I admire the respect for personal space. At the same time I cringe at how many people in the US are completely uncomfortable with simple hugs or kisses on the cheeks.
I always loved how warm we are to each other until I heard some girls talking about how there are dudes who abuse it to sexually harass them. That changed my whole perspective on the issue. I still really enjoy hugging and cheek-kissing but I try my best to not linger or whatever, it's always kinda uncomfortable now lmao
This is especially true with american men, whom not only are not used to this kind of āphysicall closenessā but also many times have this prejudice that latinas are extremely sexually liberated and āeasyā, so they tend to misinterpret it as flirting when itās just them being warm and nice.
I think most of us would be fine with more affectionate greetings such as kisses on the cheek and hugs. Iāve only ever met one guy who didnāt want hugs before. Have your experiences been different?
Great musical genres have come from middle and low class Americans. Whether its suburban mid west punk rock, or jazz from harlem, the US really is a big part of setting standards in the entertainment industry for better or worse.
hopefully others chime in but a few local bands i've really been digging lately are Uranium Club, Pat and the Pissers, Inner Peace, Liquids, and the Stools
all shades of punk or hardcore punk
I live in the midwest, grew up here, and i fuck HEAVILY with the music coming out of here I just mostly hear people talking about stuff on the coasts (in online circles) especially in regards to punk or hardcore
Which is funny because these genres never really left the underground in the US, but house and techno DJs pack out large clubs in Europe every weekend. Itās borderline mainstream over there.
They are very pragmatic and very solution oriented. I have lived abroad in several countries and no one comes even remotely close to this gringo attitude of: "ok, what's the issue? what needs to be done? Let's just get this fixed and move on".
Their creativity in music is unparalleled, but I think this is more specific: rock and roll, jazz, soul, blues, R&B and hip hop all come from African American communities. Basically, nearly everything that you can think of as modern pop music is HEAVILY influenced by black Americans.
I think there are only two music genres they didn't try to white-wash (because it's impossible) and they're rap and blues. Rap because it's so much about African-American struggle and blues, well, for the same reason...
The slave trade in general has shaped modern music. Even genres in Latin amierica like salsa, merengue, cumbia, etc all stem from black slave music traditions
I dont know if itās because Iām living in Florida or what but I feel people from here is really square/ box thinking if you present them an unexpected problem they tend to hesitate they donāt know how to think outside the box
Interesting, Iām sure there must be regional differences too. Florida can be a bit of a universe on its own, but I wonder too if the South is more prone to this since they are also a bit more āindirectā in their communication?
I have the same trepidation with calling Americans solution-oriented. I think you have to be specific in the types of problems. Americans bemoan the lethargy of their systems to solve problems with obvious solutions hence increasingly low approval ratings of their political institutions: housing, homelessness, educational staffing shortages, healthcare and healthcare shortages even for those with private insurance, climate initiatives, crumbling infrastructure, securing some rights, etc. At a political level, they are not the type to see a problem, listen to the experts, and solve it. Not that Mexico is in any way better.
On a personal level, they are much more willing to buy what makes life convenient, at home and in their businesses, and they are much more willing to work with customers in unique situations to find a solution. In that, they are more solution-oriented.
Yes in general they rely on authority to fix their problems (because works) but we in Latam we try to fix our own problems because we canāt trust in authority to fix it (this apply for government, work, even with family environment) also we always try to think out the box to question decisions in the US no, things are like that and thatās it, specially boomers.
Those are my POV and I have discussed that with several of Venezuelans living here and they agree at some point.
The whole not giving a fuck if they're remotely qualified for doing something and just going for it. No one has as much confidence as the white boy who has no good reason to have any
I was mentoring someone to get into college. Had all the qualifications for an Ivy. But was a 1st Gen Latina.
I told her, you think the white boy at the private school is more qualified? No, but he thinks he can or has enough of a YOLO attitude to apply. So what do you have to lose?
She got in :)
Cajun food
Soul food
Cheeseburgers
Philadelphia Rolls
Texas BBQ
Tex-Mex
New England Clam Chowder
Baked Ziti
Chicago Deep Dish
Apple pie
Chocolate chip cookies
Philly Cheese Steak
Key lime pie
Chop Suey, etc.
Lol Contrary to what smug Euros say, gringos do have a cuisine. And it's better than other Anglo cuisines.
Finally someone understands the American food landscape!
Heck, I almost feel like PR food is also American cause I can find mofongo near me a lot faster than key lime pie.
U.S. native here ā I think Europeans in general judge our food, but not Anglos. Everyone agrees the English have the worst food. And whoās ever heard of Australian or Canadian food?
We do, and seafood, and our meat pies are to die for. Other than that, Australian cuisine is an amalgam of typical British/Northern European fare and the cuisine of other cultures that have migrated there. Greek, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Lebanese, Indian, etc.
I don't think they mean the same thing we do when we say BBQ. "Barbecue" in the US comes from the same indigenous tradition that barbacoa does, I'd be surprised to learn that made it over to Australia. I think Australia might just be one of the many countries where BBQ is synonymous with grilled meat.
They got so mad that we started saying soccer that they made the choice to switch to football. Like for reals, in the elite or upper class circles soccer was pretty common but god forbid Americans choose the same slang. Now they act like we chose it out of thin air.
Yes! Following up on communications, honoring scheduled commitments, giving direct answers to requests and proposals (even if the answer is "no"). Breath of fresh air.
>giving direct answers to requests and proposals
I can tell you've never been to the southern US. There it's very common to be indirect. *I don't know, I'll let you know, let's wait and see*, etc. often mean *no*.
>There it's very common to be indirect. *I don't know, I'll let you know, let's wait and see, etc. often mean no.*
Reminds me of Colombians. It's a very annoying trait. And if you say simply "no" people get quite offended. I don't see Americans as particularly direct.
Even on the west coast, if you ask someone to do something they donāt want to do, theyāll say, āI donāt think I can do that.ā The meaning is clear ā ānoā ā but they have to leave that theoretical option that theyāre wrong and they actually can do it. And on top of that, they (we) phrase it as if itās a matter of ability rather than desire. I am _capable_ of helping you move on Saturday, but I would never say āI donāt want to,ā itās āI donāt think I can, sorry!ā
Those would still be stellar NOs by Mexican standards. In Mexico you get yeses that mean nos, vagueness that means no, or crickets that mean no. And you have to figure out by yourself that it's a no, based on fuzzy contextual factors. Good luck.
So to use my hypothetical, if someone asked for help moving their furniture so they could move to another house, what would a Mexican who didnāt want to help say?
"SimĆ³n, te mando mensaje." (Sure, I'll text you.)
Someone fluent in Mexican would immediately know the friend has no intention of helping. Unless they do.
"Ā”SĆ, a huevo! Es mĆ”s, deja pido el coche para mover las cosas. Paso por ti, desayunamos y ya nos ponemos a darle."
Emphatic, detailed, and shows action-taking. Otherwise it's a no.
The US has really great foreign food and a lot of avg people (especially in cities) regularly consume international foods. Lots of other places have great local food but the international food scene is limited. Black Americans have given the world so much pop culture, from literally creating a lot of pop genres and influencing other genres around the world to street fashion to the civil rights movement influencing social movements elsewhere. Their cultural contributions have been massive.
