accent as well. So yeah my last question is do you know any Brits? D they enjoy themselves over there?
Thanks again,
I'm pretty sure I made my mind up but I will need to further research before I can say this without any questions in the back of my mind. :)

I only know them online. I went to a small college, in a pretty small city (I live in Kansas, not a tourist vacation spot really :P).

I have met some, and they say they enjoy america, but that might just be them being polite.

Just thought of this. Don't move down south, they are not the biggest fans of people that are different. They are a little crazy. :P I have some family down there, and love them to death, but they are a bit crazy. So Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi... those places. Florida is fine though. Texas isn't even close to 100% English with a lot of Spanish speakers as well. Just some small advice. Oh... and

Spoiler for spoiler:

stay away from Utah

I hear it's extremely hard to get US citizenship.

If you pick a metropolitan area, with lots of immigrants, you will be ok. But there are places, where they don't like strangers and newcomers in general, not just immigrants. US is build by immigrants, and everybody knows that, except some backward people. But those you can find in any country.

Brits are welcomed here no differently than anybody else. There is no animosity against Brits. Yeah, we still remember the War for Independence, but you should be ok :D
Check out some expat websites and get a feel for the community.

I for one, welcome you!

British immigrants? I don't have much of an opinion. I have met a few and they seemed like wonderful people. My town has immigrants from all sorts of places, its really not even a factor. Plus I love British accents.

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Originally Posted by BrandonBoss

I only know them online. I went to a small college, in a pretty small city (I live in Kansas, not a tourist vacation spot really :P).

I have met some, and they say they enjoy america, but that might just be them being polite.

Just thought of this. Don't move down south, they are not the biggest fans of people that are different. They are a little crazy. :P I have some family down there, and love them to death, but they are a bit crazy. So Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi... those places. Florida is fine though. Texas isn't even close to 100% English with a lot of Spanish speakers as well. Just some small advice. Oh... and

Spoiler for spoiler:

stay away from Utah

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Utah sucks, though as long as you avoid southern utah it's a bit more metropolitan than the deep south. Mormons aren't xenophobic but... ugh. Just ugh them.

While there is a tad bit of xenophobia in heartland America, it's not directed at British people. At the very worst, your accent will make you come off snobbish. But don't take it personally, Americans are very shallow and stupid.

A British accent is seen as cool here. Aside from that, there is no issue at all.

Depends on where you go -- there are a lot of anti-immigrant people in the USA, but if you are younger and have a zest for life -- you would fit in a lot of places. Anyone from the United Kingdom who came over this way that I met was very cool and a blast to be around. Diverse places, metro areas, etc. -- would probably be your best bet. If big cities aren't your thing, areas with multiple colleges/uni's would be a great route to go.

John Lennon is the most popular person who ever lived here.

I don't really think anything.... You'll probably be fine. Maybe it just depends where you go and the crowd. America is a big place with lots of different people and places. Races, and ethnic groups.

Oh yeah and you can also look forward to people trying out their bad british accents on you and asking you how you feel about tea and crumpets.

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Originally Posted by Original Poster

Oh yeah and you can also look forward to people trying out their bad british accents on you and asking you how you feel about tea and crumpets.

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All women have a British accent in their minds. Sigh, it is annoying.

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Originally Posted by Universal Mind

John Lennon is the most popular person who ever lived here.

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Thanks for shooting him guys.

I personally don't have much of an opinion, but considering how obsessed America was with the royal wedding and Kate Middleton (among other British movies and events), I'd say you'll fit in just fine. This might seem judgmental on my part, but I would probably avoid moving into low-income neighborhoods or the south (as someone else mentioned), you'd probably just get made fun of for your accent.

I'd say maybe New York City or California (the nicer, more populated areas if you can afford it)

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Originally Posted by Universal Mind

John Lennon is the most popular person who ever lived here.

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I do not agree.

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Originally Posted by Xei

Thanks for shooting him guys.

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We shoot those we love. Abraham Lincoln, john lennon! JFK, I am surprised that Reagan lived as long as he did, as loved as he was.

People will generally think you're the intellectual/scholarly type once they hear you speak, a fair number of people might think you're a bit of a snob because of it though. Nothing that can really be done about that, Americans and Canadians are just sort of primed for that response.

Why do you want to move though? And don't you think you should visit the US once or twice before deciding to move? You might also want to consider Canada as well, compare the laws and social views and then decide between the two.

Canadian culture seems to me to be a lot more moderate and pleasant. That's the foreign impression anyway.

He has been here a few times. I heard him say in a different thread. :P

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Originally Posted by BrandonBoss

We shoot those we love. Abraham Lincoln, john lennon! JFK, I am surprised that Reagan lived as long as he did, as loved as he was.

