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Black Americans travel less than White Americans in general, so it's not surprising that you see mostly white tourists. This is probably due to them being poorer on average than whites, and probably some cultural factors as well.
Stereotypical destinations that blacks do go to include Las Vegas and Jamaica.
Personally, I am white, from an almost all-white community, and have never knew anybody but my Spanish instructors from college and high school, and groups of students they have led to go to Mexico City - and this is a place where it's very common to say you've been to Mexico, even if you are working-class. Popular destinations in Mexico for locals are places like Cancun, Puerto Penasco, the Maya Riviera, Puerto Vallarta, etc. - coastal resort towns where vacationers (both international and increasingly domestic) go to relax. Only the more serious travelers venture farther into the interior of Mexico. Those serious travelers tend to be young or from the upper middle class.
Are you not aware that there are far more whites on welfare than blacks? There are still more white people in the U.S. than any other group(for now) and so for many statistics, you're going to come up with more whites than blacks.
As o the OP, I just haven't gotten around to Mexico yet; while I'd like to go, I'm not sure when I will. I have been to Canada a few times. I've been to some Caribbean islands. I've been to England. I've seen most of the United States. My husband's been to Mexico repeatedly. My very best friend moved to Guadalajara for school.
I was going to visit her, but she told me not to. She said the cops and he gangs were out of control, and she couldn't wait to come home. In fact, she is coming early. She fled to Chicago to study for and take her boards, and will transfer to a school that will send her to an American hospital for her internship. She asked me to tap into my network and help her get interviews in inner-city emergency rooms, which is where she'd like to end up. She loved Mexico at first, but now she never says the word Mexico. She always says, "this f***ing hole". For her, due to bombings in her area and near her school, and in a bar she had just left, the place has lost all of its charm. Her Spanish is fantastic though. Really clean-sounding.
The type of Spanish spoken by Mexicans I have engagd in lengthy conversation (very wealthy tourists) is one of the reasons I would like to go. I just like the way it hits my ear. I didn't like these people. (They were wasteful, frivolous fools for the most part, but so were all of my customers where I used to work, regardless of nationality). Still, I sure loved the way they spoke Spanish, and appreciated their patience with mine.
Pictures of Mexico are breathtaking. I want to visit ruins, and cities, and countryside alike. Just... maybe after the drug war chillaxes a little bit again. The violence my homegirl has been through has scared her senseless. Cops tried to steal her truck. She has to pretend to only speak English to stop paying bribes. Before she figured out she could play dumb, she kept a whole separate wallet for "buying lunch" for cops. Disgusting. Anyway, I don't know anyone who hasn't ever been. I'm the last holdout, but until recently, it hadn't been deliberate.
Are you not aware that there are far more whites on welfare than blacks? There are still more white people in the U.S. than any other group(for now) and so for many statistics, you're going to come up with more whites than blacks.
As o the OP, I just haven't gotten around to Mexico yet; while I'd like to go, I'm not sure when I will. I have been to Canada a few times. I've been to some Caribbean islands. I've been to England. I've seen most of the United States. My husband's been to Mexico repeatedly. My very best friend moved to Guadalajara for school.
I was going to visit her, but she told me not to. She said the cops and he gangs were out of control, and she couldn't wait to come home. In fact, she is coming early. She fled to Chicago to study for and take her boards, and will transfer to a school that will send her to an American hospital for her internship. She asked me to tap into my network and help her get interviews in inner-city emergency rooms, which is where she'd like to end up. She loved Mexico at first, but now she never says the word Mexico. She always says, "this f***ing hole". For her, due to bombings in her area and near her school, and in a bar she had just left, the place has lost all of its charm. Her Spanish is fantastic though. Really clean-sounding.
The type of Spanish spoken by Mexicans I have engagd in lengthy conversation (very wealthy tourists) is one of the reasons I would like to go. I just like the way it hits my ear. I didn't like these people. (They were wasteful, frivolous fools for the most part, but so were all of my customers where I used to work, regardless of nationality). Still, I sure loved the way they spoke Spanish, and appreciated their patience with mine.
Pictures of Mexico are breathtaking. I want to visit ruins, and cities, and countryside alike. Just... maybe after the drug war chillaxes a little bit again. The violence my homegirl has been through has scared her senseless. Cops tried to steal her truck. She has to pretend to only speak English to stop paying bribes. Before she figured out she could play dumb, she kept a whole separate wallet for "buying lunch" for cops. Disgusting. Anyway, I don't know anyone who hasn't ever been. I'm the last holdout, but until recently, it hadn't been deliberate.
Hello, im not trying to generalize, but american travelers in mexico are almost white. I live in Mexico City, on a crowded area for international tourists(Chapultepec & Polanco).
I always try to listen the accent of all the tourists that visit us, and in most of cases i listen american and french accents.
In Mexico City and other areas of Mexico is very hard to african-american tourists, even mexican-american(not visiting their relatives).
Do african-americans have different perspectives when they plan a trip?
I don't know many statistics, so I will try and make some educated guesses.
First and primary you live in a vast city. Americans do not like to vacation in cities for the most part, although many Europeans regularly visit cities around the world.
