Hello, I'm a 21 year old and a black male from the USA who wants to do a masters or study abroad program abroad. As you will see on my page I have and will post in multiple subreddits from different countries. I have never been out of the country but I am a respectful person and will respect all people in any country I visit. I just need to know how this country or region subreddit i post this in feels about black people. specifically dark skin people. I also wanna know what will affect my studying such as racist professors. I am also interested in dating/hookup culture as any 21 year male would be. No, I'm not focusing on dating/hookup culture more than my studies. I study hard and do all my assignments I am given. For context I'm a beautiful looking guy if I do say so myself, 6 '2 average body about 190 pounds & i only speak english and i can understand jamaican patois 100%. Yes, Jamaican patois is derived from English but it is its only language. I haven’t dated outside my race yet. What should I expect? Is hookup/dating culture like the usa? Thanks for the feedback in advance.

Does anyone here know of any Merengue songs about mothers or mother and son or family in general?

How easy is it to socialize in your country? Personally i think that in my country it is pretty easy, but i've had a hard time doing it due to being introverted and also socializing in my country revolves heavily around drinking alcohol even from a young age. On the top of that, i think many people here has a very childish and offensive sense of humor based on looking for a double sense in every phrase, which very often leads to akward moments for me.

Hello everyone.,

My grandma passed away in September and I was planning to put her on our ofrenda this year but my family started saying that you shouldn’t put someone before their first full year after passing.

I don’t wanna disrespect my grandma or her beliefs so I was hoping someone on here would know more. I couldn’t find anything on Google but sometimes with Mexican culture it’s really niche.

My family is catholic and from Guerrero if that helps at all.

Mine does. It was interesting seeing it evolve with the years, 8ish years ago it was not really a thing and only started getting popular around 2017 I think, but not as something official. Year by year it got more popular and now it really can be considered an official celebration. Like, it really is everywhere.

We don’t have the whole American tradition of trick or treat, house decorations and the like, it’s really just a costume party, and sometimes just a party, but it’s there. It’s currently very very ingrained with the youth, you can see Halloween parties being promoted everywhere and everyone talking about it.

It’s more a celebration of the younger generations though, I would say millennials and gen z. Older people still see it as a gringo thing that should have no place here, or even as satanic. I presume with the passing of time, when millennials are the “older people” for example, it will be completely accepted.

I know Spanish and Portuguese are the most spoken native languages in our region, but, are there any Indigenous minorities in the city you live in? If so, who are they and what languages do they speak?

honestly, as a brazilian born and made, it is a bit dystopian how latin-americans complain so much about latin america and talk about us like if we're similar to the sub saharan africa.

the poorest country i've ever been to was egypt, and even the capitals lost in infrastructure and organization to any average city in brazil.

i went to india some years ago, and the misery i saw in that place is on another level when compared to the misery brazilians face. when i came back, i talked about the misery to a lot of brazilians and other latin-american friends, and they all said "oh but you don't know brazil or x latin-american country well, we have all of that here", and i've traveled a lot of brazil, i've been to the poorest places of this country.

while there is extreme poverty here, it is 1000x worse there. firstly, quantitatively. only the HUGE concentration of poverty due to the immense population is already a huge problem. for example, on basic sanitation, that is basically non-existent in some places there, the difference is shocking. here in brazil, a city may not have basic sanitation or adequate cleanliness to a poorer fraction of the population, which causes inadequate garbage disposal in some places, like in wastelands or rivers, or in some random places of a street. but there, there's garbage and trash to every place you go. there's so much poverty with no infrastructure that even a big city basically becomes a dump. i was extremely shocked with the insurmountable and extreme amount of trash. i remember hopping on a bus from a city to another, and for hours during the route, there was literally one meter of garbage in each border of the street/road.

and also, we have intense government support to poor people here, while three, it seems like there's not a minimal effort to change anything to the poor people reality, and that they're a completely excluded population from the non-poor people. the feeling of inequality there is quantitatively different.

