I arrived in Copenhagen at a time where transatlantic relations are at their most strained state in recent memory. The sticking point between Europe and the U.S. was the Trump administration’s increased interest in taking Greenland from Denmark by any means necessary. Understandably, I was a little nervous coming to a country that was showing massive amounts of, albeit warranted, animosity towards the U.S. I assumed that my Americanness wouldn’t be welcomed, and that I would face dirty looks, arguments, and general anger. My experiences on the ground, so far, are very different from my expectations.
When Danes come up to me and my friends when we’re at a restaurant or bar, it has never been to tell us off. If anything, most of the bonding between American students and the people of Copenhagen that I have witnessed has been due to our shared hatred of the president and disbelief at the recent foreign policy of America. They seem to have a great understanding that their issues with America lie with one man, Donald Trump, and not the American population. It is a common misconception that Europeans are not welcoming to American students, whose loud English and drunken antics rub them the wrong way. But, while I have not interacted with every European, Copenhagen has been nothing but warm and welcoming, despite the schism between our two countries.
My friends and I were at a pub on a Friday night when another patron took notice of our louder English conversation. We chatted with him for a bit before he asked where we were all from, and upon learning we were American, declared his love for Donald Trump. Seeing the discomfort on our faces, he reassured us by saying, “Nah, f**k that guy.” This wouldn’t be the first time similar situations played out, even at that same pub. I’ve had hours-long conversations with Danes about the intricacies of American foreign policy at this juncture and the effects of these decisions on Europe as a whole. Every time a conversation like this happens, the first thing out of the Danish person’s mouth is, “We don’t hate Americans, just the ones who voted for Trump.”
Now, maybe I am just used to the American phenomenon of people assuming stereotypes apply to all members of a certain group, but this behavior was so refreshing to me. During the pandemic, conservatives encouraged Americans to lob hate blindly at anyone of Asian descent. ICE’s current operations are normalizing violent treatment toward anyone someone may find suspicious. Police brutality has shown law enforcement in America doesn’t respect the principle of “innocent until proven guilty.”
To be able to be a big enough person to understand that there are Americans against taking Greenland, and against aggression toward Europe is vastly different from what I’m used to. It was conversations like the one I had in the pub that busted the stereotype that Europeans might look down on or blindly dislike Americans. In reality, I have been met with nothing but open arms and nuance.
At a time when hate is being sowed across our country, especially against immigrants and people of color, America can learn a thing or two from the Danes. Even when they have reasons to show us animosity, the Danish people have chosen to be kind and welcoming every time. The U.S. is in a bad place. I think the world recognizes that and recognizes that the American people are different from their government. It is reassuring to know that even when we are at our worst, our allies in Europe still want to repair a relationship that I wouldn’t blame them for wanting to end.