Second, most Americans of any race, are terrified of Mexico City. The ones that are not are more than likely on business, or they are interested in the educational and historic aspects of Mexico City.
Third, be aware that half the Black population of the USA lives in the former confederate states. Much of the other half lives in an urban environment. While Americans in general dislike cities, most people who live in cities particularly don't want to go to another city. The people in the south who are both black and less likely to live in a city are not as likely to want to go to a largely white city on vacation.
Fourth, there are probably not as many black people in America as you may think. Only one person in 8 is black or African American.
Black Population Percent Black
1 New York 3,400,757 17% 2 Florida 3,141,840 16%
3 Texas 3,138,725 12%
4 Georgia 3,044,658 31%
5 California 2,504,790 7% 6 North Carolina 2,121,228 22% 7 Illinois 1,905,730 15%
8 Maryland 1,749,143 30% 9 Virginia 1,599,850 20%
10 Louisiana 1,482,004 32% 11 Pennsylvania 1,443,659 11%
12 Ohio 1,432,940 12%
13 Michigan 1,417,079 14% 14 South Carolina 1,315,076 28%
15 New Jersey 1,289,292 15% 16 Alabama 1,271,695 26%
17 Mississippi 1,111,856 37% 18 Tennessee 1,082,904 17%
19 Missouri 703,954 12%
20 Indiana 610,595 9%
21 Massachusetts 512,134 8% 22 Arkansas 457,736 16%
...
26 District of Columbia 313,106 51%
...
33 Delaware 198,709 22%
I don't know many statistics, so I will try and make some educated guesses.
First and primary you live in a vast city. Americans do not like to vacation in cities for the most part, although many Europeans regularly visit cities around the world.
Second, most Americans of any race, are terrified of Mexico City. The ones that are not are more than likely on business, or they are interested in the educational and historic aspects of Mexico City.
Third, be aware that half the Black population of the USA lives in the former confederate states. Much of the other half lives in an urban environment. While Americans in general dislike cities, most people who live in cities particularly don't want to go to another city. The people in the south who are both black and less likely to live in a city are not as likely to want to go to a largely white city on vacation.
Fourth, there are probably not as many black people in America as you may think. Only one person in 8 is black or African American.
Black Population Percent Black
1 New York 3,400,757 17% 2 Florida 3,141,840 16% 3 Texas 3,138,725 12% 4 Georgia 3,044,658 31%
5 California 2,504,790 7% 6 North Carolina 2,121,228 22%
7 Illinois 1,905,730 15%
8 Maryland 1,749,143 30% 9 Virginia 1,599,850 20% 10 Louisiana 1,482,004 32%
11 Pennsylvania 1,443,659 11%
12 Ohio 1,432,940 12%
13 Michigan 1,417,079 14% 14 South Carolina 1,315,076 28%
15 New Jersey 1,289,292 15% 16 Alabama 1,271,695 26% 17 Mississippi 1,111,856 37% 18 Tennessee 1,082,904 17%
19 Missouri 703,954 12%
20 Indiana 610,595 9%
21 Massachusetts 512,134 8% 22 Arkansas 457,736 16%
...
26 District of Columbia 313,106 51%
...
33 Delaware 198,709 22%
I travel to Cancun on an annual basis and NEVER see any Black people there. The same with the beach resort towns on Mexico's West Coast. Yes, I know blacks only are 13% of the population and racism and poverty may drop the traveling percentage in half but I don't even see the 6% at all in Mexico. Why not?
Are you not aware that there are far more whites on welfare than blacks? There are still more white people in the U.S. than any other group(for now) and so for many statistics, you're going to come up with more whites than blacks.
Indeed, but blacks still make up a significant minority in the U.S., about 15% or so. If what he saw was truly proportional, about one in six or seven tourists to his city would be black.
Simetime, I think you probably wouldn't enjoy Mexico anyway, regardless of your color. When you go with a lot of preconceptions about a group of people, and certain expectations and somewhat of a chip on your shoulder... it generally doesn't make for the best trips.
If you ever decide to take a trip down here, make sure to come with an open mind and thick skin. Mexicans will call you "negro" or "negrito" and it is not offensive or derogatory. Most Mexicans celebrated when president Obama won, many little Mexican girls admire Michelle Obama, and like I said earlier, one of our national heroes, Vicente Guerrero (an entire state is named after him) was black. Toña la Negra was a well-known singer... even several Novelas cast black people as primary and secondary characters
But we are very light-hearted about race. To us, we are aware of the racist history of the U.S. but are not aware of the consciousness of it. We say stupid stuff all the time that is interpreted as derogatory in the U.S. We call people "prieto" (dark-skinned) "negro"(black)... but we also call people "gordo"(fat) and "Chato"(flat faced).... I think this is where black people that just get their feet in Mexican culture get spooked by. For instance, if you're black, and you're not a good dancer, we will wonder out loud what is wrong with you.
There is bigotry, but it's not pervaside. And that is usually with the older generations.
But like I said, you may not be ready for it. You will stick out... so if you want a place where you blend in, and where people might admire you more for being an American, the Caribbean is probably your best bet
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