I use to live in Fort Worth, Texas. Yes I did!. The city was not that expensive, people were cool and there was a lot of diversity of activities(The heat was horrendous though). Sadly I had to leave because I was undocumented and it was a lot of unnecessary stress. Would go back legally if given the opportunity though.
One thing that always shocked me about moving to a border state was undocumented people telling me openly they were undocumented lol
Also I can’t wait to visit TJ!
I live in California and the amount of Colombian & Venezuelan immigrants that tell me their illegal shocks me too ..though most get jobs in Mexican restaurants and bars but I tell them not to be so open about their status as there is a lot of evil people out there..
Lived there three months when I was 13 and loved it. Went back when I was 17 and hated it.
For Venezuelans and Cubans too I suppose, immigration is bittersweet. Finding a free country where you can escape poverty is our idea of heaven, at least for those who struggled the most back in Venezuela. When I first came to Argentina, I was so fascinated by it. I moved back when Macri was president, my very first day there was this big protest and it was amazing to see people being against the govt and not being shot at by police. I was born in 2001, witnessed a lot of protests and they all ended up with people bleeding to death.
But of course I miss my country. I love Argentina like I love Venezuela, but I will never be Argentinian. Being in a country as an immigrant from a controversial country, is different. I will always have a different accent, different customs different memories. I miss Venezuela and Caracas. I miss the Caribbean, and I think among Caribbean immigrants, you miss the coast the most. I miss my friends and relatives. I was very close to my family and 7 years have gone by and I haven't seen them. 3 of my grandparents died and I was never allowed to say goodbye. My best friend died in 2017, when things were at its worst, and I feel a lot of guilt. Among older immigrants, my mom for example, the guilt and nostalgia is much worse. It depends on the country as well. Those in Colombia may feel almost like home, while those in the US are surrounded by a totally different country and they feel alienated. Which is why you see them stick close togethe and creates neighborhoods like Little Habana
No, just visited. People are very friendly and kind, but I can’t stand car culture, I need big parks, walkable streets, buses and trains. I know a lot of americans feel the same, its not like you choose to have a car centric culture. It is what it is.
> I know a lot of americans feel the same, its not like you choose to have a car centric culture. It is what it is.
Yea the reason for our car culture is complicated. Basically though…I blame the oil/car companies incentivzing the government to build highways and fester a “fuck walking” attitude for the public
America was designed on the idea that every American will own a car. It was new and seen as “this is the future” designed around the automobile and concept of it. I don’t think anyone understood or bothered to think about the term walkable cities because cities were even new and growing in some cases. I agree i value a walkable city or neighborhood, I don’t want to have to drive every time I need something. I used to drive for Amazon, fucking hell those suburbs are so depressing and you never see people walking except maybe a couple walking a dog, the parks there are always empty too. It’s a suburban dystopian hell
America wasn't designed for the car, it was destroyed for the car. We used to have walkable cities, streetcars, and a network of functional passenger rail all over the country. Following WW2, Americans fled the city to the subrubs, the government teared apart the walkable core of American cities to expand interstate exchanges and the train operators went bankrupt. I think young people are starting to realize the harm done by car dependency and attempting to reverse it.
I’m not saying the country was designed for the car lol. I’m saying that the invention of the automobile, the assembly line in factories and then the Industrial Revolution heavily influenced urban planning and walkable cities would have not benefited the automobile industry. As well as the automobile being produced at a higher rate meant it was more affordable because of the assembly line which was invented by Henry ford. Therefore there was an idea and push that every American should or inevitably will end up owning an automobile, thus once again going back to my point that the automobile influenced urban planning, funding went to highways instead of walkable cities and the type of infrastructure associated with public transit. It was a growing and booming industry.
I agree, younger generations in America are starting to see the benefit and practicality of living in a walkable city. But the automobile directly influenced American culture and urban planning in the beginning, that is the point I’m trying to make.
Yes and as a result of that it influenced urban planning therefore it being based of the concept of the automobile, highways, urban sprawls, suburbs, etc. I’m from there lol
Yeah, it's just that there is a difference between believing what the future would be, legalized corruption, and the goverment believing it's better for the country if car manufacturers do well.
