I was having the ritual dinner with my American friends last week when our German friend, Misa, asked us a curious question.

Why, she demanded, were the Americans so set in their national pride. Why was it that when accomplishments were made on American soil or by our fellow countrymen, that we ourselves took pride.

A bit taken aback, we struggled to produce a worthy answer. Why was it that while she took her German nationality as a mere characteristic of her being – like her black hair and brown eyes – we perceived being American as a part of our personal identity. And, despite our fears of appearing as the stereotypical “dumb Americans” to the cultured-European eye, we were ever so naturally proud to be it.

It was something we couldn’t really explain – a cultural value so deeply rooted in our subconscious and fully integrated into our behavior that simply put: It just was.

But were these the differences that create tension? Once old friends, it seems the French now believe that the Americans hate them, while the Americans believe just the opposite. The result: Fox anchors joke that the French smell bad, and our friends at the foyer believe the United States is composed wholly by the bimbos of “Mean Girls.”

There is a joke that students here like to tell:

What do you call a person that speaks two languages?

– Bilingual.

What do you call a person that speaks only one?

– American.

I would be irate, but in retrospect, it seems that the joke is true. Despite the melange of nationalities that comprise American society, English remains the true important language.

America, above all, is a country built on practicality. In business, it’s never the intention but always the result that is rewarded. No one quite cares how you get there, as long as you got there – and quickly. The bottom line is always at the top of the list, and our culture values the shrewdness of clever businessmen over say, a deep understanding of philosophical debates. Donald Trump gets his own reality TV show, but academic topics are hard-pressed (to say the least) to make PrimeTime.

The workingman whose sweat and tears built America into what it is represents the backbone of our country. Thus, when our politicians run for office, they propagate themselves as being the average man – relatable, hard working, and thus, truly American, like John Kerry during the last election. Americans don’t trust old money … they trust John Doe.

France, however, is part of the old world. Its roots are founded in nobility and class structure, and thus, it seems, it is the French Vanderbilts and Kennedys that gain political office. Cultural capital is largely vested into the pursuit of academia and philosophical endeavors. There is a great value placed into things that, to us, feel largely impractical.

I’m not sure how reading all the works of Nietzche in the vernacular will ever assist efficiency and productivity in the workplace, but it holds significance in Europe. And so, language is respected … for that, and in order to get around in Europe, in the distance between New York and Illinois, the knowledge of four different languages is required.

And, so, at the risk of sounding like an ignorant American, for all practical purposes, it seems English is the only language we really need to know, especially when others are learning English. Countries, like China and France, for example, have mandatory English courses for students and in the ‘help wanted’ section of Parisian newspapers, there are more demands for “English native-tongue” than native French speakers.

Besides, when your country is only slightly smaller than continental Europe – and they all speak the same language – there seems no practical need to know another.

And so, while Europeans might look down upon us as being ignorant, we may choose to disregard the European standard, and view ourselves as simply practical. After all, when did European standards become the values that we measured ourselves up to. Why did Annie, McKenna and I fear so much to be the dumb-Americans in their eyes and struggle to live up to their values.

But then again, this very thinking is what makes us “ignorant.”

In the end, we become our own judges concerning the priority of being worldly. Americans are largely egocentric – nothing exists when America does, or at least, nothing matters quite as much. We are presently the strongest power – especially economically – and everyone here knows it. Every French person I know watched the presidential election in 2004, but how many Americans could name the Prime Minister of France? How many care?

They can detest Bush and everything he stands for; they can be insulted that the U.S. sent Condoleezza Rice to represent them instead of the President; they can even detest America and all its values; but in the end, they cannot ignore her.

But, it’s equally important to realize that America is truly a part of a global community and with the proliferation of globalization, it is becoming increasingly important to be informed and to be cultured … even if it is originally a European value.

But it’s not hate that really pervades the air, anyway, at least not as much as it is 50 cent, Kelly Clarkson and reruns of Friends. One evening, upon discovering that she was an American, Annie’s date gave her a puzzled look.

Why in the world would you leave America to come here, he had asked. “It’s just Paris.”

Lisa Xia is studying abroad in Paris, France this semester. Her column appears every third Wednesday. She can be reached at [email protected].