banana k said:
...that said, BOY do i get scrapped on initially for being american! sometimes i feel like i need a bumper sticker that says "don't blame me i voted for kerry" or something.
LOL! So true. I arrived during the height of the Clinton/Monica Lewinsky debacle. Not a day went by when I didn't hear some comment about it (which basically entailed asking why Americans were so concerned about it; after all most politicians, or married men for that matter, had affairs and besides, what the heck did it have to do with his ability to run the country?). I got so I just commented that we'd "come a long way since JFK and Marilyn Monroe". This usually seemed to get me a laugh, which as you note, is the best way to handle the Aussie sense of humor. If you get upright about it, it just reinforces their stereotype that Americans are humorless and self-centered.
...plus, i remember my first day in oz when i was getting placed in classes and the dean basically told me that i was incompetent & looked down his nose at me because my undergrad transfer credits were from the us and therefore not up to snuff. and my thesis supervisor recently revealed that his first impression of me (which he admitted was based entirely on my accent) was one of "typical american arrogance". (they have a strong impression of americans being loud, obnoxious, and standardized--but then again, that's based largely on tourists!) i think he learned i'm not on an american high horse, and i think the dean eventually stopped looking down his nose, but both experiences were a bit disconcerting. still, it's DEFINITELY WORTH MENTIONING that these are all purely social reactions peole have. i have NEVER heard of anyone being restricted in their opportunities for the sake of race or nationality.
Also my experience. The reactions typically fell into one of 4 groups:
- the teenagers who "know" the states from MTV and the like and can't wait to travel there. You usually run into them working at Big W (Wal-Mart) and they love asking you questions about it.
- the old timers who fondly remember the Yanks from WWII and how they really helped Oz out, or how much fun they had with them on R&R in SE Asia!
- those that typically accept Americans but love taking a piss out of us, especially about our beliefs that everything American is the best (and you WILL start to see how embarassing America and its citizens can be sometimes). This was by far the largest group. Interestingly, for all the pay out you get for being self-centered, the Aussies often did it because they believed THEY were the best. Although, I must say the secondary school education does seem to blow ours away. Somes have had bad experience with Americans and assume we are all alike, but once they get to know you, they will see its not the case. But initially they may believe that we are all Tall Poppies.
- the 4th group, thankfully a fairly small one, with negative associations with America. These are largely politically based and of course, have nothing to do with you personally. But it is interesting how Aussies dislike most of their politicians and don't believe they represent them, but somehow American foreign policy seems to define ITS citizens. Its not worth arguing with this group unless you enjoy futile exercises.
That said, there are some differences which will mark you as an American right away. I think someone mentioned it earlier about how the Aussies don't ask questions during lecture or challenge administration or faculty. I know I was seen as a bit of a rabble-rouser early on as I asked a lot of questions, spoke a fair bit during PBL and if I felt there was a problem, addressed it. When it became apparent to me (through some of my Aussie buddies) that the students that didn't know me well thought I was a bit, well, "typical American", I tried to scale it back a bit. Seems that if there was a problem (which was felt by all the students), I was "likely to make sure that someone was said about it" - hardly damning and frankly, some students appreciated it. But it is a different way of dealing with things than the Aussies would do.
My insistence that I get some sort of customer service when I shopped or ate out also marked me as American. The Aussies are either used to the lack of customer service or simply don't frequent a place that they believe to have treated them poorly. I, OTOH, would say something about it, especially if in a restaurant where I am paying for a meal that they got wrong THREE times! I guess another typical American reaction.
As for the racism issue, there have been complaints, even posted here, about supposed racism, especially against those of Asian descent. Immigration from SE Asia has increased exponentially in Australia over the least few years and some of the Aussies, especially in smaller centres like Adelaide, haven't gotten to the point of getting used to that and understanding the different cultures. This is expressed usually in the form of stereotypical beliefs (which don't need repeating here as they are well known in the US as well) rather than any deep seated racism or civil rights violations.
Since I'm a Caucasian it would be inappropriate for me to comment on whether or not there exists institutional racism except to say I never saw it. Some have claimed here that Asian students or students of Asian descent were "preferentially" failed but since this is purely anecdotal at this point, it means nothing more than MY observation that the single Asian-American student I saw failed likely did so not because of her ethnicity but rather because she was a bit of a dim bulb.
Anyway, hope this helps.
Get what you can out of it. Find your "community" elsewhere. 
