Do Americans stare more than any other people?

[dEX]

I've noticed that when I go out I always catch a few people staring at me or other people. It seems to be pretty common at a public places like a grocery store. Like if I see someone that's a bit tall or dressed differently, I will see people literally sizing them up and down with their eyes and staring for quite a long time. Of course its perfectly normal for people to look at something out of the ordinary, but I might just take a glance or two because staring for a long time seems rude to me.
Is this common in European countries or do people think it's rude as well?

[Raja]

It depends upon where you are, a stare is a challenge in many parts of America as well as the rest of the world. Since I stand out in most places outside of the Americas and Western Africa I notice stares more in other parts of the world. Especially from children who are not issuing a challenge with their stare yet.

[Falcon]

Once I took a black girl to a Filipino restaurant here in California (I'm Asian btw, and can pass as Filipino). A middle-aged Filipina woman kept turning her head around and staring at us non-stop. Now I know what black Amerasian kids in Asia have to go through everyday.

Stares can mean lots of things. It can even mean people are positively interested in you or are simply curious.

[OTB]

I was just talking about this topic tonight with my mother. However, I was talking about Bogota, Colombia. I met a Korean girl there and while we were walking around the city just hanging out people stared at her because I assume it's a rarity to see Asians in Bogota. Also, men were staring because they were checking her out. She was very attractive. So they had their reasons for staring at her. In my experience while there, I went to the gym one day and people stared at me but it was more out of curiosity. Some of the stares I received started to irritate me but I saw it as a learning experience.

Now when I was in Guadalajara, Mexico the people did not stare. That's one thing I liked about Mexico. But that was Guadalajara. It may different in other parts of the country. Although one man at an internet cafe wanted to know if I was Cuban.

What is my point? You asked do Americans stare more than any other people? I would have to say no. It really depends on where you are. People have different reasons for looking or staring at you wherever you are in the world.

[chileanueva]

American or Western culture likes direct, blunt talk and keeping eye contact. It's more straight-forward communication. But a ton of Americans don't like to look people in the eyes. It depends it can be annoying or make people uncomfortable to stare.

Asian culture values respect and authority. It's all about harmony. Being loud and aggressive is losing face. Staring at someone is impolite. Politeness is expected. Japan is the prime example of perfect manners and strict discipline.

Different culture = different mannerisms.

[Taco]

As a country, people in China stare more than anyone else and if you unzip your fly they stare even more, I found this out by accident one day. East Europeans, stare the least of any people I've met, they just look straight forward like robots and never turn their heads.

[ssjparris]

hmmmmmm...i did talk to attractive american women here in L.A. they told me they NEVER get approached. this is coming from attractive good looking american women here. but they said men stare at them all the time. haha. go figure.

as for me....i see women watching me. its always women never men. i can see them looking at me from the corner of my eyes. when i get eye contact they act like they were never looking. so they quickly look away.

if there are boobs or fat ass around then i will stare. but the women dress in very revealing clothing. showing off their curves because they are so desperate for attention.

some women try taking pictures of me in public even. the honest truth. i still don't see how i could be that good looking. my persian female friend tells me i am very handsome a top 10. i still dont see it. but yeah women take pictures of me in public.

i have gotten a little japanese boy stareing at me for the longest time. this was when i was in japan ofcourse. i guess he never saw a good looking black guy before...hmmmm.

i was flirted with by a French women on the train. WOW...it was an incredible experience. She was STARING at me for the longest time. i looked into her eyes. and she locked her eyes with me for more then a minute. a minute is a very very looong time to stare at some one. especially in the eyes.

same thing with an italian lady she was speaking on the phone in italian and her husband was next to her. she stared at me and looked into my eyes again for like a minute.

man those west european ladies are super flirtatious

so in all i think the staring can mean many different things. it could mean, i like you or " i never seen a person this black before, interesting " or " i want your boobies " or " fat whale ass ". you name it !!!.

[Array9]

I would say that Filipinos stare more than any other people I have ever been around. Not so much in Manila but in provinces where I hang out, foreigners must be rare. I don't mind when women stare at me but when guys do it, it gets annoying. Sometimes they stare then I look away and then notice them staring again a few seconds later.

[kai1275]

Chinese stare alot. In the non large major cities, they may even take a photo of you! That happened to me once. I forgot to photobomb them, next time I will.

Japanese girls stare ALOT, especially if they think you are cute. You will know that if they giggle once you smile at them. Older Japanese usually ignore others.

[anamericaninbangkok]

I'm a white American and can say that I get stared at far more here in Asia than in the US. It took some getting used to here in Thailand but now I ignore it.

Chilenueva - yes, staring at people in Asia is impolite but it doesn't stop people from doing so, at least with foreigners.