why are we looked on as so rich here in North America?

Even if you are a middle class in US you can afford to buy cars and properties but unlike here in the Philippines that you need to be rich or go abroad to be able to afford that. They said that life in US is hard but you can earn big if you persevere and work hard. There are so many Filipinos migrated in the US for greener pasture. The life of Americans is much better to us and we are too far to be able to be a called rich.

Well my first thoughts are "because we are" compared to other countries, we are rich, our life is so much easier than it is in other countries. If you were to visit some of the countries you mentioned you would see the difference. I moved to Mexico 9 years ago and the life there, although is getting better for some, is truly tragic. I consider my life in the USA as a blessing. The poverty is caused by a vicious cycle of schooling, in my opinion. The parents are usually uneducated and they have children, they need to help the family, earn money ASAP, so the kids are not able to go to school and learn the basics to get a half way decent job. Unfortunately this cycle gets repeated over and over. This what I've seen in my time there, anyway, and fortunately for my family there I was able to intercede and break that cycle, and I'm happy to say they are all doing great! tdemex!

yep that is how everyone feels, I was married to a man from barbados, every week his family would write they wanted this and they wanted that, we were just barely making it ourselves, they didn't understand we didn't have the extra money we were young 21 years old and just married with a baby to support. We didn't have a money tree outside our windows. But lots of people go back to their native lands and boast about what they got in north america and half the time it is not true.

I think the early immigrants were so busy fleeing excruciating poverty and in some cases things worse than poverty, that they really didn't think too much about getting rich. Freedom was probably the important thing to them. Freedom to live and worship as they chose and the right to bequeath those things to their children probably counted for a lot more than wealth. I often wonder what would have happened to us if our ancestors had not fled. My greatgrandfather fled Prussia and came to this country illegally. If he'd stayed there, his descendents would have lived at the heart of Nazi Germany. I'm just glad that we were spared that nightmare.

The USA has in it's history long been seen as a Pioneering "Land of Opportunity" by immigrants from all over the world,a place to make a fresh start for Yourself and Your family..A place to go when things had gone wrong for Yourself or in Your country,a blank slate to start over..Here in Ireland,there can't be many families who don't have relatives or ancestors who'd left for a New life in America..Ellis Island has the historical record of many of those who did,and the Number of Illegals living there today (wherever they come from!)maybe shows working there despite the option of being booted out and denied a return still has it's attractions..Any Relatives I've met or their descendants who returned from the States to visit had made their money,or were successful in what they'd done,so the image of the "Rich Yank Tourist" has something behind it.."Old" Folk music songs still popularly sung here (In the "Oirish" Bars,perhaps under the influence of much Guinness,though I doubt if they're as old as the events they mention!)tell stories about the 1849 Gold rush,and returning emigrants who'd made their pile..The Grass Is always greener on the other side...It's part of our Nature to go looking for something better than what we have already,and as Lottery winners have discovered,Begging letters are a part of that...

Well, compared to our country which is a third world country, your country in comparison is really richer than ours, plus it is more powerful and modernized. countries like ours is way behind your country, so many are suffering from malnutrition and in terms of production your country produces better products and raw materials are cheaper like raw materials in building houses and the likes. That is why many perceived your place to be really really nice. and if you look at your place it way better..but still for me even if my country is not that rich, there is no place like home. :D

I was three years old when we came to Canada, and we went into the same situation as we did when we left. We were working middle class, and that is what we did, live in the same neighborhood, but I heard that others who came thought life would be easy. With us it was the same and I think that it was for most. If you came from a farm, you bought land in the country, etc. If you were a city person, you moved to a city. But those on the other end, those who live back in the old country only see what is on Tv. unless they are happening watching a show based in New York City where the guy goes into his dingy apartment instead of a show in Calofornia where you drive up with your Rolls Royce and they happen to have to open the gate for you. I think it is what is portrayed. They are getting a bit more realistic, but right now it gives people the wrong impression of what is going on.

Hi cher, I think it was because the rich travelled a lot and these were the only people they saw from North America. Also some of those who came over did will compared to what they had seen in their homeland. I'm sure too that there were some very glamorous pictures. Blessings.

It isn't always easy to feel rich. After all, the bills come in and make it hard. But, at the same time...when we complain about not being rich we usually mean having a hard time paying the car bill and the gas bill on time. Maybe our mortgage is late. Or worse yet we can't buy something that we really want. All in all, most Americans have it pretty good. Our troubles are much less then those in other countries. Sure...there are people here who have it bad, really bad (not just not as good as we would like), but these people are much less then most other countries.

Hey cher! I guess compared to the way they live we have it so much better here! Even those of us who can barely make ends meet look rich in comparison to the people in Africa and parts of India! They want to come here because they have heard things! So they think that compared to what they have, which in some cases is nothing, not even enough food to eat has got to be better than what they have! They don't understand that life isn't perfect here and the money isn't really flowing like they imagine, but to them it is!

Because America is the land of the Free and the Home of the brave. America is a land of opportunity and the chance of you getting rich in America is much higher than in the third world countries. The same job in America pays almost four or five times more than the same job in a third world country. Plus your living standards are way better, you have ready made medical supplies, the gvt give you pensions, you can afford to get a home loan, you can drive four cars etc.. in Africa for example its a luxury to even have a car. Living standards are not as up to date as in America so yes from a person living in the third world country, America is the answer to their dream beign rich..

if you rich in North america, maybe not in other countries cause differ countries means differ economic situations. In my area someone who has a car must be a rich man, but when he goes to other area is usual things

i think americans are a nice people but 1 thing dont ever grow old unless you are very rich, also americans think they are better than what they are, i bet the romans thought they were great as well before they fell lololololo