The American Image

Morocco is a confusing and dramatically diverse country. Multiple languages mingle within most utterances, and while only about 30% of the population will admit it, between 70% and 80% understand and/or speak at least one of the 3 major indigenous dialects. Contradiction and hypocrisy are inherent in Moroccan culture, which has borrowed extensively from a variety of diametrically apposed religions and cultures. A simple example; the two most influential languages of Morocco are Arabic and French. People who are familiar with Arabic know that it is a language confused by a lack of vowels. Conversely, one look at a the French translation on the back of your fancy shampoo bottle will show that French has an addiction to excessive vowel usage that is downright abusive. More complex examples exist within the unusual mixtures of Islam and indigenous ways of life. The fact is that the successful inclusion of Islam in Morocco was directly related to its ability to be flexible in terms of cultural incorporation.
The most recent ingredient to the Moroccan tagine(melting pot) of culture, is what most Americans call “globalism“. To my surprise, it turns out that in many parts of the world, this movement is called “Americanism“, and Morocco is fully exposed. As with other cultural annexing within Morocco, Americanism has created many situations which seem to lack reason. For example, while many towns lack water and electricity, and almost all rural homes have only a Turkish toilet, no sink, and no shower, most houses have a satellite dish broadcasting tens of channels in multiple languages including many of the TV shows and movies that we take for granted in the States translated into either standard Arabic or French. In fact, as I write this, “Garfield the Movie” is being broadcast in French in my living room. So how does this cultural exchange effect Moroccan perception of Mericanis(Americans)? Well there is one more important impact to consider first. You see, the Peace Corps has been serving in Morocco for almost as long as it has been in existence. It is also one of Peace Corps biggest and most successful programs. Additionally, Morocco isn’t really that big. Morocco is comparable in size to California. For these reasons, Peace Corps has been a significant influence on the Moroccan psyche regarding American culture. This is especially true in the rural areas where other cultural impact is less severe. For example, some rural villagers who have only met Americans working with the Peace Corps often believe that most Americans speak Berber as a second language. Volunteers have been asked, “Did you learn Tashlhite in high school or primary school?”. Opinions run the gambit depending on how much exposure a person has had. On our last visit to the souq, we were approached by a man on a donkey who asked us why we weren’t riding donkeys. We replied that we didn’t have donkeys to which he replied with a smirk, “Don’t you Americans own the world?“. This same perspective also makes it hard for Americans (and French) to haggle a fair price at a souq. The more privileged urban Moroccans of Rabat and other big cities have a slightly different view of Americans. They are very familiar the American lifestyle as portrayed in the media. They are also well educated about our history and politics (perhaps better than most of us), and they have witnessed, for better or for worse, the American tourist as well as numerous groups of Peace Corps volunteers traveling through for diversion. Recently, I witnessed the result of these facts. Every night, my family watches the same three shows on TV before and during dinner. The first is a Turkish melodrama dubbed in standard Arabic, the second is a Moroccan-made sitcom in darija, and the third is the nightly Moroccan news in French. A few nights ago, I entered the TV room and was surprised to hear English coming from one of the characters from the Moroccan sitcom. I watched to find that he was the American brother of the father on the show and it was clear that he was characterized as a bit of a clown. He wore slicked-back voluminous sculpted hair, a baggy bohemian-style white linen suit, and of course, some Ray-bans. He immediately started throwing the peace sign with both hands saying “Peace” to everyone he greeted. Then he lavished his sister-in-law with compliments on her beauty (which is a big no-no in Muslim culture), and he is observed stretching and lounging around the house where he seems to be an unappreciated guest. Perhaps I’m sensitive, but the more I watched, the more it seemed to me that this was a caricature of Peace Corps volunteers in Morocco. There is one scene where he finds his cousin with bloody wounds from a soccer accident and treats them by giving the boy a glass of orange juice. Before long, French police with guns storm the house and it is discovered that this American is in fact a spy. In the end, the American is saved from the French police, who also turn out to be spies, by the Moroccan police who relieve his hosts of his presence. This may seem like a stretch for an American reading this blog, but most PC volunteers are accused of being a spy before the end of their service. This is partly because we are always writing in our journals which is very unusual here. Also, the concept of volunteering does not typically exist here so they wonder what other purpose we would have for leaving our families and affluent jobs and learning there language if not to spy. Perhaps even more damning to our perception, is a lingering distrust based on a very specific historical event. When France invaded Morocco, they first sent in doctors to infiltrate villages and towns. They later used information gathered from these doctors to create a successful campaign. With that in their past, I can sympathize with Moroccan distrust. Also, I know that one of the three goals of the Peace Corps is to facilitate cross-cultural understanding and I am looking forward to being a positive example of America as many of the wonderful people I have encountered have cultivated my admiration of Morocco.