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I'm an American, and I'm listening to Their America (an excellent site)!
There is certainly a great deal of attention paid by American intellectuals to the rest of the globe (and our American Studies departments are filled with foreign-born scholars), but I agree with this project's general notion that the United States is, en masse, far too insular and ignorant of the rest of the world and its opinions.
In short, good work, and I'll continue reading (and listening)!
- Sharon

Imagine a family with the most powerful sense of hearing in all of human history, living in the noisiest house in the neighborhood.
They stand with their super-ears at the windows, listening to the world outside.
But the harder they listen, the more they hear themselves.
Seems to me they have only two choices: turn down the music, or leave the house.

Hi Sharon (and everyone else),

As an American also, I'm definitely listening to Their America. I also think this site is highly valuable in documenting how America is perceived by the world, and I am thoroughly enjoying reading your ideas. Perspectives such as these are not ones we hear too often in the States, and when we do, they are often dismissed or instantly criticized. I think that is perhaps one of the biggest frustrations I have with my fellow Americans: we just don't want to hear it or don't care to know.

I often wonder why is that the case--why we're satisfied with generalizations and surface-level information (and misinformation), that's if we even seek information at all! As an "other" American (an American born in Puerto Rico but raised on the U.S. mainland, a Latina), I've had way too many encounters with well-meaning but often misinformed Americans, so it's always refreshing to be in the presence of those Americans who care to know! Americans who won't automatically assume that I will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo because that's a Mexican holiday, and I'm Puerto Rican, so that must be the same thing! 🙂

As I have mentioned in another post, I wonder when we (America) will reach the tipping point--when the world will scream so loud that it will no longer be an option to ignore. As Kevin mentioned, oftentimes our listening is reactionary (i.e., suddenly being concerned about Middle East-U.S. relations after a national tragedy: 9/11), but when will the listening be routine, constructive, and proactive? I think sites like these are a great place to start.

Keep the great ideas coming!

Stacey

Thanks so much for your post, Manpreet -- and welcome!
Your point about the importance of distinguishing the American people from (the actions of) the American government is an important one (and it's echoed elsewhere on the site by Brian Jones). Many of the criticisms of the US articulated in our forum discussions so far -- concerning, for instance, NSA spying or drone strikes -- are widely shared, it seems clear, by Americans themselves.
As I note in the 'About' section, one hope I have for the site is that it might help Americans understand better how the nation (which, of course, is represented by the actions of its government) is perceived around the globe: "Though the world has never been more illuminated, America remains, in many ways, the elephant in a dark room, whose most well-intentioned actions are being increasingly distrusted and misunderstood as it steps on the toes (or heads) of its co-inhabitants. We aim to show the room to the elephant, and the elephant to the room, in the optimistic belief (but what alternative to optimism?) that this cannot help but help them both. Hence the flag of Their (or There) America above. America from the other side: america percepta. Not what it is, but what it is for others. And hence the phenomenological timeline, chronicling the history not of America, but of what it has been to others. A state–of mind–at least as important and influential, especially in this time, as the nation of America itself. For, when esse est percipi, america percepta matters more."
The term "Outsiders" was my best shot at a name for those "in but not, in their minds, of the United States", and my intention was that it wouldn't sound or feel 'exclusionary.' As the site grows -- with about 2000 unique visitors a month, we're getting there now! -- my plan is to turn each theater fully over to its 'director' and 'cast,' who will then be able to make whatever changes they like to its name and structure (the usefulness of making some distinctions -- in the forum structure and on the home page itself - between the various regions of 'Asia' has, in fact, already been made by several users, and changes will be made as soon as our membership gets large enough to warrant it).