Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you're a black cuban guy then they'll think you're african until you tell them you're cuban
if you look indigenous aztec they'll assume you're an indigenous person of the Americas....
if you look like a European, like many brazilians, colombians, argentines, chileans do, they'll just assume you're yet another european until you tell them otherwise!!!
REALITY IS
Most Europeans could care less, Europe is too diverse and you'll be unnoticed wherever you go because you'll be surrounded by hordes of people from all over the planet!!! That is especially true if you go to places like London, Paris, Barcelona etc. where tourists, expats, migrants are as common as sand on the beach!!!
If you want to impress people tell them you're from some obscure country like Dominican Republic, Costa rica, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago.... that usually attracts people attention as you don't meet a paraguayan everyday in Europe!!!
The moment you start to speak English that'll give it away... you're an American and most likely people will lose interest over you because most Europeans have been to the US, know plenty of Americans, or interacted already with a crap load of Americans.
At the end of the day, being a USA Latino, you will be regarded as an American. I highly doubt people will look at you as an Latin American.... actually I doubt most people would even care to know where you're from, you'll be just another stranger on the street!
I was treated well in Spain, it's usually South Americans that get the hate. I'm Puerto Rican but I looked like a native Canary Islander in Tenerife, and looked like a "Mexican actor you see in novellas" on the mainland. That was probably it. In the UK, I got creepy stares from people when I was together with my wife and got a nice "go home fookin' Paki" before.
I was never mistreated when I visited Europe, but in France and Italy people stared alot and then would ask me if I was Mexican, they are very familiar with Mexicans for some reason. Though I do know Mexicans love visiting those 2 countries.
In Spain people would always ask if I was Colombian or Peruvian. In England, Portugal, Switzerland and Germany no one really cared. Lol
You seem not to be aware of it, but "latin America" has been precisely named that way in the 19th century, in reference to France, in opposition to the parts of Americas based on anglophone/protestant based culture of north America...
No, even if not a very famous person I do remember well that song a few years ago (you might maybe be too young).
Some french artists did had a very important recongnition singing in Spanish, I think firstly to Manu Chao who is from Boulogne and had been a real star in all spanish-speaking countries. In a more kitshy way, the gipsy kings is one of the french bands that have sold the most records in the world singing flamenco-style songs.
Obviously we do not have to forget that the main tango star in Argentinean history was of french origin, Charles Gardes (Carlos Gardel)...
On the other way, this classic Edith Piaf song is a latin-American song. Some people seem to think that latin-American music is just afro-caribean music, wich is not the case.
As an example of how inconsistent the concept Latino is, I am Portuguese born and raised in France 2 "Latin" countries, still upon moving to the US I encountered the very large Mexican community celebrating one of their tradition, day of Dead (consisting in celebrating in cemeteries) and I couldn't help but feeling uncomfortable and borderline disgusted. It's their culture nothing wrong with it. It's just that it was going against a something my culture regards as taboo. This coupled to seeing Aztec dances was an eye opener for me on how the "Latin" culture is an absolute non-sense.
There is no such thing as a Latin culture, and everyone keeps connecting it to Mexicans. The people pushing the Latino cultural identity are in Miami, since there is a need for an umbrella term to identify people from many different countries. The Estefans, Ricky Martin and Miami South American artists have really pushed the 'Latino' term to popularity in the last 20 years.
It is also infuriating how I have to go through great lengths to prove my Mexican heritage to Nordic and Germanic Americans that even Mexico received vast immigrants from Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Both of my parents came from Mexico. Specifically: Jalisco.
My dad is of French and Spaniard descent while my mother is of mestizo and Sephardi descent...but telling this to ignorant Americans and TSA they judge me as Middle Eastern or Pakistani (due to my taller stature and caucasoid features with a tan/olive skin tone instead of being short, dark skin, and indigenous looking).....it is annoying.
At least 90% of the Mexicans I know have to 'explain why' they are Mexican because of how they look.
It is also infuriating how I have to go through great lengths to prove my Mexican heritage to Nordic and Germanic Americans that even Mexico received vast immigrants from Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Both of my parents came from Mexico. Specifically: Jalisco.
My dad is of French and Spaniard descent while my mother is of mestizo and Sephardi descent...but telling this to ignorant Americans and TSA they judge me as Middle Eastern or Pakistani (due to my taller stature and caucasoid features with a tan/olive skin tone instead of being short, dark skin, and indigenous looking).....it is annoying.
