Actually, my experience has been that if you are asked if you're an American, the best answer is "NO, I'm a Canadian" (nobody dislikes Canadians), from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. You work at a steel mill there (Soo Steel) and you're vacationing in France, tracking down your ancestral heritage.

If they think you're an American, then they have found the target that they are looking for. Also, Never wear white tennis shoes or sneakers, it marks you as an American.