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I have noticed that mainly it is White European or White American people that travel to other countries in higher numbers.
Recently I heard from a Filipino American friend of mines about how when he went to Argentina, people were a bit shocked to see him claim himself as an American.
Now I know that as Westerners and Americans we are a bit ahead in terms of how we view people. Yet, I have noticed that when American minorities (Black or Asian or Hispanic Americans) travel abroad their experience is different in some cases.
So to all people on here who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, or not White, how has your experiencing traveling to different countries been?
Recently I heard from a Filipino American friend of mines about how when he went to Argentina, people were a bit shocked to see him claim himself as an American.
That attitude is the norm in Asia as well. Looks define citizenship there. This has always bothered me. Although Hong Kong seems to be different, but they're wealthier and not as traditional.
You're Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese etc. if you look like one. Dosen't matter where you were born or how many generations your family has been there. You're never gonna be American, German, Italian, Canadian etc.
It's not a big deal if you've got confidence.
That reaction is the norm in Asia as well. Looks define citizenship there. This has always bothered me. Although Hong Kong seems to be different, but they're wealthier and not as traditional.
You're Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese etc. if you look like one. Dosen't matter where you were born or how many generations your family has been there. You're never gonna be American, German, Italian, Canadian etc.
It's not a big deal if you've got confidence.
so say someone like sanjay gupta would not be considered american there?
I was in China with an American black female colleague. She was treated by locals as a novelty and many of them stopped her in the street and wanted to take a photo with her.
so say someone like sanjay gupta would not be considered american there?
Probably not. I've seen and heard this many times. Still pisses me off, but then I'll just tell myself how underdeveloped and stupid they are.. maybe it's not their fault and they don't know any better.
:Like, I'm following this one athlete on facebook. He's half European and half Asian. Every time he posts something, a bunch of people from that Asian country posts crap like that... that he's one of them, belongs to them, thankful to "have him as their own"[sic], etc. They don't seem to be able to grasp that he was born in Europe, his mom is European, he always lived there, dosen't speak the Asian language etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chava61
I was in China with an American black female colleague. She was treated by locals as a novelty and many of them stopped her in the street and wanted to take a photo with her.
Well, that's nice, but it's off-topic.
Last edited by Glucorious; 02-10-2013 at 01:11 PM..
Me. Black/Puerto Rican American, and I've been outside the US a few times, to Spain, Canada, and many parts of the Caribbean. May have gotten a few strange looks in Spain (though this was a decade ago so I can't remember as well), but that's about it.
My father is Punjabi and I am half Punjabi half Dutch, and look non-European, my brother even more so than me. I am Canadian born and raised. I haven't found that we were treated any differently then any of the white tourists, except in Latin American countries where they thought that we were locals and looked at us with suspicion fo being in tourist areas. They even tried to kick my dad out of a mall once in the 1980s in Venezuela until they realized he didn't speak Spanish and was clearly a tourist, which made me more concerned for how local Venezuelans were treated in their own country than it made me worry about my appearance. Also got flak from Italians, but that's because it was the height of the Bush adminitration and they thought we were Americans, they loosened up when they found out we were not, I attitudes towards American people has improved since.
I was in China with an American black female colleague. She was treated by locals as a novelty and many of them stopped her in the street and wanted to take a photo with her.
Well, considering that in China the population is like 99.99999% Chinese and most Chinese look similar, yeah, I can see how that could happen.
They were probably saying to themselves in Chinese: "Oh my God, they are real! Look! Look! A black woman! Lets take a picture with her, because no one will believe us when we tell them!"
I am a black American, and I have travelled to the UK and various Latin American countries. I agree with the poster about different experiences. I'm not one to obsess about race, to be quite honest, but I feel like a lot of these posts that people make should have an asterisk attached that means "I AM A WHITE MALE/FEMALE, AND MY EXPERIENCES REFLECTED SUCH A FACT. PERHAPS YOUR EXPERIENCES MAY DIFFER"
I have found that I have been treated differently in almost every aspect. I have been given more "rope" and less "rope" depending on the situation. I have also had to prove various vezes that I am American. One thing that I have noticed in all the countries I have visited, is that people view non-whites in the US as sort of...different. I can't explain it, but people are usually more candid, direct, and blunt about the United States with us as opposed to whites. I have even seen people completely change topics when my white friends enter the conversation. I have also noticed that in the romance department it is different as well.
Uniformly, when someone was attracted to me, it was physical (the whole stereotype about black men is pretty common, widespread, and BELIEVED) or someone genuinely liked me. I never felt like I was being cheated or fooled out of my money, because often times the other person paid for me! My white friends ALWAYS, ALWAYS have trouble in this department, because people see a white person, especially in Latin America, and the see dollar signs. That is plain, simple, and a fact. Even in a fairly "white" country like Costa Rica, people always said things to the effect of "your friend looks so sophisticated, like he comes from Money!" or something equally having to do with wealth/status. On the other hand, I and the other non-whites were viewed as "exotic" or "just like us, but with a weird accent." I can't explain it, but I never feel like the whites do about romance.
There are a whole bunch of things too, but I don't want to ramble in one post. I will say though that I remember reading here a question posed by a non-white American asking how he would be treated if he were to go travelling (can't remember the place). Everyone pounced on him and said he would be treated like an American.
No. No he won't. And I can promise you that.
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