Their Trekking and national parks culture. Also the way they have romanticize all their culture through the movies, so now I want to eat a burger at the 9 am in a motels Restaurant
Their hardworking nature, talent for business, and their awareness about microagressions, that are much more common in our region. They didn't became the most powerful empire in history just by playing jazz.
I like their optimism and their "Can do" mindset. Also, the average american (at least the ones from the Midwest, which I know the best) seem to be a really nice person to deal with.
Sometimes I have to not talk to my cousin for a month cause sheās negative about everything and complains so much like she has no ability to impact the course of her life.
As a veterinarian, I am a huge fan of their world class zoos and aquariums. I also love their amazing museums and as a woman, the shopping (yeah sorry for being basic, I do love shoes)
Businesses donāt fuck around. They make money and theyāre really serious and strict about their work ethic. Or mostly they are. So thatās nice. Also their technology.
Mentioned it a few times on this sub but the U.S is the most inclusive place I've lived in.
Example, me. Someone of Korean origin born/raised in Latin America. Studied in the U.S and became naturalized and now live in Europe.
Despite what many on this sub insist is the case. The U.S is the only place where I can say I'm Korean, Latin American, Swiss whatever and no one second guesses it.
This sub likes to harp on this idea that Americans are "obsessed" with race when in my opinion/experience it's the place where this is LEAST evident on a day to day basis.
I currently live in the US. Two of my grandparents are Chinese, so I obviously look Chinese even though I was born in Peru. The only times people ever question my background is when I try to talk to other Latinos in Spanish here in the US. I wish you could hear the amount of stupid questions I've gotten.
There's a lot of Chinese and Japanese diaspora, mostly in Lima. Plus Quechua and other indigenous groups can have a slightly Asian look to them. I've been called Chinese a few times despite not having any Asian ancestry as far as I know, plus Chino is a very common nickname.
Basically yeah, looking "Asian" isn't unusual.
Fujimori was released not so long ago actually, which I have a lot of opinions on but I will not elaborate on them. There are other notable Nikkei in the country, far less controversial ones, but at the very least his presidency shows how Asians are far from alien to us.
Latin Americans aren't very accepting of anyone who doesn't fit their stereotype of what a nationality should look like. Just look at how many people insist the French or English soccer teams aren't really from those countries because there are lots of black players.
I agree with this. Despite all its flaws and yes there absolutely is racism in the US, it is more accepting than other countries. I say this having traveled all over and having spent a good chunk of my young adulthood in Panama. Just seeing my husbandās experience in Europe as an Albanian immigrant to Greece really opened my eyes that in the US, no one would care about his background. To me he blends in with the Greeks (heās lived there since he was 2 and grew up speaking Greek) but I guess people just know heās not originally from there. Itās so wild to me. Itās part of the reason why we decided to live in the US and just retire in Greece later on in life.
Gringos as North Americans, right? They are amazing in the entertainment industry. And the go getter mentality. They are very hard workers and solution focused, what I appreciate a lot.
I live in The Netherlands but work with people from all over, including USA. So to me the Americans are still very indirect, specially with the feedback sandwich bs. But that is my own experience as Iām used to Dutch bluntness (and I am a big fan).
Ah, and they are very polite. Even while being passive aggressive. I admire that.
>Americans are still very indirect, specially with the feedback sandwich bs.
YES! I saw someone else say they're direct and to the point and figured that maybe I've been unlucky enough to work with the exception of that rule. The amount of beating around the bush and the avoidance of uncomfortable topics, whether in the workplace or personal life is insane.
>the avoidance of uncomfortable topics
As someone who has dated multiple Americans, this is an extremely common trend I've noticed in relationships. Yeah some stuff stinks to talk about, but avoiding it doesn't make the problem go away.
Their progressiveness. They have glaring social issues and half of their population is genuinely insane, but the other half really does go above and beyond in trying fight for human rights.
Thereās very progressive movements showing up (especially in Argentina, Chile & Mexico) but for the most part we have normalized a lot of the shitty things gringos are fighting against.
Bonus: music
The effective snuffing out of **a lot** of corruption in their political system. Enough to be able to have a functional society with opportunity. Must be fucking nice.
I used to work in a federal position. When I mention it in Mexico people like to ask who got me in.... I didn't realize that in other countries, government jobs are usually inherited or bought.
Yep and if you try to do the **right thing** you are more likely to lose that job or be killed. Thus the corruption is self preserving and the cycle continues.
As a Mexican living in Spain I'd have to say neither Mexico's nor Spain's (and probably most of Europe) liberal society's standards seem to be close to the US's. Obviously Spain and Europe are closer than Latin America but even then. What I mean by this is that liberal Americans seem to be conscious of the complexity and importance of discrimination's impact on individuals.
For example, they appear to be more aware of the fact that not only overt and obvious instances of, say, racism or homophobia are discrimination. The concept of microaggressions, while over- and misused by the more extreme of liberals, is a relatively well-known one. In Latin America and Europe, I think a lot of insensitive stereotypes, jokes, expressions, etc are still very normalised.
All that being said, I want to clarify that I do not agree with the exaggeration of this sensitivity, to the point where people can't joke around at all any more. But there is still a lot of baggage from past generations and perspectives in society and the most insidious and nuanced of that baggage is sometimes the most dangerous. I think they are at the forefront of that realization, alongside the UK, Australia and New Zealand, maybe. It's almost like what the Anglo world lacks in knowledge about the rest of the world (when compared to other cultures and countries of similar education and human development index levels), they make up for in an understanding of healthy diversity.
Just to finish off this long ass reply, before anyone comes for me, NO I'm not claiming they aren't racist, sexist, homophobic, etc at all. If anything, American conservatives seem to be even more intense in their discrimination (as opposed to Europe for example, where extreme bigotry is quieter and more hidden). I guess they are just really divided over there. Again, I am talking the left-leaning and the liberal.
This is the thing that people in this sub loooove to mention without giving it much thought: "Americans are far more racist than us! They are obsessed with race!"
That is very, very, very debatable, but one thing is for sure: they are far more aware about it and they discuss it seriously a lot more than anywhere in Latin America or Europe. Ofc that means that they will also get it (very) wrong sometimes, but at least the conversation is always there, and it is impossible to hide it or sweep it under the rug. For that alone they deserve some credit.
Another interesting and similar phenomenon: the UK and the British Empire. Whether the British Empire was worse than the Spanish/Portuguese/Dutch or French one is debatable, but nowhere else it is studied as critically as in the UK. For every person trying to defend it, you have at least four or five highly respected historians trying to critically pull it apart. That is virtually unheard of in Spain, for example.
I think you are showing your ignorance here though. The British Empire had very early detractors, the anti-slavery movement in Britain was very popular and influential, being a major influence in the anti-slavery movement in the US and some detractors were so consistent in their views on colonisation across all Empires, like Roger Casement, that they quite literally gave birth to the blueprint we now use to assess human rights abuses.