Same for me. I'm Puerto Rican but I don't fit the typical profile of Puerto Rican. I am ambiguous looking, but Latinos know I'm a light mestizo but they don't know from where. Amongst non-Latino people, I get all kinds of crazy guesses. Turk, Mexican, South American, and Japanese Latino are the most common ones I get.
Same for me. I'm Puerto Rican but I don't fit the typical profile of Puerto Rican. I am ambiguous looking, but Latinos know I'm a light mestizo but they don't know from where. Amongst non-Latino people, I get all kinds of crazy guesses. Turk, Mexican, South American, and Japanese Latino are the most common ones I get.
Wow,you have have been asked if you are a Japanese Latino? That is very specific, not many people even know they exist. That's interesting.
I mostly get asked if I am Asian (Thai, Malaysian, Indonesia, Indian, Filipino) or Brazilian or Venezuelan. Sometimes Colombian. But in France and Italy everyone knew. It was very strange.
If you're a black cuban guy then they'll think you're african until you tell them you're cuban if you look indigenous aztec they'll assume you're an indigenous person of the Americas....
if you look like a European, like many brazilians, colombians, argentines, chileans do, they'll just assume you're yet another european until you tell them otherwise!!!
REALITY IS
Most Europeans could care less, Europe is too diverse and you'll be unnoticed wherever you go because you'll be surrounded by hordes of people from all over the planet!!! That is especially true if you go to places like London, Paris, Barcelona etc. where tourists, expats, migrants are as common as sand on the beach!!!
If you want to impress people tell them you're from some obscure country like Dominican Republic, Costa rica, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago.... that usually attracts people attention as you don't meet a paraguayan everyday in Europe!!!
The moment you start to speak English that'll give it away... you're an American and most likely people will lose interest over you because most Europeans have been to the US, know plenty of Americans, or interacted already with a crap load of Americans.
At the end of the day, being a USA Latino, you will be regarded as an American. I highly doubt people will look at you as an Latin American.... actually I doubt most people would even care to know where you're from, you'll be just another stranger on the street!
It is quite rare for pure indigenous Aztecs to be traveling to Europe, actually I've never met a pure Aztec Mexican before. That is very fantasious reference. Lol
It is quite rare for pure indigenous Aztecs to be traveling to Europe, actually I've never met a pure Aztec Mexican before. That is very fantasious reference. Lol
same. You're much more likely to see them in the US. I had a Mexican friend, before he moved back because his visa expired, he is pure indigenous and looks extremely Asian. My great grandmother was very mestiza and also looked Asian.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rosa surf
Wow,you have have been asked if you are a Japanese Latino? That is very specific, not many people even know they exist. That's interesting.
I mostly get asked if I am Asian (Thai, Malaysian, Indonesia, Indian, Filipino) or Brazilian or Venezuelan. Sometimes Colombian. But in France and Italy everyone knew. It was very strange.
It's not that uncommon actually. Most of the Japanese foreigners in Japan came from Peru and Brazil which have large Japanese populations. Brazil has more than 1 million Japanese living there. For the Japanese that don't know anything about Latin America, though, they assume I'm mixed Western and Japanese from Okinawa Prefecture, specifically. But in reality, I actually do have Japanese blood, but it's ancient and came from the indigenous Ainu that live in Hokkaido and the Russian Far East
same. You're much more likely to see them in the US. I had a Mexican friend, before he moved back because his visa expired, he is pure indigenous and looks extremely Asian. My great grandmother was very mestiza and also looked Asian.
It's not that uncommon actually. Most of the Japanese foreigners in Japan came from Peru and Brazil which have large Japanese populations. Brazil has more than 1 million Japanese living there. For the Japanese that don't know anything about Latin America, though, they assume I'm mixed Western and Japanese from Okinawa Prefecture, specifically. But in reality, I actually do have Japanese blood, but it's ancient and came from the indigenous Ainu that live in Hokkaido and the Russian Far East
Yes, there are many indigenous in Latin America that look very Asian. Indigenous peoples, like any other people, have a variation of looks that isn't accounted for by many people.
I do know of Asian Latinos, its just that alot of people dont know about them, so I'm surprised you've been asked that. Besides the well known Japanese migration to Brazil and Peru, I have met Costa Ricans, Argentines and many Mexican Asians(Chinese, Japanese, Korean).
My father is from Mexicali which has had substantial Chinese immigration.
Last edited by rosa surf; 03-31-2016 at 12:55 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
