History Main / HomegrownHero

* [[EnforcedTrope Enforced]] in ''Literature/{{Gate}}'', where - when an inter-dimensional portal leading to a [[StandardFantasySetting fantasy world]] appears in Ginza, the Japanese state goes out of their way to keep the world's other nations (including allies such as the US) out.

* Film/TheThing2011: In a polar research station filled to the brim with Norwegians, of course the sole American is the hero.

* Brutally subverted in ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine''. The protagonist, an American spec-ops soldier, heads into a post-sandstorm Dubai expecting to play this trope straight, but his attempts to help out end up making things worse for the locals.

* [[Creator/DanBrown Dan Brown's]] ''[[Literature/TheDaVinciCode Robert]]'' ''[[Literature/AngelsAndDemons Langdon]]'' ''[[Literature/DanBrownsInferno Series]]'' can be summed up as 'an American scholar runs around Europe and uncovers [[AncientConspiracy Ancient Conspiracies]] left and right'.

* ''Film/VantagePoint'': The US President is blown up during a visit to Salamanca, Spain [[spoiler: Well, his body double does.]]. The other leads are an American bodyguard, an American newscaster, an American ''tourist'', and some Spanish cop.

* ''Film/VantagePoint'': The US President gets blown up during a visit to Salamanca. The other leads are an American bodyguard, an American newscaster, and American ''tourist'', and some Spanish cop respectively.

* ''Literature/PatriotGames'': A CIA agent goes to the UK [[BusmansHoliday in his spare time]], saves Prince Charles' life, and subsequently gets himself into a lot of [[TheTroubles Troubles with the IRA]].

* In ''Film/BridgeOnTheRiverKwai'', the secondary protagonist (who is the only one to escape ''and'' return to destroy the titular bridge) happens to be the only American soldier in the otherwise British-dominated POW camp. Needless to say, he used to be British in the original book.

* ''Film/{{Gojira}}'' had an all-Japanese cast. When it was dubbed and reedited as ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters'' for American audiences, a subplot was added about an American journalist reporting on Godzilla's rampage.

* ''Series/StarTrek'' is a classic example: a multi-planetary FictionalUnitedNations ship is being commanded by the American Captain Kirk. In the wider franchise, of the five lead captains, only Jean-Luc Picard was not an American.

* ''Series/StarTrek'' is a classic example: a multi-planetary FictionalUnitedNations ship is being commanded by the American Captain Kirk.

In ''Fanfic/ChrysalisVisitsTheHague'', the protagonist lawyer is German-Swiss... And since the author himself is German, it's not difficult to see why that is.

* ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'': Set in the titular Moroccan city during WorldWarII, where refugees from all of Europe gather to escape ThoseWackyNazis - and the main character is the American expatriate who runs the local nightclub.

Needless to say, this very often intersects with various other tropes of the same bent, such as, the WhiteMaleLead, the TokenWhite, the WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant, the VanillaProtagonist, the StandardizedLeader, LeadYouCanRelateTo, AmericaWonWorldWarII and AmericaSavesTheDay, and ButNotTooForeign. Naturally, UnfortunateImplications tend to abound that range from CreatorProvincialism, over WeAllLiveInAmerica, all the way to genuine (though ultimately [[MisplacedNationalism misplaced]]) PatrioticFervour.\\

Needless to say, this very often intersects with various other tropes of the same bent, such as, the WhiteMaleLead, the WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant, the VanillaProtagonist, the StandardizedLeader, LeadYouCanRelateTo, AmericaWonWorldWarII and AmericaSavesTheDay, and ButNotTooForeign. Naturally, UnfortunateImplications tend to abound that range from CreatorProvincialism, over WeAllLiveInAmerica, all the way to genuine (though ultimately [[MisplacedNationalism misplaced]]) PatrioticFervour.\\

The reason any foreign setting will feature a familiar spirit is so that there'll be ''someone'' that the author - or, more commonly, the intended TargetAudience - will be able [[AudienceSurrogate to hold on to and navigate by]] (either that or because the producers [[ViewersAreMorons wouldn't trust them to care for the story if there were no fellow countrymen involved]]). Alternately, this could be a mere effect of budget restraints - not everyone can afford to include (''decent'') foreign parts, particularly not for leading characters.

* ''Film/VantagePoint'': The US President gets blown up during a visit to Salamanca. The other leads are an American bodyguard, an American newscaster, and American tourist, and some Spanish cop respectively.

[[TheStinger ...And this trope]] [[RunningGag just happens to be American]].

-->-- '''''VideoGame/MaxPayne III''''', [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] this trope in Brazil.

* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' III is about everyone's favourite [[NewYorkCityCops New York cop]] moving his 'practices' to Sao Paolo, Brazil.

* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' lampshades the trope, despite not being an example itself (being a Japanese game with an American protagonist): The US President's daughter is kidnapped to a Spanish speaking {{Ruritania}} and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 Leon Kennedy]] (now a secret service agent) is sent to rescue her. The villains enjoy taunting him over how things won't turn out "like your American action movies".

'''Alvaro Neves:''' *''SarcasticClapping''* Well done with your effort. The whole city is grateful, the Great American Saviour of the Poor.\\

* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' lampshades the trope, despite not being an example itself (being a Japanese game with an American protagonist): [[ThePresidentsDaughter The US President's daughter]] is kidnapped to a Spanish speaking {{Ruritania}} and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 Leon Kennedy]] (now a secret service agent) is sent to rescue her. The villains enjoy taunting him over how things won't turn out "like your American action movies".

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' sure seems to have a thing for British assistants on his galaxy-saving travels.