i spent a week in bangalore. i saw a group searching for trash on the way back to the hotel. between 'em, a naked guy, fully covered in dirt, crooked teeth, hair to the feet and eating something that looked like rotten food straight from the street's ground. yes, the same thing can happen in brazil, but the immensity, the intensity, and the place is another total thing! this was not the favela of a city, this was the city's downtown and rich part!

a french friend of mine went to buy something with a hawker, and she literally PEED while selling shit to him. it doesn't matter what is the situation, no one here would ever have to work until you pee.

i also went to chenai and its roundings on the south. i remember getting out of a mall in the city's downtown, and there was a group of people offering some transport service. all of 'em didn't have one or the two legs, they dragged themselves through the city's ground (literally covered in dirt), going after clients. the transport they used was a horse-drawn cart. i don't even know how the hell they managed to use it, but it must've been on brutal strength. no crutch or any wheelchair, and everyone was almost naked except for a few skirts some guys used.

brazil has a lot of problems, but you'll never see this. a person with physical limitations like this would receive guaranteed financial and legal support from the government, even if not huge, to not ever have to work again. and if you want to work to have more money, the government will give you a crutch or a wheelchair.

i've been to favelas in brazil, i've been to indigenous tribes in the far north. i grew up in bahia and my grandparents lived in the classic sertão nordestino, and i never saw anything quite like i saw in india. people in the sertão nordestino which are basically the ultimate poverty in the region and people there have access to water, electricity, almost everyone owns a car or a motorcycle, and it's pretty rare to see anyone starving too for a long time now.

i remember when i was in frankfurt, germany, one time, waiting for the bus to go to another part of the city, and a really old lady, clearly an immigrant from some muslim country, raised her skirt in front of everyone, benched a bit and peed in front of everyone. evidently bathroom wasn't lacking in frankfurt, it's really a cultural thing.

yes, we are some decades behind europe in various aspects, but compared to the majority of the world, we're doing fine. people don't understand that the norm of the world is poverty, not richness. then you hear someone complaining about latin-american countries being classified as "upper-middle income countries". it's like we've been told so much that we're poor and underdeveloped as fuck that we strongly believe it. there's no comparison between africa and asia and brazil of the countries i visited, i felt in norway after coming back.

and by the way, this also includes myself. i constantly complain about brazil, my city and say that i have no hope for the future of our nation.

Or top 3

Sorry that my previous question was kinda buffoonery anyway I read that in LATAM the schools has a lot of diversity with students that are ethnically Portuguese, Spanish, Irish, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Africans, Arabics, Jews or a mix of the indigenous natives with usually the European ethnic groups. Is that true? I'm really curious about that since I'm from a kinda homogeneous country where I never saw a black or mixed student in any school I studied but that would probably be different in the capital and it's surroundings.

I'm a European visiting Argentina and I'm deciding between spending a week in Bariloche or a week in Mar del Plata.

In terms of costs, it seems that prices are quite similar in the summer season. Bariloche seems to be more beautiful with incredible nature, but it also seems to be a small city without many food options or parties/clubs (?) Maybe I'm wrong?

So maybe Mar del Plata would be the best option for what I'm looking for, but I read that local people in the state of Buenos Aires are not necessarily the friendliest (?) What option would you recommend me choosing?

For context: In the midst of US presidential campaign, Puerto Rico was called a garbage island and instead of apologizing Trump doubled down on the offense by riding a garbage truck today before a campaign event. I am not from Puerto Rico but I do feel offended by this. Is this rational? I don't think so, however every time another latinamerican is wronged I take it personally, except when it happens to Argentina, in that case it is funny.

Hey all! Hope you're doing well.

My name is Mathias Erdal. I am a Norwegian archeology student, currently writing my examen facultatum about repatriation of artifacts with the War of the Triple Alliance as my main focal point. As part of this, I am looking to see what the general public thinks. So I would love it if you would take the time to answer a short questionnaire.

