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A new hashtag is trending in South Africa as Twitter users there express their frustration with the way they're stereotyped by people in the United States. Using #AmericaCanIAsk, they're revealing the truth about what life is like for many South Africans while outing American biases in the most hilarious way possible.
The responses were gold.
#AmericaCanIAsk why do y’all steal our dance moves and act as if they belong to y’all ? https://t.co/bguCm4KRUg— Tamia Tshiamo II (@Tamia Tshiamo II) 1547203672.0
Why do u make movies about our African Heroes but U don't use our African Actors #AmericaCanIAsk https://t.co/CzdEC49JBM— Prof la Prof (@Prof la Prof) 1547201305.0
Other questions seemed to revolve more around minor cultural differences.
#AmericaCanIAsk why do y’all pronounce “Z” as “Zeeee” and not “Zet” ? https://t.co/eFynNQEnio— Tamia Tshiamo II (@Tamia Tshiamo II) 1547203546.0
Of course, many misconceptions about Africa seemed to stem from its portrayal in Hollywood movies.
#AmericaCanIAsk why do alien invasions in movies always start with y'all??? why not Ghana or Zim??? https://t.co/aFGDN1JHjl— [[_Tvkz🕊_]] (@[[_Tvkz🕊_]]) 1547203541.0
#AmericaCanIAsk Why do yall think every African is zulu? https://t.co/ExlEYvozOU— Ｄ ａ Ｂ ｈ ｏ ｚ ａ🇿🇦 (@Ｄ ａ Ｂ ｈ ｏ ｚ ａ🇿🇦) 1547202123.0
#AmericaCanIAsk are we also from overseas? https://t.co/VAEkNShRaj— Malusi February (@Malusi February) 1547201676.0
Fun fact: lions aren't easy to find.
#AmericaCanIAsk: What makes y'all think we have Lions roaming about in our Streets? https://t.co/CNfZ9kFn1I— Lebo ● (@Lebo ●) 1547201103.0
#AmericaCanIAsk why you change Amandla to Amandala, 😏😏🙄— Malusi February (@Malusi February) 1547201633.0
Of course, many of these truths vary from country to country in Africa...something many Americans ignore.
#AmericaCanIAsk Why ya'll always refer to every country in Africa as "Africa"?. Do ya'll motherfuckers know Africa is a continent? 🌍🙄🤔— Candy Heart (@Candy Heart) 1547203066.0
Some Twitter users broke out the hardcore questions:
#AmericaCanIAsk why do y'all spell colour as color https://t.co/ZNuNBCd6Tk— Blackqueen 👑 (@Blackqueen 👑) 1547205205.0
#AmericaCanIAsk do u want muthi to save your marriages and reduce divorces 😂😂😂😂— a boi is noone 🇿🇼🇿🇦🇳🇬🇰🇪🇬🇭 (@a boi is noone 🇿🇼🇿🇦🇳🇬🇰🇪🇬🇭) 1547201133.0
#AmericaCanIAsk are the people there really dumb/ignorant or it’s just a propaganda?— SomeoneYouUsedToKnow (@SomeoneYouUsedToKnow) 1547201403.0
It's time Africa got its fare share of movie madness!
#AmericaCanIAsk why do Aliens,Zombies and horrible diseases attack only your country??..we want some of that shit t… https://t.co/R9RBhPzTJ4— Bad News😎😌 (@Bad News😎😌) 1547204942.0
#AmericaCanIAsk why do you always assume we all know each other? Africa is not a country. https://t.co/k3aw6Ani1z— The Distro. (@The Distro.) 1547204615.0
Several Twitter users had a problem with the way America declares themselves "World Champions."
#AmericaCanIAsk, why do you call yourselves "World Champions" in sports that only You participate in? https://t.co/092pcmnqme— @TommyShuta (@@TommyShuta) 1547205754.0
#AmericaCanIAsk why do you invent sports that only you play like football and baseball bese you claim to be "world… https://t.co/jA6ODK4acY— Lungsta (@Lungsta) 1547204105.0
#AmericaCanIAsk how come when your artists do "World Tours", they don't come to Africa? Noma you guys use a differe… https://t.co/3PwBOeziU1— Nelisile (@Nelisile) 1547202198.0
Several African Twitter users found themselves asking the same questions we ask ourselves every day.
#AmericaCanIAsk what was the thinking behind voting for this guy to be president? https://t.co/7DV7gRs2sn— #ReadTIE #PowerWithinWrites (@#ReadTIE #PowerWithinWrites) 1547200866.0
Hopefully we can all continue using the internet to better understand each other's cultures, instead of just for dumb memes. Fingers crossed!