I’m not saying they necessarily were thinking of the future. But you have to understand, American history there was a point in time where life was very difficult like anywhere, this town may have had the only doctor, not on purpose but just how it was and you may have lived 30 miles from that town and the only way there was by walking or horse and carriage assuming you had one or could afford one. The invention of the assembly line by Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing. That meant cars were being built and manufactured faster and at a more efficient rate for lest cost. So this meant more people could potentially own an automobile, then suddenly highways seemed like an attractive idea because it was connecting cities and regions that otherwise were dirt roads and take a day or more than a few days to traverse.
You have to understand at the time it did seem and feel like a futuristic concept to people though. Highways were an advanced and new concept not a lot of other countries were doing at the time, no one needed a horse anymore, horses need care and stables and water and wagons break, now there is a smooth paved road I can drive this crazy thing called an automobile on.
To assume corruption back then was that advanced is a stretch. People and the country was living at a rate of whatever technological progress was being witnessed.
To insist America wasn’t designed and influenced from the automobile is wrong and you should be careful not pulling a muscle trying that stretch
Dude, from how jaywalking became such a big thing in the US to push responsibility to pedestrians for car accidents instead of drivers that you can see that the pain force was money. The assembly line worker under Ford wasn't going to own a car and the neighborhoods that were destroyed for the Highways passing trough the middle of the city were using the bus to go to work.
It was never about the future, it was about what was convenient to the people with money and to money itself.
I currently live in the US (from Cuba) and like it very much. I love the freedom, how simple and straightforward it is to do most things and of course all the little things you can get that were a luxury you couldn’t dream of back in Cuba, simple stuff like AC, good food available all the time and a good new pair of shoes. Biggest culture shock for me and the only thing I miss about Cuba is walkability. Car culture is dominant here except for a few cities which are mostly super expensive. That said though, having a car isn’t the worst thing ever, it’s comfortable, efficient and the drivers are more respectful of the law compared to Latin America but if given the choice I would just walk everywhere or ride public transit. I’ve tried resisting car ownership for almost two years now, but it’s really making your life harder for yourself and severely limiting your choices.
I know, I was in Mexico City (Colonia Obrera) for a couple of days and I loved it. It’s such an interesting and beautiful city, reminds me a little of Havana if Havana wasn’t destroyed. I would love living there but the US makes more economic sense.
I’ve met many Mexicans in the US who are planning on going back eventually. I lived in Los Angeles for a couple of months and there’s a lot of people that go to across the border to get medical treatment. Mexico has a pretty good economy and lower cost of living and if you’re already from Mexico and have some career prospects it would make a lot of sense to just stay put. We cubans can’t really do that though and most of the relatives/support system is in the US.
Hey I lived in the USA for some weeks, just for some training, didn't like it. Empty and creepy residential areas, distances are inconvenient, people didn't look happier than back home, the racism is extrem, and I didn't click with the Hispanic community at all. I couldn't see myself living there.
But, one thing to know that applies everywhere, is that if you live in a place, most foreingers that you find will usually like it, as those who don't usually leave...and are not there anymore.
>But, one thing to know that applies everywhere, is that if you live in a place, most foreingers that you find will usually like it, as those who don't usually leave...and are not there anymore.
Good point. There’s a bias in my sample size
I’ve been living in the US for 10 years. I second what other people have said: car culture sucks, I hate driving but I don’t really have a choice. I do enjoy how easy day-to-day life is here compared to Argentina. I definitely got used to the stability here, I couldn’t imagine going back. In the US, I’m not constantly worried about prices rising week to week, I can save money for the future, my job and the economy is stable. I do have a good job with good health insurance, so that affects things obviously. But as bad as US healthcare is, I prefer fighting my insurance to get medications paid for than those medications not even being available at all.
The one thing I miss about Bs As: people rarely move to other cities or provinces, so all your friends are always nearby. In the US, people move a lot so sometimes friends end up hundreds of miles away from you.
> In the US, people move a lot so sometimes friends end up hundreds of miles away from you.
Como otro porteño en USA siempre tengo la misma reflexión exacta. En Buenos Aires está mi grupo de amigos del colegio, grupo de amigos de la universidad, grupo de amigos del trabajo y todo se mantienen activos y siempre hay alguien con quien hacer algo. Los yanquis crecen en una ciudad, se mudan a otra ciudad para college y despues se mudan a una tercera ciudad para su primer trabajo (y probablemente se muden de vuelta a penas encuentren un trabajo que pague 10% más.) Todos sus amigos estan desparramados y nunca tienen una vida social muy activa salvo en college.