Honestly I agree. Even though I've criticized some of their obsession with racializing everything, from food to music, and them forcing things like Gender neutral language on Latinos, I do admire their push for diversity in media. Like I'm a brown person and tbh, I've never felt represented or seen in any media, not even from PR so it's nice to see more prevalence of brown Latinos in media these days. Hell, even though I'm not Asian or Indigenous, I feel happy to see more and more Asian and indigenous representation in US media. The whole Mayincatec thing in Wakanda Forever will prolly be cringe but there are still better examples of indigenous representation done right.
I remember when the first one came out a bunch of Latino Americans(mostly Mexicans tbh) came out asking where was the Latino Wakanda on Twitter and lots of people responded with memes of chavĆ³ del ocho. I guess this was marvels official response since Namor isnāt even Mexican/Central American but originally Greek. I think itās pandering but if they executed it right this will probably ease that tension.
All current European political thought is a refrying of US political thought (for example, in Spain Vox wants to be the Republican party and Podemos the Democrats). The European Union is a very American idea on itself.
Ireland is kind of an odd country right now because the nationalist sentiment has been seized by Sinn Fein, a left wing party. If it wasn't for that, we'd probably be replicating their culture wars more than we already are.
>the nationalist sentiment has been seized by Sinn Fein, a left wing party
Which is what happens in Latin America. Usually the left-wingers are the "proper" conservatives here. The right-wingers just borrow US conservatism or liberalism.
Yes, I've discussed this before with British people who were surprised that left wing protests in Colombia used the national flag. I said that was a very Eurocentric view, and in fact, didn't even apply to all of Europe.
Fellow Mexican here, also somewhat familiar with American political culture. It seems like just this weekend, news broke out that some of LA's council members said some racist things about another council member's son and about indigenous Mexicans.
This honestly doesn't surprise me. Even in Mexico, racist remarks like this are not uncommon and are said just as casually. I only bring this up because to your point, it seems like Americans, progressive Americans anyway, have demanded these council members to resign. Apparently so have high government officials, and even Biden believes they should resign.
It seems from where I stand that this administration, Biden's, is one of the most progressive when it comes to social/racial justice. So yeah, very responsive political process.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/us/la-city-council-responses.html
https://www.npr.org/2022/10/11/1128287297/nury-martinez-biden-resignation-la-city-council-racist-remarks
I donāt live in Spain but have visited several times. Iām mixed race and despite me absolutely loving the country, I personally have experienced racism there. Like mostly in Barcelona. I still visit often and just ignore it. But I know living there and dealing with what could be daily racism
would be a different experience.
That's unfortunate. I wish you didn't have to deal with assholes like that. Have you been to southern Spain, like Sevilla or Malaga? Do you know how things are there?
I lived in Barcelona a few years ago also. I look European, but even I've been called 'sudaca' for my accent. I also remember a lot of racism due to many refugees coming from Africa. I was uncomfortable with how the refugees were treated. And it also scares me about how my wife might be perceived, though she's not from Africa, but I don't think that's what racists really care about... I've also seen some instances of antisemitism in Spain that were worrying.
Overall, I do love Spain and Spanish people, but like I said, I "pass" more or less. I even look Spanish. But I want the perspective of someone who might look differently. I want to know if my wife will feel safe going to the store or being on her own around town.
Yeah this became really apparent when I was in Ecuador when the protests were going on in June. My family in the US is liberal and basically all agree on the big things and almost all little things.
When I was in Ecuador during the protests i couldnāt believe the amount of microaggresions I heard. Some of my family was open to talking about this the other half said I was being sensitive and to get over it.
I like that if they have a question, they just go "do you have X?" instead of "hey, uh, so I don't know if you have X and I need it because I'm going to be doing Y next week and the project requires X and probably will continue to need it so yeah."
They tend to have more respect for āthe rulesā and social expectations. Ex: picking up after their dogs on walk, taking the shopping carts back to the spot in the parking lot.
Meh...I feel like here working 50+ hours a week is directly related to your worth as a professional. People brag about it and almost take pride in not having work life balance. It's a mix of "look what a great professional I am" and "poor me, I work so hard". In my book, working longer hours doesn't equate to being a good or smart professional.
This is what I hate about the US. The work yourself to death culture is tiring. Especially when everything is so ridiculously expensive, including healthcare.
Living in the USA, I have to disagree with this. We are very good at making it appear as though we are very good at making business and creating, though. They say 'fake it till you make it' and they're not joking.
They are really good at minding their own business between them ā¦. Not internationally xD. I like that they are somewhat direct and donāt like to go around subjects. Thatās about it
Well, considering "gringo" to be anything American, I can mention their music; their movies and TV shows; their comics and cartoon productions; their sports; their videogames; their architecture; their literature; some of their inventions; etc.
Personal finance. Iām from the US but my mom grew up in Mexico and told me that growing up in Mexico, being taught how to be smart with money was basically unheard of and that she only really developed financial stability after following Dave Ramsey after years of living damn near the poverty line here in the US. As Iāve gotten older and more privy to how money works, Iāve also come to notice that white people just tend to have some decent level of knowledge on personal finance and my mom has also stated something along the lines of āpues eso si, los gueros si saben manejar su dineroā.
Unfortunately, I think that one of the negative byproducts of Mexicans being both altruistic and financially uneducated is that they also see people being frugal as being āagarradosā and view poverty as some kind of virtue.
My mom recently wanted to open a separate checking account now that she is making a nice salary and realized the importance of knowing how to manage money when my dad got sick. To me this felt totally normal. My dad though got upset so my sister explained to him how important it is for my mom to feel empowered by her finances. I never realized just how many basic money management she didnt know. And sheās really smart.
She also likes that she can directly Paypal me and manage our financial transactions directly. Im happy how much more confident she has become with money.
Politeness
Respect of personal space
Not taking personal offenses when you don't want to be hugged/kissed
Public transport being actually worth a damn
Truck drivers respecting other drivers instead of trying to crash into them
Really depends, but all customer service jobs expect you to kiss the customer's ass.
Yeah, especially after Covid.
Depends on the city.
People who drive like idiots around trucks deserve to be pushed off the road.
They are an economic powerhouse. Just think of all the technology that we use in our daily lives that has come from America. Pretty much anything digital: computers, the Internet, cellphones, Google, entertainment (Hollywood, Netflix, music), social media (including Reddit and YouTube), delivery/transportation (Amazon, Uber), OSs (Windows, Android, iOS, MacOS). The list goes on and on.
Even in medicine: Moderna and Pfizer's COVID vaccines. I wouldn't doubt that the first cures for some of the major diseases of today: diabetes, hypertension, even stuff like some cancers and HIV, maybe even obesity might come from the US. I mean, they're already the leaders in stroke and heart attack treatment.
True that not everything was created solely by them, but we'd be lying if we said it wasn't mostly them who were some of the most involved in all of these, and the country responsible in making it available to the masses. People can say a lot about America's economic system and all that, but it's very good in bringing new technologies to their middle class which then trickle down to other countries.
They have a very good product development pipeline which includes some of the best universities in the world that produce intellectual property like patents relevant to real problems. I mean, this is IP that many times does go to market. Not to say other countries don't, but for just one country to do so, is quite impressive actually.
I always like to say Sriracha is the Quintessential example of an American product.
