Funny thing is, I usually associate brass arrangements with France (I’ve almost started threads as to why this is the case, cuz I don’t know). The few times I’ve heard something meant to evoke France it’s been more along the lines of fanfare. Street-cafe accordian to me would evoke Italy.
There’s also Good, Bad, and the Ugly.
For hillbilly, I’ve more often heard “Turkey in the Straw” on the fiddle.
“Danny Boy” seems to be the stereotypical Irish tenor song.
I was just wondering that too. But I’d bet on Yankee Doodle Dandy or some cowboy music.
If I remember anything from my Music class, it’s that some musical scales—like the harmonic minor “arabian” scale, or the Chinese pentatonic scale—can themselves be mistaken for or used as ethnic-sounding “tunes,” in the right context.
Ranchoth
(That, and I learned that a surprising number of composers died after going insane. But that’s neither here or there.)
“Bad guy comin’ in, Arnie! Minor key!”
Sadly, many music teachers will tell you such things. There’s another thread somewhere about teacher’s ignorance regarding Columbus. If they got that one wrong, then who could expect a knowledge of ethnomusicology? Arabic and Chinese music each have their own tonal systemts, quite unlike a harmonic minor or pentatonic scale. If those scales ‘sound Chinese’ to us, it’s because of our perceptions, nor because of the scales.
It was all Syphilis. Spread by Clara Schumann. That’s why they never told you the details 
Yeah, I could see Yankee Doodle (in the Bugs Bunny tradition with just the flute and drum) and I’ve heard Dueling Banjos for the south (often used disparagingly for the “inbred redneck” kind of stereotype).
That would be The Streets of Cairo .
Um…isn’t that what I just said?
Well, if not, it’s what I intended. And it’s what the teacher said, as a matter of fact. (Though since we were focusing on western music.)
Sorry, yes, I misread you. 
For Native Americans, TV, movies and cartoons used to give us the “Indian war chant” as still used today by Atlanta Braves and Florida State fans.
That “slow-movin’ ponies (or burros) music” in Westerns and parodies of Westerns, particularly cartoons, is the “On the Trail” movement from Ferde Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite.
I think the word people are looking for is a motif.
A motif is something entirely different. It’s an identifiable feature (melodic, harmonic, rhythmic or whatever), often very small and simple, which is developed and elaborated through a composition. No matter how identifiable the Kung Fu Fighting ‘Chinese’ tune is, I’ve never heard it used as a motif. (Of course, I’m prepared to be corrected, and would be fascinated to hear the results…)
Hey, what about the Italians? A mandoline[no, not the kitchen gadget, the musical instrument] playing anyone of a number of easily-recognizable “street songs”[Santa Lucia, Return to Sorrento, Funiculi Funicula, etc. Heck, I wonder what “Danny Boy” would sound like on a mandoline] is quite stereotypical. Think of any of several scenes in the movie “Moonstruck.”
Italian music-perhaps “Oh Sole Mio” or “Tarantella”?
A couple more Mexican cliches, besides La Cucaracha, are the Mexican Hat Dance and Cielito Lindo.
Och, if ye hear ‘Scotland the Brave’ ye know there soon be Scottish people aboot!
Speaking of aboot, what do you suppose is Canada’s theme? Not the the flapping heads and beady little eyes don’t give them away visually. 
Coo roo coo coo, coo coo coo coo
ps - we don’t say “aboot”. We say “abowt” and Americans say “Abaaht”
