Alternate National/Ethnic Stereotypes Thread

hey, all. i thought it would be a useful resource for ATL writers if there was a discussion thread for what some stereotypes of different peoples could be in different settings, depending on the scenario. as an example, "what would be the german stereotype if there were no nazis?"

in answer to my own question, one that i thought up is that perhaps germans would be stereotyped as efficient workers (remember, not all stereotypes are necessarily negative) as well as the OTL stereotypes of lederhosen and sausage-, beer-, and chocolate-making
 
Maybe, if the US had clung tightly to isolationism, it'd be viewed kind of like an "ivory tower" - rich and powerful, but refusing to associate or be involved with any of the "great unwashed" (unfairly, in this case, other countries)?
 
In any CSA independence TL Confederates/Southerners are likely to be seen in the eyes that un-PC people use to see poor Latin American states. They'd serve as an anti-Anglosphere example and be treated as the (pun definitely intended) black sheep of English-speaking states.
 
If not for the Yugoslav Wars, I suspect that the Serbian (and Croatian/Yugoslav as a whole) stereotype would be like a hybrid of the Italian and Russian ones: Bon-vivant, religious, family oriented, prone to drinking like fish :p
 
If not for the Yugoslav Wars, I suspect that the Serbian (and Croatian/Yugoslav as a whole) stereotype would be like a hybrid of the Italian and Russian ones: Bon-vivant, religious, family oriented, prone to drinking like fish :p

Not sure - WW2 stained the Croats's image in the east... Uztachis.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
In any CSA independence TL Confederates/Southerners are likely to be seen in the eyes that un-PC people use to see poor Latin American states. They'd serve as an anti-Anglosphere example and be treated as the (pun definitely intended) black sheep of English-speaking states.
Don't we already have that IOTL? They're called "white trash"
 
In my big TL (late 1390s POD) the stereotypes in the latter half of the 20th century are :

- Muscovites are perfiduous goodfornothing creepy messianistic fascist thugs, what do you mean the war has been over for decades ?
- Novgorodians are highly wealthy and supportive of research and new tech development, but they look down on all other Russian nations and ape everything Scandinavian, Baltic and western
- northern Germans, Danes, the Irish and Serbs are dirty commies ("In Ochsolist Brandenburg, history alternates jokes about you !"), the Irish and Serbs are both commies and religious fundies
- Germans as a whole are a merry and resourceful bunch, but also loud, foul-mouthed, slovenly and ill-disciplined
- Anglo-Dutch is teh awsum language of commerce, science and nerds
- the French are heroic in battle, but notoriously conservative in values, including a heavy dislike for state-sponsored welfare
- Newkalmarites* and Nieuw Zealanders** are easy-going and friendly, but overtly Europe-loathing and cocksure about their own importance on the world scene
- the Habsburg-ruled Alpine countries (including a Switzerland with the "unchangeable borders" cliché torn to pieces) are fairly wealthy, but also extremely boring with their quaint provincial tea-sipping atmosphere
- the Japanese*** are a nation of skilled marksmen and as gun-lovin' as OTL US rednecks (samurai and bushi with matchlocks and flintlocks are the norm in pop-cultural depictions of Japanese feudalism)
- Vallachians and Moldovans are crazy nationalistic terrorists, in cahoots with the equally anti-Croat and anti-Hungarian alliance of Albanians and Serbs
- the Italians make cool gadgets (particularly military and aerospace tech) and come up with slang and memes even cooler than the Anglo-Dutch ones (Italian is pretty synonymous with "hip" and "trendy" ITTL - in a youthful kind of way)


* vaguely some place Canadian... or north-US-ian ? ;)
** ah, yes, the former Dutch colony in North America, now one of the richest republics in the world ;)
*** a republic since the late 19th century (when an anti-monarchist revolution took place, plus there was no emperor revival like in the Meiji period)

IMPORTANT NOTE : You can use these for inspiration, just don't steal any of my ideas.
 