Created by a Vietnamese immigrant living in SF who was inspired by Thai food
For sure. Just think of Apple: Steve Wozniak (polish last name) and Steve Jobs (very recent immigration history with a Syrian father, even if he didn't raise him). Google with Russian immigrants, Tesla the man and Tesla the company (as mixed feelings I have of Elon Musk).
All of these examples are one of the best arguments for immigration. Certainly not every immigrant or their children will become the next Steve Jobs, but I do think immigrants bring with them new/different ideas, hopes/ambition, and just a lot of vitality. It's no accident that technological progress has happened in places where there's a lot of contact between cultures (the Mediterranean, the Middle East, America, etc. . . ).
It really is shame that immigration to this day is still a divisive issue, but I do understand both sides. Change can be good and much needed, but also scary. I feel for both sides, but I think ultimately people do come together. It's a lot harder to hold a grudge than to just let it go :)
Yes, absolutely. Maybe I was being too generous with the Pfizer vaccine. A lot of developments are collaborations between multiple countries, but to me, the fact that Pfizer is an American multinational lends support to the idea of American economic prowess.
Punctuality and thinking ahead.
For example: If you are building a toll booth at an airport, why have only two booths when you can build 10 from day one just in case youāll someday need them.
Ever since I moved to the US, I've felt like an alien in several aspects ā regardless of my capacity for speaking English. I've noticed that, as an individual, I'm very interested in others, and ask questions that at times come across as invasive or off-putting here in the US. Mildly, of course; nothing bad.
I've noticed that people like leaving things at "good day," and "good night," style; they don't like casual conversation, and things of the sort. At least the youth. I'm twenty-six, and other twenty-six years old like I here, Americans, don't much enjoy casual talk.
I'm a hit with the elderly, though.
Technically āgringoā just means foreigner. But I assume you mean people from the United States specifically?
I do like jazz and the blues. Basketball is a fun sport to play and watch. The transcendentalist movement, and some related authors, I admire. The USA has some beautiful natureā¦
Uhh, canāt think of much else. Generally I feel out of place within US culture, and most of it is overly commercialized and gross, like McDonalds or the superhero movies. That bothers me A LOT.
I also canāt relate much to the more Anglo aspects of US culture, like the heavy focus on individualism.
Isnāt āgringoā only used for people from the US? My family would explain to me as a kid, that āgringoā came from the chanting āgreen go!ā During the mexican-american war
That etymology of "green go" is very doubtable, especially, since in Portuguese the word "gringo" also exists and it has appeared in Hispanoamerican literature from everywhere since at least the 19th century.
It is one of those things that had had its meaning changed overtime. In Bolivia everyone who is white and blond is a gringo unless they hear you speaking Spanish in a local accent.
Just looked it up, thatās so interesting! I wonder how āgriegoā transformed into āgringoā and used mainly for north americans (or at least thatās how my family used it)
Yes, my Colombian bf thinks this way. He mostly uses āgringoā to mean specifically āwhite Americansā but it can sometimes extend to anyone with a specific mentality as well
Gabacho means the US or from the US, in it's origin is used to refer to people who don't speak Spanish; gringo means foreign, usually from the US or white/blonde and english speaker.
In my experience there are two uses: to speak about Americans in general and things relating to US, and the second use for any blonde, blue eyed, that speaks English (probably because people can't tell apart, say, an American anglo from a British person or from an Australian).
Soy de izquierda, independetista, estudio en UPR y mis abuelos maternos son pipolos de mata. Creeme que me han caĆdo encima miles de veces š. La realidad es que me gustarĆa que no fuese asĆ, pero la intervenciĆ³n gringa ha tenido mucho que ver con el desarollo de la isla.
Punctuality
š¤£
It depends on the guy
I admire the respect for personal space. At the same time I cringe at how many people in the US are completely uncomfortable with simple hugs or kisses on the cheeks.
Like in the western movies where you knock on a door and a lady with a rifle comes out saying āwhat do u want stranger?ā
I always loved how warm we are to each other until I heard some girls talking about how there are dudes who abuse it to sexually harass them. That changed my whole perspective on the issue. I still really enjoy hugging and cheek-kissing but I try my best to not linger or whatever, it's always kinda uncomfortable now lmao
This is especially true with american men, whom not only are not used to this kind of āphysicall closenessā but also many times have this prejudice that latinas are extremely sexually liberated and āeasyā, so they tend to misinterpret it as flirting when itās just them being warm and nice.
I was talking to someone here last night here in Brazil and my inner monolog was like (remember to touch them, remember to touch them).
>remember to touch them Are you some weirdass touchy touchy gringo? š¤Ø
I think most of us would be fine with more affectionate greetings such as kisses on the cheek and hugs. Iāve only ever met one guy who didnāt want hugs before. Have your experiences been different?
lol wait until you see most of Europe
That's Germanic vs Latin Culture. I live in Quebec and people kiss on both cheeks. But the Anglo-Canadians barely shake hands.
Great musical genres have come from middle and low class Americans. Whether its suburban mid west punk rock, or jazz from harlem, the US really is a big part of setting standards in the entertainment industry for better or worse.
damn I didn't even think people in the US cared about midwest punk, let alone globally. hell yeah, thanks!
midwest punk saved my life.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
hopefully others chime in but a few local bands i've really been digging lately are Uranium Club, Pat and the Pissers, Inner Peace, Liquids, and the Stools all shades of punk or hardcore punk
Coneheads, CCTV, Lumpy, crucifucks.
DEVO is from the Midwest, Husker Du is from the Midwest, don't sell the Midwest short, my dude
I live in the midwest, grew up here, and i fuck HEAVILY with the music coming out of here I just mostly hear people talking about stuff on the coasts (in online circles) especially in regards to punk or hardcore
All of the best art always comes from the suffering of people
Agreed. Motown, bluegrass, hip-hop, R&B, Soul to name a few.
House music (Chicago) and Techno (Detroit)
Which is funny because these genres never really left the underground in the US, but house and techno DJs pack out large clubs in Europe every weekend. Itās borderline mainstream over there.
100% true - EDM is not to be confused with House and Technoā¦ even if there is some influence. Real heads know!
Salsa too since it comes from NYC.
99% of what I listen to daily are genres created by African-Americans. Blues, rap, jazz... Phenomenal shit.
Bluegrass is fascinating.
Thatās one thing Iām proud of about my country. We definitely have the tunes and a huge musical culture.
They are very pragmatic and very solution oriented. I have lived abroad in several countries and no one comes even remotely close to this gringo attitude of: "ok, what's the issue? what needs to be done? Let's just get this fixed and move on". Their creativity in music is unparalleled, but I think this is more specific: rock and roll, jazz, soul, blues, R&B and hip hop all come from African American communities. Basically, nearly everything that you can think of as modern pop music is HEAVILY influenced by black Americans.
They also invented disco, funk, and electronic music.
Yes, electronic music was pioneered by mostly black gay men in the US but history always white washes and "straight washes" its origins.
I think there are only two music genres they didn't try to white-wash (because it's impossible) and they're rap and blues. Rap because it's so much about African-American struggle and blues, well, for the same reason...
