postsemgirl, I grew up out of town (in the midwest), and I did encounter some of that in seminary in e”Y. I think people meant well but just didn’t know better, so they made ignorant comments. In seminary, when someone was traveling to the US, we’d give the person letters to mail to our parents. Once I wanted to send a letter but had no stamp, so I asked another student if I could borrow one. She said, “I wish I could, but I have no stamps for your city.”
Keep in mind, though, that many Americans know little about their own country.