Why do a vast majority of people believe that people from the United States Virgin Islands are uncivilized?

Welcome to my world...

I live in South Africa (a country)... in Africa (a continent).

We also get the dumbest q's from ignorant or just plainly obtuse people.

What people fail to realize is how westernized we are in Africa because of all the western culture we've been bombarded with. I'm black, female, educated, working for a corporate company as a copywriter.

We were once asked if we had homes like other people. People think I see the big 5 everyday or have an elephant waiting on my porch each day.... Gee! I mean the last time I saw an elephant was on the discovery channel, and it had to be years ago.

Most places in the world are a mirror reflection of America. Yes there are very rural untouched places, but other than that...

Problem is most of these people let the media dim their lights. They will assume and tend to grow up thinking their home countries or states are far better than any, just coz they were told so. Its so sad to have everything, but know nothing...

Many are on the net right now doing infutile things.... They could google places far from their own and learn something new.

To be honest, I must admit that I rarely think of the United Staes Virgin Islands at all. I am unfortunately one of those Americans that can rarely think of anything that is going on outside my little box. But when I do think of the Virgin Islands I do not think of barefoot natives. I can not speak for the rest of my countrymen but I am sorry that you have had this experience. Now that I am more aware of the U.S.V.I. I will be sure to learn more about it. And as far as people asking you to repeat yourself, I must say that it is probably only because they want to be sure they have understood you. I meet many with an accent and, in fact, I have an accent and I am often asked to repeat myself. While it IS annoying, I cannot fault anyone who is actually listening to me speak and trying to clarify what I have said for his self.

I certainly don't doubt that a lot of people are this ignorant. But the majority? I don't know if I can accept that since I've never even heard these stereotypes. I guess it depends on where you are. Many stereotypes are more prevalent in some areas than in others. Whatever the case, I sympathize with you. I hope you will have more positive experiences with people.

I graduated nursing school with a girl from St. Thomas and she encountered the same thing. I think that it is ego or ignorance. Which ever it is, you can rest assured that the idiots that ask you the stupid questions aren't doing much travel and won't be knocking on your door anytime soon.

Americans think only Americans are the civilized ones! Funny huh?

because of the american medias depiction of the peaple and culture.