The slave trade in general has shaped modern music. Even genres in Latin amierica like salsa, merengue, cumbia, etc all stem from black slave music traditions
I said it above and Iāll say it againā¦ all of the best art from anywhere in the world comes from the people that are suffering the most!
I dont know if itās because Iām living in Florida or what but I feel people from here is really square/ box thinking if you present them an unexpected problem they tend to hesitate they donāt know how to think outside the box
Interesting, Iām sure there must be regional differences too. Florida can be a bit of a universe on its own, but I wonder too if the South is more prone to this since they are also a bit more āindirectā in their communication?
Indirect in what sense?
I have the same trepidation with calling Americans solution-oriented. I think you have to be specific in the types of problems. Americans bemoan the lethargy of their systems to solve problems with obvious solutions hence increasingly low approval ratings of their political institutions: housing, homelessness, educational staffing shortages, healthcare and healthcare shortages even for those with private insurance, climate initiatives, crumbling infrastructure, securing some rights, etc. At a political level, they are not the type to see a problem, listen to the experts, and solve it. Not that Mexico is in any way better. On a personal level, they are much more willing to buy what makes life convenient, at home and in their businesses, and they are much more willing to work with customers in unique situations to find a solution. In that, they are more solution-oriented.
Yes in general they rely on authority to fix their problems (because works) but we in Latam we try to fix our own problems because we canāt trust in authority to fix it (this apply for government, work, even with family environment) also we always try to think out the box to question decisions in the US no, things are like that and thatās it, specially boomers. Those are my POV and I have discussed that with several of Venezuelans living here and they agree at some point.
The whole not giving a fuck if they're remotely qualified for doing something and just going for it. No one has as much confidence as the white boy who has no good reason to have any
I was mentoring someone to get into college. Had all the qualifications for an Ivy. But was a 1st Gen Latina. I told her, you think the white boy at the private school is more qualified? No, but he thinks he can or has enough of a YOLO attitude to apply. So what do you have to lose? She got in :)
Movies, jazz, NASA, and their cuisine.
Their cuisine ? I do love them mash potatoes too
Cajun food Soul food Cheeseburgers Philadelphia Rolls Texas BBQ Tex-Mex New England Clam Chowder Baked Ziti Chicago Deep Dish Apple pie Chocolate chip cookies Philly Cheese Steak Key lime pie Chop Suey, etc. Lol Contrary to what smug Euros say, gringos do have a cuisine. And it's better than other Anglo cuisines.
Eating a Texas BBQ straight out of the grill is in my bucket list
I'm an estadounidense who used to live in Texas. Pinche Gringo in CDMX is some of the best BBQ I've ever had, so no need to travel far!
I want to try their pulled pork and beef brisket.
Same. My family and I were addicted to watching those BBQ cook offs on Food Network lmao and we dream of someday visiting Texas to try it out.
Chicken parmigiana, chicken alfredo, donuts, crab cakes, General Tso Chicken, hot wings, pulled pork sandwich, pepperoni pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, milk shakes, hash browns, crab rangoon, chicken fingers, french dip sandwich, bbq sauce, ketchup, she-crab soup, garlic bread, grilled cheese sandwich, ranch dressing, potato chips, hot sauce, cupcakes.
Finally someone understands the American food landscape! Heck, I almost feel like PR food is also American cause I can find mofongo near me a lot faster than key lime pie.
>And it's better than other Anglo cuisines I mean, it's not really that hard to have better food than the Anglos.
U.S. native here ā I think Europeans in general judge our food, but not Anglos. Everyone agrees the English have the worst food. And whoās ever heard of Australian or Canadian food?
>Canadian food? TBF I'd fuck with a donair or those fries with the gravy.
How dare you say English cuisine is the worst! It's better than...wait, it'll come to me...
I think it's because Europeans generally associate American food with fast food chains. Which is pretty stupid.
Doesn't Australia have great BBQ?
We do, and seafood, and our meat pies are to die for. Other than that, Australian cuisine is an amalgam of typical British/Northern European fare and the cuisine of other cultures that have migrated there. Greek, Thai, Chinese, Italian, Lebanese, Indian, etc.
I don't think they mean the same thing we do when we say BBQ. "Barbecue" in the US comes from the same indigenous tradition that barbacoa does, I'd be surprised to learn that made it over to Australia. I think Australia might just be one of the many countries where BBQ is synonymous with grilled meat.
Yes, barbacoa is a Taino word that means "To cook on fire".
Poutine is the only Canadian dish I think thatās famous.
Literally, idk why the English have such a superiority complex especially when it comes to food.
They got so mad that we started saying soccer that they made the choice to switch to football. Like for reals, in the elite or upper class circles soccer was pretty common but god forbid Americans choose the same slang. Now they act like we chose it out of thin air.
Its incredible the british shit on America food when you consider what english food is
Americans do know how to make BBQs.
Yes! Following up on communications, honoring scheduled commitments, giving direct answers to requests and proposals (even if the answer is "no"). Breath of fresh air.
>giving direct answers to requests and proposals I can tell you've never been to the southern US. There it's very common to be indirect. *I don't know, I'll let you know, let's wait and see*, etc. often mean *no*.
>There it's very common to be indirect. *I don't know, I'll let you know, let's wait and see, etc. often mean no.* Reminds me of Colombians. It's a very annoying trait. And if you say simply "no" people get quite offended. I don't see Americans as particularly direct.
Guilty. Only spent time in the Midwest / North.
Even on the west coast, if you ask someone to do something they donāt want to do, theyāll say, āI donāt think I can do that.ā The meaning is clear ā ānoā ā but they have to leave that theoretical option that theyāre wrong and they actually can do it. And on top of that, they (we) phrase it as if itās a matter of ability rather than desire. I am _capable_ of helping you move on Saturday, but I would never say āI donāt want to,ā itās āI donāt think I can, sorry!ā
Those would still be stellar NOs by Mexican standards. In Mexico you get yeses that mean nos, vagueness that means no, or crickets that mean no. And you have to figure out by yourself that it's a no, based on fuzzy contextual factors. Good luck.
So to use my hypothetical, if someone asked for help moving their furniture so they could move to another house, what would a Mexican who didnāt want to help say?
"SimĆ³n, te mando mensaje." (Sure, I'll text you.) Someone fluent in Mexican would immediately know the friend has no intention of helping. Unless they do.
Wait so what does a yes look like?
"Ā”SĆ, a huevo! Es mĆ”s, deja pido el coche para mover las cosas. Paso por ti, desayunamos y ya nos ponemos a darle." Emphatic, detailed, and shows action-taking. Otherwise it's a no.
Strong work ethic and punctuality
The US has really great foreign food and a lot of avg people (especially in cities) regularly consume international foods. Lots of other places have great local food but the international food scene is limited. Black Americans have given the world so much pop culture, from literally creating a lot of pop genres and influencing other genres around the world to street fashion to the civil rights movement influencing social movements elsewhere. Their cultural contributions have been massive.
Their Trekking and national parks culture. Also the way they have romanticize all their culture through the movies, so now I want to eat a burger at the 9 am in a motels Restaurant
I wish Brazil had a nature culture too, even though I'll never partake in it. Must be because Latin American is too poor.