You may answer if you live in, are from or have some other connection to one of the following countries: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay. There are four separate surveys - just select the one corresponding to your country. The surveys are in the language corresponding to the country in the question. The only demographic data being collected is age, and what your connection to the country is, and these are both voluntary to add.

Brazil: https://forms.gle/cShj8hviQat8zNdQ6

Paraguay: https://forms.gle/ougJHwn4kVCpKHYRA

Argentina: https://forms.gle/V2VjoDNtYwPuoDvbA

Uruguay: https://forms.gle/YXb5uR3VVDQPpYJV7

The form is relatively short and simple (only 4 mandatory questions, all of them multiple-choice).
Thank you in advance! :)

What do you think of your countrymen that move to the USA due to said policy?

My friend told me about how in Argentina gestores exist as fixers-for-hire, basically people who you pay to help you navigate the bureaucratic process, and a part of that involves having to pay bribes to make your application more "visible", so to speak.

According to Wikipedia gestores exist in Mexico as well, I was curious if that's the case in other LATAM countries too. Do gestores exist in your country? If so, in what capacity and how commonly are they hired and for what jobs usually? Have you ever had to hire one, what was your experience like? Who do they tend to be, former government employees, people connected to other organizations, be they criminal or not? Are they even all that effective, or do you need connections of your own to get things through?

I have had similar experiences in the place where I was born, having to rely on "fixers" to get things done, but usually this was more informal. It relied on a kind of social barter system, (though not always, sometimes it was straight up extortion lol) as opposed to hiring someone to advocate for you. Also, at the end of the day, because where I was born is currently under military dictatorship, you really needed military connections to get anywhere. It is my impression that in most LATAM countries the situation is not quite so dire. It seems to me that gestores exist in a kind of legal gray area, similar to a lobbyist in the US.

I'm asking seriously I saw a lot of memes about Santiago having a lot of femboys and stuff like that so I got curious and I think that r/asklatinamerica is indeed the best place to ask that question

Does the nickname Limon for a girl mean anything in particular in Colombia?

Sincerely, when someone from another country says "in my country we have X, it's traditional", and you perceive in your own country you have it (sometimes with a different name), what is your first thought?

In my case it depends, when there is a respectful way of saying it and not trying to say one is the original source and the other is a cheap copy or something similar, I kind of appreciate and feel happy about the cultural similarities, but when people are arguing about who stole it and who is the original source, I feel like I would prefer I had nothing similar to any other country (because at least then we wouldn't be arguing between latam countries)

Hey everyone! I’ve heard that in Colombia, it’s common for men to always pay for dates, like for dining, cinema, and other activities. I was curious—does this apply across the board? Specifically, in the gay community, do tops also usually cover the bill for bottoms or is it more of a 50/50 split?

I’m interested in understanding the cultural norms around this. If anyone has experience or insights, I’d love to hear how it generally works! Thanks in advance!

I feel like every Mexican movie is about the rich vs poor class divide. It makes it so repetitive and boring.

So, I’m currently at the end of my second month travelling through Latin America. I’ve been to Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and have just landed in Colombia and the male attention I have received has been actually insane.

Mexico was a lot of staring. Constantly. Like, leaning out of cars and holding up traffic staring. Lots of cat calling as well. Guatemalans had a more friendly approach which was ok. Most encounters I had with men started super friendly and more often than not ended with them asking me out. These are the only men who have tried to go in for a kiss lol which had me shook. Costa Rica was funny. Just a lot of compliments. I have my hair in long braids and I got complemented on that a lot. I did two tours and got asked out by both of my tour guides (one is married so eww).

Is this…a usual experience for a black tourist in Latin America? To be clear, I am not a model. I’m short, dark-skinned, slim. I rarely go outside dressed up. I don’t wear makeup and wear baggy clothes 99% of the time so it’s not like I’m walking around looking irresistible lol. My (kinda) ex is Mexican and he told me I would get a lot of attention in Mexico but I don’t know, what is the general attitude towards black women across Latin America? Appreciation, fetishisation…looking for some understanding because I have literally never received so much constant male attention in my life. It’s an experience for sure.