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In my TL the French are considered foolhardy yet ingenious militant masterminds while the Germans are very laid back yet greedy.
 

DISSIDENT

Banned
In my aborted Chinese colony in the New World TL where Buddhist monks found the SF Bay, founded monasteries but pissed off the natives by getting them sick, and then the Southern Song dumped their refugees there and they got stranded when the Mongols took over and law and order collapsed and bandit warlords arose the stereotypes were or would have been if not for that other guy's TL of dubious originality;

-Mainland Chinese are wealthy and arrogant and overly conservative and while less militarily powerful than the Fusang Warring States, look down their noses as their "wayward kin".

-Fusangese are violent and aggressive and prone to anti-social and criminal behavior and behave more like Native American warriors than mainland Chinese, as well as prone to constant power struggles and attempts to overthrow whoever proclaims themselves ruler.

-Mixtecs are civilized, though ambitious and are seen as blatantly copying Chinese civilization while trying to hide or obscure there still relatively common practice of human sacrifice.

-Zapotecs are bloodthirsty religious fanatics who will just as soon look at you as sacrifice you.

-Tarascans are seen as militant and paranoid isolationists who are only interested in Chinese or Occidentals for buying weapons and are seen as manipulative for playing the Zapotecs and Mixtecs, the Chinese warlord kingdoms and the Europeans against each other for their own advantage.

-Japanese are seen as mercenaries and pirates, due to greater Wako activity in the ATL and a later resumption of Ming maritime exploration and trade keeping the Europeans from totally dominating them, meaning the fear of Christianity did not lead to isolationism and a new Daimyo feudal period occured instead of the Tokugawa shogunate, leading to fire arm bearing ronin and wako pirates plaguing the Pacific and South China Sea and raiding North America from time to time.

-Spanish are seen as greedy religious fanatics but incompetent soldiers as in the ATL they were limited to control of Cuba and Puerto Rico and outposts in the Yucatan and south Florida later seized by the Mixtecs in the case of the Yucatan and a botched Conquistador expedition in Chinese settled California.

-Cahokians, still extant in the ATL, are seen as haughty kings and priests ruling over their city state and allowing Native tribes displaced by the Chinese and militaristic Mesoamerican states and European traders to settle in their land, only to trick them into serfdom.

-Pacific Northwest tribes such as the Tlingit and Kwakiutl are seen as savage raiders and slave traders who interbreed with and aid Japanese wako pirate ships and let them restock in their villages and aid them in raids. They are also respected as whalers and at times, Chinese or Japanese whaling vessels seek them as captains.
 
perhaps germans would be stereotyped as efficient workers

That's not already a stereotype?

It's funny how things change, though - I remember reading some old CIA stuff from the '50s where they talked about the "notorious individualism of the Chinese people" as a reason the Communist Party would find it hard to keep control. Also that whole "Chinese X" slang from the 19th century where it meant something disorganized and poorly managed (like "Chinese Fire Drill") - it's kind of incomprehensible from today's stereotypes of China.

With greater Dutch economic power in the 20th century, the Dutch reputation for stingyness (see "Dutch treat") could be much stronger.
 

DISSIDENT

Banned
- Chimu are seen as militaristic imperialists and formidable opponents when up against other large empires, but less effective when against insurgent tribes such as their oppressed vassals the Inca and their enemies the Guarani and Mapuche.

-The English are seen as unscrupulous merchants and fortune seekers and pirates, as most English are seafaring traders or privateers in ATL. Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh both make voyages to Fusang, but neither stays too long. Later comers are either traders or failed missionaries.

-Italians are seen by the Fusangese as deceptive religious people and political manipulators due to Matteo Ricci and other Jesuits' interference in Fusang warlord kingdoms feuds, leading the Ricci's execution by a mob lead by a former Buddhist monk in OTL Monterrey, CA.
 
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