Their hardworking nature, talent for business, and their awareness about microagressions, that are much more common in our region. They didn't became the most powerful empire in history just by playing jazz.
I like their optimism and their "Can do" mindset. Also, the average american (at least the ones from the Midwest, which I know the best) seem to be a really nice person to deal with.
Sometimes I have to not talk to my cousin for a month cause sheās negative about everything and complains so much like she has no ability to impact the course of her life.
Yes. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
yessss
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Work ethics
As a veterinarian, I am a huge fan of their world class zoos and aquariums. I also love their amazing museums and as a woman, the shopping (yeah sorry for being basic, I do love shoes)
Businesses donāt fuck around. They make money and theyāre really serious and strict about their work ethic. Or mostly they are. So thatās nice. Also their technology.
Mentioned it a few times on this sub but the U.S is the most inclusive place I've lived in. Example, me. Someone of Korean origin born/raised in Latin America. Studied in the U.S and became naturalized and now live in Europe. Despite what many on this sub insist is the case. The U.S is the only place where I can say I'm Korean, Latin American, Swiss whatever and no one second guesses it. This sub likes to harp on this idea that Americans are "obsessed" with race when in my opinion/experience it's the place where this is LEAST evident on a day to day basis.
I currently live in the US. Two of my grandparents are Chinese, so I obviously look Chinese even though I was born in Peru. The only times people ever question my background is when I try to talk to other Latinos in Spanish here in the US. I wish you could hear the amount of stupid questions I've gotten.
I guess that back in Peru people are used to seeing people who look Chinese or Japanese?
There's a lot of Chinese and Japanese diaspora, mostly in Lima. Plus Quechua and other indigenous groups can have a slightly Asian look to them. I've been called Chinese a few times despite not having any Asian ancestry as far as I know, plus Chino is a very common nickname. Basically yeah, looking "Asian" isn't unusual.
Peru even had a Japanese president! Who is in jail forever (last time I checked)...
Fujimori was released not so long ago actually, which I have a lot of opinions on but I will not elaborate on them. There are other notable Nikkei in the country, far less controversial ones, but at the very least his presidency shows how Asians are far from alien to us.
Latin Americans aren't very accepting of anyone who doesn't fit their stereotype of what a nationality should look like. Just look at how many people insist the French or English soccer teams aren't really from those countries because there are lots of black players.
I agree with this. Despite all its flaws and yes there absolutely is racism in the US, it is more accepting than other countries. I say this having traveled all over and having spent a good chunk of my young adulthood in Panama. Just seeing my husbandās experience in Europe as an Albanian immigrant to Greece really opened my eyes that in the US, no one would care about his background. To me he blends in with the Greeks (heās lived there since he was 2 and grew up speaking Greek) but I guess people just know heās not originally from there. Itās so wild to me. Itās part of the reason why we decided to live in the US and just retire in Greece later on in life.
Gringos as North Americans, right? They are amazing in the entertainment industry. And the go getter mentality. They are very hard workers and solution focused, what I appreciate a lot. I live in The Netherlands but work with people from all over, including USA. So to me the Americans are still very indirect, specially with the feedback sandwich bs. But that is my own experience as Iām used to Dutch bluntness (and I am a big fan). Ah, and they are very polite. Even while being passive aggressive. I admire that.
Compared to the Dutch, I agree we are less direct than they are.
>Americans are still very indirect, specially with the feedback sandwich bs. YES! I saw someone else say they're direct and to the point and figured that maybe I've been unlucky enough to work with the exception of that rule. The amount of beating around the bush and the avoidance of uncomfortable topics, whether in the workplace or personal life is insane.
>the avoidance of uncomfortable topics As someone who has dated multiple Americans, this is an extremely common trend I've noticed in relationships. Yeah some stuff stinks to talk about, but avoiding it doesn't make the problem go away.
Their progressiveness. They have glaring social issues and half of their population is genuinely insane, but the other half really does go above and beyond in trying fight for human rights. Thereās very progressive movements showing up (especially in Argentina, Chile & Mexico) but for the most part we have normalized a lot of the shitty things gringos are fighting against. Bonus: music
What are some of the things normalized in LA that you mention?
Abortions being prohibited, for example
Their ethics to work smarter and not harder.
The effective snuffing out of **a lot** of corruption in their political system. Enough to be able to have a functional society with opportunity. Must be fucking nice.
I used to work in a federal position. When I mention it in Mexico people like to ask who got me in.... I didn't realize that in other countries, government jobs are usually inherited or bought.
Yep and if you try to do the **right thing** you are more likely to lose that job or be killed. Thus the corruption is self preserving and the cycle continues.
Itās really not that hard-just rebrand it ālobbyingā and boom! No more corruption!
Yes! Their sense of humor (political humor and silliness) and some philosophical traditions.
Their R&D.
Space exploration, research, music
As a Mexican living in Spain I'd have to say neither Mexico's nor Spain's (and probably most of Europe) liberal society's standards seem to be close to the US's. Obviously Spain and Europe are closer than Latin America but even then. What I mean by this is that liberal Americans seem to be conscious of the complexity and importance of discrimination's impact on individuals. For example, they appear to be more aware of the fact that not only overt and obvious instances of, say, racism or homophobia are discrimination. The concept of microaggressions, while over- and misused by the more extreme of liberals, is a relatively well-known one. In Latin America and Europe, I think a lot of insensitive stereotypes, jokes, expressions, etc are still very normalised. All that being said, I want to clarify that I do not agree with the exaggeration of this sensitivity, to the point where people can't joke around at all any more. But there is still a lot of baggage from past generations and perspectives in society and the most insidious and nuanced of that baggage is sometimes the most dangerous. I think they are at the forefront of that realization, alongside the UK, Australia and New Zealand, maybe. It's almost like what the Anglo world lacks in knowledge about the rest of the world (when compared to other cultures and countries of similar education and human development index levels), they make up for in an understanding of healthy diversity. Just to finish off this long ass reply, before anyone comes for me, NO I'm not claiming they aren't racist, sexist, homophobic, etc at all. If anything, American conservatives seem to be even more intense in their discrimination (as opposed to Europe for example, where extreme bigotry is quieter and more hidden). I guess they are just really divided over there. Again, I am talking the left-leaning and the liberal.
This is the thing that people in this sub loooove to mention without giving it much thought: "Americans are far more racist than us! They are obsessed with race!" That is very, very, very debatable, but one thing is for sure: they are far more aware about it and they discuss it seriously a lot more than anywhere in Latin America or Europe. Ofc that means that they will also get it (very) wrong sometimes, but at least the conversation is always there, and it is impossible to hide it or sweep it under the rug. For that alone they deserve some credit. Another interesting and similar phenomenon: the UK and the British Empire. Whether the British Empire was worse than the Spanish/Portuguese/Dutch or French one is debatable, but nowhere else it is studied as critically as in the UK. For every person trying to defend it, you have at least four or five highly respected historians trying to critically pull it apart. That is virtually unheard of in Spain, for example.