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Because Reagan was a good little puppet.

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Originally Posted by GavinGill

Why do you want to move though? And don't you think you should visit the US once or twice before deciding to move? You might also want to consider Canada as well, compare the laws and social views and then decide between the two.

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I agree. And if you do move to the US, move to Washington or Colorado. Wakka Wakka.

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Originally Posted by Xei

Thanks for shooting him guys.

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Who told you? Okay, I finally confess. I did it. I was a very angry and hateful third grader.

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Originally Posted by louie54

but I would probably avoid moving into low-income neighborhoods or the south (as someone else mentioned), you'd probably just get made fun of for your accent.

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Southerners don't give a happy damn if somebody is from Britain. There are still some racial issues beneath the surface, and you definitely don't want to live in the South if you are gay unless you live in a big city, but being British is not a problem at all. The closed-minded faction knows that Britain is our #1 military ally and that the U.S. is a spin-off of Britain, so it's all right.

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Originally Posted by Original Poster

Because Reagan was a good little puppet.



I agree. And if you do move to the US, move to Washington or Colorado. Wakka Wakka.

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Well first off I think I should be able to choose where I want to move :p and secondly I have already said that I have visited the states twice (Orlando and New York) on this thread and BrandonBoss has also seen me post it somewhere else and posted a comment on this thread about it. Just goes to show how many people actually read the thread before posting :content: anyway I still am not moving for definite because you know it all depends if I can actually get a visa (which looks like a pain in the ass) but there you go.
-GangsterPanda

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Originally Posted by GangsterPanda

Well first off I think I should be able to choose where I want to move :p and secondly I have already said that I have visited the states twice (Orlando and New York) on this thread and BrandonBoss has also seen me post it somewhere else and posted a comment on this thread about it. Just goes to show how many people actually read the thread before posting :content: anyway I still am not moving for definite because you know it all depends if I can actually get a visa (which looks like a pain in the ass) but there you go.
-GangsterPanda

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Be a stow away on a ship

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Originally Posted by GangsterPanda

I have already said that I have visited the states twice (Orlando and New York) on this thread and BrandonBoss has also seen me post it somewhere else and posted a comment on this thread about it. Just goes to show how many people actually read the thread before posting :content:

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lol, my bad.

Come on over. I think you'll have no trouble whatsoever, although I'd say choose a big city for a good experience.. Mostly, people will be very charmed and amused by your accent. Otherwise, you'll be treated like any other person.

I think that for the most part British immigrants are probably the most accepted immigrants that come. But we really accept everyone, its just harder to look past people who come here who can't speak English. It really depends on where you are in America. All my life of living in Oklahoma I have never met an English immigrant. But spending a week in Washington DC I met quite a few.

You'll have no problem. I'm from Missouri and I've met a handful of people from European countries, no one British yet. All are welcomed though haha. But like BrandonBoss said the only trouble you might have is in some parts of the South but even then it probably wouldn't be a big deal, plus I highly doubt you'd live there anyway lol.

I used to work in a grocery store. One day a British man walked up to me and asked me for some "Ma'h mate" (Marmite). I had no idea what he was talking about. I fumbled around the international section until I finally found it. All I could think of at the time was the scene from Return of the Jedi where the imperial commander says to Han Solo "you rebel scum."

I often wonder why British people prefer to associate with Southerners.

British accents are p. funny.

I've lived in both the northern and southern us and the view on immigrants is the same, we tend to like them. Having a 100% British friend is a novelty and it's rather fashionable.

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Originally Posted by Heavy Sleeper

Something I've always admired about Americans is their general attitude towards immigration. I'm obviously not from the US, but as an outsider looking in, I've always been given the impression that it's a very welcoming country. This is in sharp contrast to many other places around the world where immigrants are often viewed with suspicion.

Right here in the UK for instance, those on the right tend to be very wary of newcomers to the country and those on the far right are just outright hostile to anyone who could be considered a foreigner. From what I've seen, this kind of xenophobia is a lot less common in the US, and judging from that, I don't think you'll have any problems.

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It'd be another story if you were Mexican.

I saw Brits all the time in college. And Hercuflea.. they definitely weren't hanging around with southerners in new england. Where do you get this idea?

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Originally Posted by DeathCell

It'd be another story if you were Mexican.

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Yeah, I'd imagine so. There seems to be a lot of animosity towards Mexican immigrants in the US because of the effect they have on the jobs market. This feeling appears to be mostly limited to Mexicans and other immigrants from south of the border, though.

