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I learned my lesson, long ago, when doing some foreign travel, particularly to Latin America not to be truthful about the city I lived in. Too many have seen movies of Las Vegas and they think I live a similar lifetstyle. So, I switched to saying: I'm from Tucson, Arizona!
Way back in the 1980's, I was traveling around Greece, I was in a market in Athens, contemplating a purchase, the salesmen asked where I was from and I said Minneapolis, Minnesota (where I lived at the time) and the response: People in Minneapolis have lots of money! Well, I won't argue that there's lots of money in Minneapolis and Fortune 500 companies, but it made me wonder: Do they research parts of the world to gauge who could potentially have money and not have money?
I was visiting my mother in Rochester, MN, was out at a department store, to buy her some clothes, my mother told the clerk I was her son visiting from Las Vegas, and she said: Yeah! People from Las Vegas have money!
Sometimes, just saying you're from the U.S. can trigger that!
How about you? Have you learned to disguise where you live while traveling? Any incidents of stereotyping?
On my honeymoon this past September, I was racially profiled about 4 times at different airports. At least. Probably another handful of times. I'm Hispanic, but based on the color of my skin, I could be confused with African American, Middle Eastern etc. The first time it was funny, but then when it kept happening I just started to get annoyed.
My boyfriend is east Indian and when we're in Mexico he is taken for Mexican...which is fine until he is expected to know Spanish. We got stopped for a very minor traffic violation and basically got shook down for $50...which is not a big deal but the officer was getting ticked trying to talk to my bf...I finally told bf to just tell them you are east Indian otherwise they just think you're being a smarta$$ and we'll never make our flight back!
When he's traveled alone he can easily be mistaken for middle eastern, especially with a beard - he's definitely been treated poorly on some of those occasions.
I learned my lesson, long ago, when doing some foreign travel, particularly to Latin America not to be truthful about the city I lived in. Too many have seen movies of Las Vegas and they think I live a similar lifetstyle. So, I switched to saying: I'm from Tucson, Arizona!
Way back in the 1980's, I was traveling around Greece, I was in a market in Athens, contemplating a purchase, the salesmen asked where I was from and I said Minneapolis, Minnesota (where I lived at the time) and the response: People in Minneapolis have lots of money! Well, I won't argue that there's lots of money in Minneapolis and Fortune 500 companies, but it made me wonder: Do they research parts of the world to gauge who could potentially have money and not have money?
I was visiting my mother in Rochester, MN, was out at a department store, to buy her some clothes, my mother told the clerk I was her son visiting from Las Vegas, and she said: Yeah! People from Las Vegas have money!
Sometimes, just saying you're from the U.S. can trigger that!
How about you? Have you learned to disguise where you live while traveling? Any incidents of stereotyping?
Stereotyping of tourists is a way of life for shopkeepers and touts in most popular destinations worldwide. Some folks just see tourists as a walking ATM machine and it's hard to argue with them when some Americans are so careless with their money. Why sell for $10 when you can get $25. In most of Asia, there is no custom of tipping but of course Tourists think they are helping their waiter by tipping - like somehow it works like the US. Pay with credit and they give you a tip line - leave a tip and the restaurant gets it not the server. Even in places where you leave cash it is usually taken.
In Latin America, I have had folks yell out "Gringo, propina por favor" just because of my looks
I went to China with a Chinese friend and I was attracting a crowd of sellers in Tienanmen Sq who would simply not react to my "No", "No thanks" and keep pushing their wares even as I walked away. My Chinese friend tried talking to them in in Mandarin and their response was to say "Stop hogging the foreigner to yourself" which made me laugh as it never occurred to any of them we were friends.
In Peru, see me coming and the drug offers come out. No, no, no but that must be a negotiating tactic so still they keep coming.
I was in Berlin with my wife. The waitress spoke english. We were at a sushi restaurant . We asked for Saki and Beer to have ski bombs. The waitress asked what are saki bombs? We explained to her what they were. She goes, "Oh I know what those are, Thats so American."
On my honeymoon this past September, I was racially profiled about 4 times at different airports. At least. Probably another handful of times. I'm Hispanic, but based on the color of my skin, I could be confused with African American, Middle Eastern etc. The first time it was funny, but then when it kept happening I just started to get annoyed.
yep - vacationed in Maine. Was asked by one of the restaurant patrons to bring more plates to their table. Dude - did you even notice we were not dressed like the other employees? Other examples but too many to list - lol.
Yea as a white guy I've been stereotyped as being rich. A number of times I was targeted for bribes, including even just getting through immigration at one international airport. The native of the country I was with, after it happened so many times, told me to keep out of sight while she negotiated prices for x, y and z.
I've also been approached a number of times in certain types of store if I can help out (as an employee). It only happens in some types of stores - I guess I look like the standard white guy.
I got profiled, stopped and my vehicle searched many years ago when I was driving across the country.
Evidently, I fit the profile of a drug courier, out of state, young male traveling by himself.
The Trooper did help me reload my car once he figured out I wasn't.
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Well, I won't argue that there's lots of money in Minneapolis and Fortune 500 companies, but it made me wonder: Do they research parts of the world to gauge who could potentially have money and not have money?