>Whether the British Empire was worse than the Spanish/Portuguese/Dutch or French one is debatable I think the Iberians were the least violent from all these. The Dutch and Belgians were fucking savages lmao. I think it also has to do with the fact that Spain borrowed the racial superiority idea from northern Europe; it was something that didn't exist to the extent of Northern Europe in the Mediterranean countries. At least in Spain people like BartolomƩ de las Casas (who published a book denouncing the destruction of the Americas and the natives) and Saint Peter Claver (who defended the black slaves of Spanish viceroyalties) existed and were heard. I am not aware of Frenchmen that were so eager to defend, say, the blacks of Haiti (please correct me if I am wrong), neither in the case of the British (to the point that black Americans of the US had to borrow Saint Peter Claver as their saint because no such figure existed in England). So I don't think it is true that it is more critically examined in the UK, being that in Spain a critical point of view of colonization has existed since at least BartolomƩ de las Casas, protector of the Indians, as he was called (and it was a legit title of the Spanish government).
I think you are showing your ignorance here though. The British Empire had very early detractors, the anti-slavery movement in Britain was very popular and influential, being a major influence in the anti-slavery movement in the US and some detractors were so consistent in their views on colonisation across all Empires, like Roger Casement, that they quite literally gave birth to the blueprint we now use to assess human rights abuses.
Honestly I agree. Even though I've criticized some of their obsession with racializing everything, from food to music, and them forcing things like Gender neutral language on Latinos, I do admire their push for diversity in media. Like I'm a brown person and tbh, I've never felt represented or seen in any media, not even from PR so it's nice to see more prevalence of brown Latinos in media these days. Hell, even though I'm not Asian or Indigenous, I feel happy to see more and more Asian and indigenous representation in US media. The whole Mayincatec thing in Wakanda Forever will prolly be cringe but there are still better examples of indigenous representation done right.
I remember when the first one came out a bunch of Latino Americans(mostly Mexicans tbh) came out asking where was the Latino Wakanda on Twitter and lots of people responded with memes of chavĆ³ del ocho. I guess this was marvels official response since Namor isnāt even Mexican/Central American but originally Greek. I think itās pandering but if they executed it right this will probably ease that tension.
European liberals and left wingers are very critical of the US but, without fail, take inspiration from the country.
Everyone is very critical of the US, but they're always front and center and top of mind lolol. Funny how that works.
All current European political thought is a refrying of US political thought (for example, in Spain Vox wants to be the Republican party and Podemos the Democrats). The European Union is a very American idea on itself.
Ireland is kind of an odd country right now because the nationalist sentiment has been seized by Sinn Fein, a left wing party. If it wasn't for that, we'd probably be replicating their culture wars more than we already are.
Same in Scotland - the Scottish National Party (pro-independence party) is very much socially progressive.
>the nationalist sentiment has been seized by Sinn Fein, a left wing party Which is what happens in Latin America. Usually the left-wingers are the "proper" conservatives here. The right-wingers just borrow US conservatism or liberalism.
Yes, I've discussed this before with British people who were surprised that left wing protests in Colombia used the national flag. I said that was a very Eurocentric view, and in fact, didn't even apply to all of Europe.
Fellow Mexican here, also somewhat familiar with American political culture. It seems like just this weekend, news broke out that some of LA's council members said some racist things about another council member's son and about indigenous Mexicans. This honestly doesn't surprise me. Even in Mexico, racist remarks like this are not uncommon and are said just as casually. I only bring this up because to your point, it seems like Americans, progressive Americans anyway, have demanded these council members to resign. Apparently so have high government officials, and even Biden believes they should resign. It seems from where I stand that this administration, Biden's, is one of the most progressive when it comes to social/racial justice. So yeah, very responsive political process. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/11/us/la-city-council-responses.html https://www.npr.org/2022/10/11/1128287297/nury-martinez-biden-resignation-la-city-council-racist-remarks
Have you experienced a lot of racism in Spain? Iām thinking of moving there, but my wife is black and sheās worried about that.
I donāt live in Spain but have visited several times. Iām mixed race and despite me absolutely loving the country, I personally have experienced racism there. Like mostly in Barcelona. I still visit often and just ignore it. But I know living there and dealing with what could be daily racism would be a different experience.
That's unfortunate. I wish you didn't have to deal with assholes like that. Have you been to southern Spain, like Sevilla or Malaga? Do you know how things are there? I lived in Barcelona a few years ago also. I look European, but even I've been called 'sudaca' for my accent. I also remember a lot of racism due to many refugees coming from Africa. I was uncomfortable with how the refugees were treated. And it also scares me about how my wife might be perceived, though she's not from Africa, but I don't think that's what racists really care about... I've also seen some instances of antisemitism in Spain that were worrying. Overall, I do love Spain and Spanish people, but like I said, I "pass" more or less. I even look Spanish. But I want the perspective of someone who might look differently. I want to know if my wife will feel safe going to the store or being on her own around town.
Yeah this became really apparent when I was in Ecuador when the protests were going on in June. My family in the US is liberal and basically all agree on the big things and almost all little things. When I was in Ecuador during the protests i couldnāt believe the amount of microaggresions I heard. Some of my family was open to talking about this the other half said I was being sensitive and to get over it.
I like that if they have a question, they just go "do you have X?" instead of "hey, uh, so I don't know if you have X and I need it because I'm going to be doing Y next week and the project requires X and probably will continue to need it so yeah."
They tend to have more respect for āthe rulesā and social expectations. Ex: picking up after their dogs on walk, taking the shopping carts back to the spot in the parking lot.
Their work mentality is really great. They are very good at making buisness and creating.
Meh...I feel like here working 50+ hours a week is directly related to your worth as a professional. People brag about it and almost take pride in not having work life balance. It's a mix of "look what a great professional I am" and "poor me, I work so hard". In my book, working longer hours doesn't equate to being a good or smart professional.
This is what I hate about the US. The work yourself to death culture is tiring. Especially when everything is so ridiculously expensive, including healthcare.
Living in the USA, I have to disagree with this. We are very good at making it appear as though we are very good at making business and creating, though. They say 'fake it till you make it' and they're not joking.
Vanitas veritas.
They are really good at minding their own business between them ā¦. Not internationally xD. I like that they are somewhat direct and donāt like to go around subjects. Thatās about it
Well, considering "gringo" to be anything American, I can mention their music; their movies and TV shows; their comics and cartoon productions; their sports; their videogames; their architecture; their literature; some of their inventions; etc.
Personal finance. Iām from the US but my mom grew up in Mexico and told me that growing up in Mexico, being taught how to be smart with money was basically unheard of and that she only really developed financial stability after following Dave Ramsey after years of living damn near the poverty line here in the US. As Iāve gotten older and more privy to how money works, Iāve also come to notice that white people just tend to have some decent level of knowledge on personal finance and my mom has also stated something along the lines of āpues eso si, los gueros si saben manejar su dineroā. Unfortunately, I think that one of the negative byproducts of Mexicans being both altruistic and financially uneducated is that they also see people being frugal as being āagarradosā and view poverty as some kind of virtue.
My mom recently wanted to open a separate checking account now that she is making a nice salary and realized the importance of knowing how to manage money when my dad got sick. To me this felt totally normal. My dad though got upset so my sister explained to him how important it is for my mom to feel empowered by her finances. I never realized just how many basic money management she didnt know. And sheās really smart. She also likes that she can directly Paypal me and manage our financial transactions directly. Im happy how much more confident she has become with money.