EDIT - for extra context, I’m short (5’3) and British. I’ve only been visiting tourist hot spots. Oaxaca, Mexico City, Antigua, Panajachel, Tortuguero, San Jose.

Would I say amigos or amigas?

I remember when i was around 10 one adult basically told us "drugs are satanic and you will go craaazy" lol

Like do Paraguay and Venezuela have their own versions of pizza given their italian heritage?

I had the opportunity of eating pizza in Buenos Aires and it was so cheesy it reminded me of Max’s pizza from Disney. Very big fan!

You know life is messed up when Costa rican gallo pinto appears highlighted more often than Honduran baleadas, rosquillas en miel, curiles or pollo chuco. It's even worse when tourists prefer one of Mexico's 15 deadliest cities instead of Honduras' peaceful islands.

I've always wondered if it's our name what causes foreigners to believe Honduras is some sort of remote country in Africa or a work of fiction, but I cannot believe we are so underrated and, somewhat, despised in multiple contexts. Is there any explanation for this? Could a foreigner explain why this phenomenon takes place? Because, objectively speaking, and based on the opinions of tourists and "expats" who come and live here (there's even a popular tiktok account of an old guy who lives in Utila, and always highlights Honduras' privileges ahead of other latin american countries), I can whoelheartedly say that this nation holds some of the most interesting places, stories and tastes out there, yet the world seems to ignore it. Think about the bay islands and their largest, best preserved coral reef in the entire continent, second in the world, or Copán Ruins, the single most important mayan city due to the hieroglyph staircase, the most important piece of information the mayan's left us. What about that?

My personal theory is that the very honduran people caused this. Every time a honduran visits another country, it is to bury their own land and sell it as the absolute worst place on Earth. We do a great job at making people hate Honduras and see it as another Haiti, when, in reality, we are the only Central American country with two metropolis, one of them holding the power to stop all of the north traingle's and Costa Rica's export from the Atlantic. The sheer influence our history holds on the region and during the cold war, plus some details like a possible new civilization hidden in the Moskitia's jungle, or our influence in Columbus' trips. Perhaps you may be interested in O'Henry's and Walt Disney's texts on Honduras, the jungle book included. So much stuff you can discover and enjoy, yet, what about it all?

So here I am, exposing all of this and somewhat venting in the hopes that, at the very least, you may end up doing research or questioning why the hell are there nations so rich and capable buried beneath the soil of marketing-expert societies like the mexican or salvadorian people.

The surname "Puleo" is Italian, but someone suggested the other day that it sounds Hispanic. It is pronounced poo-lay-oh but people usually read it as poo-lee-oh. Do you think that it sounds Hispanic?

I see many surnames end in "ez/es", "o/a". What are some exceptions that are popular?

So, I have come across various comments (online and irl) mostly made by gringos about how women and men can’t be friends, how disrespectful it is to their partner to have a close friend of their opposite sex or how they are a walking red flag for having many friends of their opposite sex.

However I don’t see this being such a big issue here in Latam, both guys and girls can have multiple friends of their opposite sex and have no problems with maintaining a healthy platonic relationship as well as not having their bf/gf reminding them how their friends probably want to get in their pants.

Am I imagining things? Or USA’s views on opposite sex relationships are truly different than ours?

It's due to the size? Culture? Mix of both? History playing a major role? I really want to know, I mean, Brazil is in fact the biggest country in LATAM, ok, but Mexico is smaller than Argentina but has like 84 million more people. Another example is Bolivia and Chile, Chile is significantly smaller than Bolivia but Chile's population is also significantly bigger (12 million against 20 million) so does size really matter that much? I mean, even my homeland Spain is smaller than Peru (1,285,216 km² vs 505,990 km²) but with a bigger population.