What do Americans think about "European" South Africans?

I had a South African roommate during med school. My grandmother was so adorable, she thought I was going to get AIDS. But he was cultured and had the rounded education that I (sorely) lacked.

There’s probably nothing in the world that all Americans have the same opinion about. Even if you found a thousand Americans who agreed, that wouldn’t mean much. You can’t base a sound generality on a tiny sampling.

In fact, when it comes to people, it’s hard to make any sensible generalizations at all, apart from those that are scientifically warranted, such as how many toes we have and how many hearts.

Can you show us a single representative “European” South African, one who can stand for all members of the Afrikaans, Dutch, English, and French German minorities of South Africa? If not, maybe we can’t form a single opinion of all those groups.

We can speak about the culture of a given group, knowing that cultural phenomena are real but not necessarily and equally true of all members of the culture. However, I don’t think Americans in general are likely to be too well informed about South African culture.

Elon Musk is ok with me. So is Dave Mathews.

I think there are two South African guys that most Americans know: Nelson Mandela (not applicable to this question), and “diplomatic immunity guy” from lethal weapon 2.

Then there’s Oscar Pistorius.

My neighbor is from S Africa, and she is pretty hot.

I don’t know any South Africans of European descent.

Richard Dawkins was born in Namibia. I don’t think that counts…

As a audiophile i have admired the work of South African electrical and recording engineer David Manley of VTL ‘Vacuum Tube Logic’ and Manley labs for many years.i have owned and still own several pieces of his excellent sounding stereo equipment. http://www.stereophile.com/content/david-manley-tube-amplifier-pioneer-has-died

What I, an individual American, think about “European” South Africans:
-Most speak more than one language.
-Many are well-educated.

What I know from various SA friends I’ve made via Facebook:
The people I know are charismatic, friendly, intelligent, caring parents. Of the ones I know, many homeschool or have homeschooled their special needs child.

From this I know homeschooling is legal and accepted in SA.

Like Germans from 1945 to 1960, “European” South Africans who stayed before 1990, especially older than 40, carry a bit of responsibility, even those who talk about their struggle from within.

I’ve only met a few at our colleges here, and they seem very nice. Some really like to party.

About 12 years ago I had an acquaintance from S.Africa. She was in the process of divorcing her husband because he was abusive. She said that most South African men are abusive and chauvinist.

I don’t know if that’s true or not.

I know about a dozen South Africans. Interestingly, all of them are Jewish, and none are Afrikaners. They’re all warm, lovely people.

The few I’ve met in the Unites States immigrated here and were all happy to leave S. Africa! I don’t know why. I’ve never been there. They seemed friendly enough. People are people no matter where they’re from.

Now this is not going to be popular, but I’m relating more of what the same woman I mentioned above said. Remember, this is her point of view:

She (a white woman from S. Africa) said that when apartheid was abolished, a lot of industries suffered. She said that many of the uneducated blacks who had no idea how to run a business or farm, or whatever, became owners of said business. A lot of the businesses failed. The whites were not allowed to do a lot of the things they used to be able to do.

I wonder what the truth is.

I just met a European South African and his accent is pretty cool.

I say that most of them live much further south than the European Europeans do. ;-)

I’ve been to South Africa many times and have spent lots of time with Afrikaaners. They like to party, are very interested in their own country, usually well-educated, and are really funny and soft-hearted. They are not happy about some of the things about SA. Yes alot want to leave. The arts and music scene in Capetown is incredible.

They are homo sapiens. :-)

@Jeruba a few to mention of many – Afrikaans – Dr Christaan Barnaard – Did the first heart transplant in the late 60’s
English – JRR Tolkien – Writer of Lord of the Rings – Was a big hit those movies.
French – Oscar Pistoruis – The athlete asshole who shot a very hot chick. Every man in South Africa hates him.
Dutch – Former president De Klerk – Some hate that Dutch bastard but the world thinks he was a hero when he handed South Africa over to Mandela on a golden plate.
@zenvelo I don’t agree with your statement not all Souths African had a choice and we certainly don’t owe any African any apology. When my brother finished school he was forced by law to do compulsory military service. Did my seventeen year old brother had any choice at all to fight a war against the communist ANC? No he cant be held responsible for a war he was forced to be in. I am a bit more fortunate, I was trained to fight in that same war as well against my choice but after I completed my six months training the war ended.
That so true @trailsillustrated South Africans do like to party.

@antimatter, do you consider those people representative of all European South Africans? That’s what I asked.

My father lived in South Africa for seven months, teaching at a training college. He had plenty to share about the South Africans he lived and worked with, some of European background and some not. He never appeared to form a single opinion of all of them; he regarded them as individuals.

@Jeruba I think it’s safe to say that the European or the white minority in South Africans is so diverse that it will not be possible to isolate only a specific group and say they represent the European or white South African groups. I think your father is right most white or European South Africans are unique individuals.

So—that’s exactly why a diverse group (Americans) can’t offer a single opinion about a diverse group (European South Africans). That’s my point.

Good point @Jeruba it’s like asking all the fish in the ocean what do they think of the other fish living in a reef.

Sort of, @antimatter. At any rate, you get the idea. Even individual Americans who are well informed about individual South Africans can’t reliably generalize either for or about either group.

Again, I except culture. If it were part of the white S.A. culture, for example, to take a daily siesta, then a person familiar with that custom could mention it without saying that every S.A. follows it. And the person could, I suppose, state an opinion about the custom.

Do you mean what “European” Americans think about “European” South Africans or “non-European” Americans think about “European” South Africans?