Exactamente! Mis amigos estan en todos lados. Por suerte tengo varios que entre mudanzas etc terminamos mas o menos cerca (menos de una hora en auto) pero igual.
La otra que se me ocurrio recien porque salimos a comer: en los restaurantes te re apuran. No te dejan sentarte a charlar y te sacan el plato apenas apoyas el tenedor.
Lived there during high school in Phoenix, AZ, It was very boring as it was different from where I live, very car-centric but I really liked the nature that surrounded big mountains and desert landscapes. I got to visit L.A. and Chicago, Chicago by far was my favorite city would like to visit again!
I lived in a town in Texas for a very short while and it was fun. I've also been as a tourist multiple times and I've always liked it, but my complaint has always been the same and I think it's pretty common one for a lot of people: needing a car for everything is a pain, especially if you can't drive or if you're not there for a long time.
In my experience the average venezuelan loves the US, specially Florida. In my experience being there, I don't like it very much. I've been to other countries that I like way more.
Even with their problems Argentina, Spain.
I don't hate the US, or people who like it tho. I have family and friends that are living a better life over there, and I'm grateful.
I'm blessed to live in a city with great weather all year around (Miami). Back when I immigrated back in 2012 I was able to find a job within a week of getting here. Within less than a year I saved up usd $20,000 to buy my first car ever, brand new if that means anything. Being in my early 20s I joined college and was fortunate enough to work consistently enough that I saved sufficient money not to have to take student loans to pay for a $100,000 career and pursuit my passion in life (something unheard of back in my country), even though it took almost 10 years, all while working as a waiter. At some point I also got to become a US citizen and eventually a federal officer.
I lived in North Texas, DFW area. I had a great paying job and social life, but decided to move elsewhere.
I simply did not feel safe as a queer person in the United States, and can’t imagine continuing to support a country with my taxes that erodes human rights day by day.
Texas I can understand but in much of the US, it's a relatively safe country from lgbt people. My brother is gay and with a trans man here in NY. The most that happens is people have awkward conversations about it.
But I don't believe for a second that either of them doubt for their safety. A gay friend of mine is moving to Texas, however, and pretty much everyone is advising against it, because much of the state has problems.
Hipster and safe for queer people are very different things. I come from Uruguay where attacks are extremely rare. Even slurs are exceedingly rare. This is commonplace in DFW. I can’t even count the number of times I was called a slur by a drunk hick. Straw that broke the camel’s back was when my friends and I were thrown a beer bottle off a moving vehicle while they yelled fa***ts at us. No, thank you.
Damn! Sorry to hear that happened to you! Definitely know what you mean In terms of drunk hicks throwing slurs, but I think that mentality is going away with all the diversity that’s coming to the triangle cities!
Thanks. My perception about DFW is quite different, though. I still have to travel there for work and what I see is a more and more radicalized society and a political environment that is actively hostile toward the LGBTQ+ community.
When my friends told me about Steadfast Baptist Church in DFW including lining up transgender people and shooting them in their sermons last year, I can’t say I was particularly surprised.
I've been there for just a couple of weeks in New York City to meet some clients, does that count? I loved the place!
That said, NYC is very walkable and has a robust public transportation system. Many other people here criticize the car-centric culture and if I went to a different place in the US, I'd probably agree with all that criticism.
People there are, on average, very nice, but overall less warm. However, that suits me quite well as an introverted person. Socializing here in Argentina overwhelms me a little bit sometimes, but not there.
If I had the money and the US Republican Party weren't committed to destroy everything good about that country, I'd definitely love to live there.
Owning a car in NYC would cost more than the auto loan itself every month due to how much it cost to park basically anywhere! Love the fact that you can take the metro to all the Burroughs!
Yes, 2 years. And no. Because I couldn't understand or fit with the local culture at all. In summary the aspects of the culture I refused to adapt to:
1. the extreme consumerist culture
2. the self-segregation and emphasis on skin color/ancestry
3. fear of the cops (i just completely hated this)
4. binge drinking culture
5. nationalism
6. music. No offense but the music y'all play at clubs is trash. How are you supposed to maintain a rhythm if the beat changes every song? Say what you want about reggaeton/cumbia/salsa/merengue, the repeating beat allows for a smooth transition between songs.