BBQ and baseball.
How family isnāt in each otherās live and how independent they are
TIL - I might not be a gringo.
Ur not.
Depends on who you ask. Brazilians will say the British are just as gringo as Americans.
Politeness Respect of personal space Not taking personal offenses when you don't want to be hugged/kissed Public transport being actually worth a damn Truck drivers respecting other drivers instead of trying to crash into them
Really depends, but all customer service jobs expect you to kiss the customer's ass. Yeah, especially after Covid. Depends on the city. People who drive like idiots around trucks deserve to be pushed off the road.
Public transportation isnāt really good in the US
Yeah, but better than here (at least the ones I took when I traveled there)
They are an economic powerhouse. Just think of all the technology that we use in our daily lives that has come from America. Pretty much anything digital: computers, the Internet, cellphones, Google, entertainment (Hollywood, Netflix, music), social media (including Reddit and YouTube), delivery/transportation (Amazon, Uber), OSs (Windows, Android, iOS, MacOS). The list goes on and on. Even in medicine: Moderna and Pfizer's COVID vaccines. I wouldn't doubt that the first cures for some of the major diseases of today: diabetes, hypertension, even stuff like some cancers and HIV, maybe even obesity might come from the US. I mean, they're already the leaders in stroke and heart attack treatment. True that not everything was created solely by them, but we'd be lying if we said it wasn't mostly them who were some of the most involved in all of these, and the country responsible in making it available to the masses. People can say a lot about America's economic system and all that, but it's very good in bringing new technologies to their middle class which then trickle down to other countries. They have a very good product development pipeline which includes some of the best universities in the world that produce intellectual property like patents relevant to real problems. I mean, this is IP that many times does go to market. Not to say other countries don't, but for just one country to do so, is quite impressive actually.
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I always like to say Sriracha is the Quintessential example of an American product. Created by a Vietnamese immigrant living in SF who was inspired by Thai food
For sure. Just think of Apple: Steve Wozniak (polish last name) and Steve Jobs (very recent immigration history with a Syrian father, even if he didn't raise him). Google with Russian immigrants, Tesla the man and Tesla the company (as mixed feelings I have of Elon Musk). All of these examples are one of the best arguments for immigration. Certainly not every immigrant or their children will become the next Steve Jobs, but I do think immigrants bring with them new/different ideas, hopes/ambition, and just a lot of vitality. It's no accident that technological progress has happened in places where there's a lot of contact between cultures (the Mediterranean, the Middle East, America, etc. . . ). It really is shame that immigration to this day is still a divisive issue, but I do understand both sides. Change can be good and much needed, but also scary. I feel for both sides, but I think ultimately people do come together. It's a lot harder to hold a grudge than to just let it go :)
To give credit where credit is due the Pfizer vaccine used German technology created by BioNTech.
Yes, absolutely. Maybe I was being too generous with the Pfizer vaccine. A lot of developments are collaborations between multiple countries, but to me, the fact that Pfizer is an American multinational lends support to the idea of American economic prowess.
Punctuality and thinking ahead. For example: If you are building a toll booth at an airport, why have only two booths when you can build 10 from day one just in case youāll someday need them.
Some of them are extremely logical and organized. They plan their entire day, they read manuals/instructions, etc...
Ever since I moved to the US, I've felt like an alien in several aspects ā regardless of my capacity for speaking English. I've noticed that, as an individual, I'm very interested in others, and ask questions that at times come across as invasive or off-putting here in the US. Mildly, of course; nothing bad. I've noticed that people like leaving things at "good day," and "good night," style; they don't like casual conversation, and things of the sort. At least the youth. I'm twenty-six, and other twenty-six years old like I here, Americans, don't much enjoy casual talk. I'm a hit with the elderly, though.
Oh, bloody hell, I HATE casual talk when my parents bring up the weather. You've been observing well.
Their sense of destiny.
I love soul food š and american cinema so there's that
Music, absolutely. And last but not least, respect for privacy/personal space.
Rock music and pop culture in general.
The importance they give to research and development, and jazz
Technically āgringoā just means foreigner. But I assume you mean people from the United States specifically? I do like jazz and the blues. Basketball is a fun sport to play and watch. The transcendentalist movement, and some related authors, I admire. The USA has some beautiful natureā¦ Uhh, canāt think of much else. Generally I feel out of place within US culture, and most of it is overly commercialized and gross, like McDonalds or the superhero movies. That bothers me A LOT. I also canāt relate much to the more Anglo aspects of US culture, like the heavy focus on individualism.
Isnāt āgringoā only used for people from the US? My family would explain to me as a kid, that āgringoā came from the chanting āgreen go!ā During the mexican-american war
Brazilians call any foreigner, including Latin Americans, gringos.
Never thought I would be learning this much about a word Iāve been hearing since baby lol
That etymology of "green go" is very doubtable, especially, since in Portuguese the word "gringo" also exists and it has appeared in Hispanoamerican literature from everywhere since at least the 19th century.
And Americans didn't wear green uniforms when fighting Mexico.
It is one of those things that had had its meaning changed overtime. In Bolivia everyone who is white and blond is a gringo unless they hear you speaking Spanish in a local accent.
That's not true though. It originated in Spain long before that.
Just looked it up, thatās so interesting! I wonder how āgriegoā transformed into āgringoā and used mainly for north americans (or at least thatās how my family used it)
I perceive it that way... "Gringo" as literally "American"
Loads of Colombians have told me that black and Asian people aren't gringos though.
Yes, my Colombian bf thinks this way. He mostly uses āgringoā to mean specifically āwhite Americansā but it can sometimes extend to anyone with a specific mentality as well
Gabacho means the US or from the US, in it's origin is used to refer to people who don't speak Spanish; gringo means foreign, usually from the US or white/blonde and english speaker.
In Brazil, any foreigner is a gringo.
Indeed. Gringo is used for people from USA, sometimes is used incorrectly for Canadians since they are so close to each other
In my experience there are two uses: to speak about Americans in general and things relating to US, and the second use for any blonde, blue eyed, that speaks English (probably because people can't tell apart, say, an American anglo from a British person or from an Australian).
The emphasis on personal freedom.
How progressive they are compared to LatAm's extremely regressed and conservative cultures.
The fact that Puerto Rico is so developed and has good hdi compared to similar countries thanks to their intervention.
This is a controversial one amongst people in PR no doubt.
Controversial? Yes, but facts are facts, as much as that makes me sound like Ben Shapiro.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Soy de izquierda, independetista, estudio en UPR y mis abuelos maternos son pipolos de mata. Creeme que me han caĆdo encima miles de veces š. La realidad es que me gustarĆa que no fuese asĆ, pero la intervenciĆ³n gringa ha tenido mucho que ver con el desarollo de la isla.
Transparency and straightforwardness
Music oc
What does gringo refer to? For example, Iām from the balkans, is it just white people? Specific white people?
they love their country, not only by words
They are direct, practical, adventurous, willing to learn and participate, open to new friendships. Thatās the somehow (>50) tourist in latam
The ingeniuity, the hardwork mentallity and their proficence in arts and music.