America seen from abroad: arrogant, nice, tech-savvy, free

BANGKOK (AP) — The rest of the world may think Americans eat a lot of burgers, have huge shopping malls and are ruled by an arrogant government.

Americans are also seen from afar as generous tippers, friendly, uncomplicated, rich and the standard bearers of freedom, equality, creativity and technological power.

While many Americans feel their nation is divided as never before, a sampling of the rest of the world reflects a more charitable view.

EDITOR'S NOTE — This story is part of Divided America, AP's ongoing exploration of the economic, social and political divisions in American society.

Yet, America's admirers have felt betrayed by other shades of the American character: the military interventions in Vietnam, Iraq and elsewhere; the gun violence; the right (inexplicable to many) to carry weapons; the deep and angry racial divisions; and, lately, a presidential nominee calling for harsh restrictions on Muslims and Mexicans.

The Associated Press sent reporters across the world to ask ordinary people about their views of America.

[...] in the opinions that came back, some clear threads emerge, anecdotal yet illuminating.

Overweight people, Donald Trump, elections, shootings. —

— "Everything in America is high tech!" — B.S. Mehta, 34, health insurance agent, New Delhi.

— "Probably capitalism, but I see it more as freedom ... that every person can do what he wants, when he wants — true freedom, but it costs a lot I think, and sometimes it brings you lower than takes you higher." —

[...] (the people) don't have much to do with the government's political decisions but I do think that it is a big, powerful country that has always tried to dominate countries it doesn't favor. —

[...] it's a country with quite advanced technology industries.

— "America is a country that produces a massive amount of cultural output such as Hollywood movies, music and many other (forms of) entertainment." —

— "My image of America is a country that goes to war anywhere in the world," — Susumu Inoue, 82, retired agricultural lab technician, Tokyo.

The fellow in line asked me in a very American accent, 'Y'all can't get what in the States?' I explained it was a joke, I was from Canada.

Shopping malls, meals, people, cars.

— I had a roommate ... a Californian, when I was in Korea as a college exchange student.

He also emptied my friend's fridge, saying he's used to eating and drinking whenever he feels hungry or thirsty.

Interpersonal relations among Americans are much more practical, in contrast to the complicated way that we Chinese people treat each other. —

Li Jiaqi, 23, college student in U.S., renewing his visa in Beijing.

— I think everyone is very tolerant there, in a way that there are all kinds of people, whether from different ethnicities, different countries, different religions.

All of the Trump stuff in the U.S. has been depressing ... you would like to think people are smarter than that ... but definitely surprising and depressing to see how much support he has and how much support his ideas have. —

There are no Americans as such.

Because there is no such ethnicity.

— "My definition of Americans is those who are cheerful, friendly and willing to communicate." —

Associated Press journalists Charmaine Noronha in Toronto, Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, Mauricio Cuevas in Havana, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, Chris Bodeen in Beijing, Thomas Cytrynowicz in New Delhi, Moshe Edri in Jerusalem, Mohammad Aouti in Beirut and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.