I remember coming home from our summer vacations in Jerusalem.
You could smell the rain at JFK as you walked through the jet bridge. We were exhausted from the 10+ hour flight. We had already missed the first few days of school, and most of the time we were heading back the very next day, no matter how jet-lagged we were.
If you’ve ever flown internationally, there’s a different path that leads you to customs. And every time I reached that point, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Welcome to the United States of America.”
An American flag stood on each side of the sign.
As a child, it always filled me with pride.
What’s sad is that national pride has changed over the years. Politics, government policies, and social media have shaped how people view America, often leading to criticism and stereotypes. Even an episode of “The Simpsons” showed Lisa slapping a Canadian sticker on her backpack when they traveled overseas.
Americans are rude.
Americans are stupid.
Americans are fat.
The truth is, I can find rude, stupid, and overweight people in any country I visit.
One of the things I love most about the FIFA World Cup 2026 isn’t just the competition. (Not to say the games haven’t been exciting because I’ve jumped out of my seat more times this week than in any Super Bowl.)
It’s watching people from around the world experience America for themselves.
Over the last week, I’ve watched videos of Scottish lads singing in bars, a French visitor praising air conditioning and ice cubes in our drinks, and tourists laughing as they walk through Costco for the first time. One visitor joked that a national park in Alaska was larger than Great Britain, which is made up of three countries. Another was amazed by free refills. A Brit stood in awe of our passion for college sports. I don’t think he realized that for some Americans, college athletics are bigger than professional sports.
The accents, the reactions, and the amazement have been entertaining. But what made me most proud was hearing visitors talk about the acceptance, hospitality, and friendliness they experienced.
For too long, America has had a bad reputation in many corners of the world.
Don’t get me wrong—we have a lot of work to do.
But for a few weeks, millions of visitors are seeing something that often gets lost in headlines and political debates. They’re seeing the everyday America—the neighbor who offers directions, the stranger who starts a conversation, the cashier who asks how your day is going, or the waiter that shows you the right way to eat juicy ribs: with your hands.
My hope is that this feeling lasts beyond the World Cup.
I’ve always been proud to be an American, and I’m grateful that so many visitors are getting the chance to see who we really are.
We’re not the cast of Beverly Hills 90210.
We eat more than just McDonald’s.
We need an airplane to get from Los Angeles to New York.
And yes, it’s hot in the summer.