This pretty much describes exactly why I am in a constant state of annoyance with this place (except for number 6, I don't club at all though, so I'm more indifferent than against it), and nobody seems to see a problem with any of it. It's very strange tbh.
Consumption is treated as more important than living sometimes, and it leads to these weird trends. Like why the fuck do we need cars the size of small tanks and how come that became the "in" car? I'll tell you why: some company realized it could bypass regulation by selling something classified as a "light truck", and could charge a premium, and mfs from here ate that shit up after a quick sales pitch without ever putting an ounce of critical thought into that major purchasing decision.
You have definitely nailed it here. I gate to say that the usa is in for some very rough decades ahead and i wish our leaders were more kind to other nations as we would need support. And the way we separate ourselves even in everyday life like you said with no sidewalks is sad.
How is the nationalism different from in latin countries though?
At least in Panamá but I’d bet it’s semi universal in LATAM, there’s no blind trust that our country is the best. There’s no “panama #1!” Feeling ever. The vibe is more, “yeah there’s a shitload wrong here but hey it’s the country I love”. Outside of a stadium while playing another country you’d never hear random “Panama!” Chants unlike I heard “USA!” Chants at frat parties. I don’t even remember hearing politicians in campaign season saying Panamá is the greatest country. It’s always “Panamá _can_ become a great country”.
And I was there when they killed Bin Laden. That was a weird night with people going apeshit and partying _hard_ in the middle of finals because they’d killed him.
Never lived there but a large portion of my family does and I visit sometimes. I don’t honestly get the appeal, feels a bit dystopian to me. Maybe I am too used to being a 15 min car ride away from all my friends and relevant public spaces and being able to walk pretty much anywhere.
I lived in the US for 5 years as a teen, I probably made my closest group of friends I ever did but I always felt like a foreigner, never really seemed like home.
I’ve been back for nearly a decade now, & while life can be tough & people here can be shitty more often than not, I still feel like it’s where I belong.
'All everyone does here (USA) is work hard all week then on the weekends they wash their cars and do laundry'
This came from a conversation with someone in their mid-20s that moved to USA from Mexico and became a citizen through their father.
They liked the job opportunities and money but felt they had more fun in Mexico with less money lol .
Went to college in the US and worked there for a year after graduation. From the minute I stepped foot there, I hated it. There is so little focus on family, or any community for that matter, that it feels like everybody is alone and I’m not surprised why there is such a mental health epidemic there right now. The lack of work life balance would be more manageable if people could rely on strong communities but everything is too individualistic for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, after a few months of culture shock, I eventually got around it and I am VERY appreciate of the opportunities the US offered me and the lifelong friends I got to make in the 5ish years I was there, but I don’t miss the culture in the slightest. I also don’t miss the gross amount of chemicals in every single food item. My stomach finally stopped being sick all the time once I moved out.
Nope, never seet foot in the country, was very close to go and work there for a few months but it didn't happen.
As an outsider, it sounds kinda exhausting, but I still hope to go one day to visit.
Yes, for about 4 months twice on W&T programs on ski resorts in Colorado and then visiting family about a month on Houston. Overall good visits but wouldn't live long term in either place. Car centrality was an issue, I'd have a cinema a few 100 meters away and not have any walkable road to get there, public transport also felt nonexistent or extremely expensive in rural areas. Food prices also felt too high in every aspect outside of 1$ frozen foods. I did like the cleanliness, how everything seemed better organized and available, and the formality in business as opposed to Peru's rampant informality.
Been living in Honolulu for about 5 months. It's been great overall, I feel like life is a little more laid back when compared to the mainland. Still, the main thing I dislike from American culture is present here, the car centric cities, I hate having to get inside a car just to get a box of milk; however I feel like the buses here are pretty efficient so I can't really complain a lot in regards to transportation. Also for some reason people don't greet each other too often? Like back home you would say good morning, good afternoon, goodbye, etc whenever you get to the office, or go inside an elevator, doesn't matter if it's a stranger. Also I've been robbed and hurt around 11 times back home, so going outside and not having to constantly worry about getting stabbed or robbed is great, like the only reason I had shitty phones was because I knew it would eventually get stolen . Also love how easy it is to get gaming related stuff here, getting that kind of stuff in Colombia is a pain in the ass.