In contrast, many people living in smaller countries tend to have this attitude towards all immigrants. Take the UK for instance, which is a small country with a large population. Since there aren't as many jobs to go around, any newcomers to the country are viewed as a threat by some people, because they create more competition in the jobs market. It leads to growing resentment, which then leads to outright bigotry. Of course, there are other factors, but I think this is what causes most people to harbour feelings of bitterness.

One of my best friends is a British immigrant. Incidentally, he's married to one of my best friends that I met right here on DV. Small world.

The anti-immigration stuff is typically aimed at Immigrants from south of the border, and is often tied up in fear of another language, among other things. Immigrants from other parts of the Anglo world are going to be viewed favorably in general, and you'll probably gain a cool status. I'm from the South-eastern U.S. Don't know where you would plan on living, but the South is not deserving of a lot of the negative perceptions that some have of it. I think the bigger issues for you (or any immigrant) is not the people to contend with or the choice of where to reside, but getting a decent job here. I don't think it is easy to gain citizenship either, but you could look up the various visas available and see what kind of long term thing you could work out.

I want to mention that Austin, Texas is the coolest city in the United States.

The places where you would become a social outcast are not places you are going to live in. Hell If I went to those places, I would become an outcast and I was born in California and raised in Georgia.

So no worries man, Americans are a fun loving ignorant bunch, expect a lot of stupid questions about England though.

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Originally Posted by BossMan

Americans are a fun loving ignorant bunch

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... that lands remote control robots on Mars.

I know you've lived here, and maybe you are from here, but nationality slurs aren't a whole lot better than racial slurs.

The talented individuals in NASA working on curiosity do not AT ALL make up the general population. I know there are great American philosophers and pioneers, but that's not the point.

I don't really consider it a slur, more of a sad truth. Do you have any idea how many times I had to explain the distinction between a Muslim and an Arab? Thats like having to explain the difference between a Caucasian and Christian. Not to mention the geographical location of America makes it more difficult for Americans to broaden their view of the world. Not many people want to spend the money to go see Europe or Asia while on vacation, they would rather go to Cancun, which hardly qualifies as a Mexican experience, or the Bahamas; if not there then somewhere nearby in the states like Miami, San Francisco, or NYC.

Going anywhere else is simply too costly, and especially in these times I don't think many will opt for that. While in Europe you can drive your car in any direction and be in a completely different culture.

I genuinely didn't mean that in a negative way, but its true OP... Expect a lot of stupid questions about Great Britain (Most of them will probably be about idioms).

Most of the Americans I met may be ignorant but they are warm people that will welcome you, at least in Atlanta they are.

There are definitely a lot of stupid and ignorant Americans. I just don't agree with insulting the entire population over it.

The recession might have hurt American travel to Europe or Asia, but it is still extremely common for Americans to go to those places. I feel like an odd ball in a lot of conversations because I haven't been to Europe in so long and have never been to Asia. Pot heads here talk about Amsterdam like it's some kind of holy city in another dimension. Just about every school I know of organizes trips to countries in Europe, Asia, and other continents.

I would not say its extremely common, I would say its rare, or uncommon at best. Think about the majority of Americans, not the 15-20% upper middle class in rich suburban neighborhoods. Majority of Americans make under $50,000 a year, what sounds more appealing to these people, a $400 flight to California? or a $2000 flight Beijing?

And the American potheads that go visit Amsterdam don't give a shit about the Netherlands or the rich culture in Amsterdam, they just want to go do drugs and fuck whores.

Again, those programs university students are offered are not cheap, and most families cannot afford it. I know because I did one in Paris and it cost $35,000.

Lol I'm American! so of course I'm not insulting the whole population, I've also met my fair share of smart and intellectual Americans, but more often then not, they all come from wealthy families.

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Originally Posted by BossMan

I would not say its extremely common, I would say its rare, or uncommon at best. Think about the majority of Americans, not the 15-20% upper middle class in rich suburban neighborhoods. Majority of Americans make under $50,000 a year, what sounds more appealing to these people, a $400 flight to California? or a $2000 flight Beijing?

And the American potheads that go visit Amsterdam don't give a shit about the Netherlands or the rich culture in Amsterdam, they just want to go do drugs and fuck whores.

Again, those programs university students are offered are not cheap, and most families cannot afford it. I know because I did one in Paris and it cost $35,000.

Lol I'm American! so of course I'm not insulting the whole population, I've also met my fair share of smart and intellectual Americans, but more often then not, they all come from wealthy families.

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Hey.. I'm an American pothead with quite a bit of Dutch blood.. I'd want to visit Amsterdam for multiple reasons :P