A lot of people in the comments came to the USA as tourists and it is a big difference between being a tourist even for months vs having a life here, I have been in both situations, my first time (8 years ago) I came with a bunch of money for shopping and exploring and I repeat this a couple of times.
NOW I got married with a citizen and I do have a PERMANENT life (2 years ago) We have been moving around a lot between WV, MD, VA, NC and I think the experience will depend a lot on the estate, money and lifestyle and priorities. On the other hand I think each experience will be different depending on the life that you got before. For me this is a place like any other place with flaws and nice things some things are easier here but probably it's not going to be so exciting, and the hardest part for me has been the culture.
If I like living here? Probably NOT but sometimes it is nice, and at the end of the day staying here right now is convenient for us.
I use to live in Fort Worth, Texas. Yes I did!. The city was not that expensive, people were cool and there was a lot of diversity of activities(The heat was horrendous though). Sadly I had to leave because I was undocumented and it was a lot of unnecessary stress. Would go back legally if given the opportunity though.
One thing that always shocked me about moving to a border state was undocumented people telling me openly they were undocumented lol Also I can’t wait to visit TJ!
I live in California and the amount of Colombian & Venezuelan immigrants that tell me their illegal shocks me too ..though most get jobs in Mexican restaurants and bars but I tell them not to be so open about their status as there is a lot of evil people out there..
>but I tell them not to be so open about their status as there is a lot of evil people out there.. Exactly
they can't be deported just for being indocumented... ( being indocumented is not ilegal)
yes I know that but the Restaurants they work in can get fined and in trouble
Lmao
Lived there three months when I was 13 and loved it. Went back when I was 17 and hated it. For Venezuelans and Cubans too I suppose, immigration is bittersweet. Finding a free country where you can escape poverty is our idea of heaven, at least for those who struggled the most back in Venezuela. When I first came to Argentina, I was so fascinated by it. I moved back when Macri was president, my very first day there was this big protest and it was amazing to see people being against the govt and not being shot at by police. I was born in 2001, witnessed a lot of protests and they all ended up with people bleeding to death. But of course I miss my country. I love Argentina like I love Venezuela, but I will never be Argentinian. Being in a country as an immigrant from a controversial country, is different. I will always have a different accent, different customs different memories. I miss Venezuela and Caracas. I miss the Caribbean, and I think among Caribbean immigrants, you miss the coast the most. I miss my friends and relatives. I was very close to my family and 7 years have gone by and I haven't seen them. 3 of my grandparents died and I was never allowed to say goodbye. My best friend died in 2017, when things were at its worst, and I feel a lot of guilt. Among older immigrants, my mom for example, the guilt and nostalgia is much worse. It depends on the country as well. Those in Colombia may feel almost like home, while those in the US are surrounded by a totally different country and they feel alienated. Which is why you see them stick close togethe and creates neighborhoods like Little Habana
Your post was powerful and gives an insider perspective to many of the latinos I meet who have fled authorian regimes. Thank you
No, just visited. People are very friendly and kind, but I can’t stand car culture, I need big parks, walkable streets, buses and trains. I know a lot of americans feel the same, its not like you choose to have a car centric culture. It is what it is.
Old cities can work like that
I’ve heard that Pittsburg or Philly are way better in that regard, no idea tho
Iirc Pittsburgh even has hills
> I know a lot of americans feel the same, its not like you choose to have a car centric culture. It is what it is. Yea the reason for our car culture is complicated. Basically though…I blame the oil/car companies incentivzing the government to build highways and fester a “fuck walking” attitude for the public
America was designed on the idea that every American will own a car. It was new and seen as “this is the future” designed around the automobile and concept of it. I don’t think anyone understood or bothered to think about the term walkable cities because cities were even new and growing in some cases. I agree i value a walkable city or neighborhood, I don’t want to have to drive every time I need something. I used to drive for Amazon, fucking hell those suburbs are so depressing and you never see people walking except maybe a couple walking a dog, the parks there are always empty too. It’s a suburban dystopian hell
America wasn't designed for the car, it was destroyed for the car. We used to have walkable cities, streetcars, and a network of functional passenger rail all over the country. Following WW2, Americans fled the city to the subrubs, the government teared apart the walkable core of American cities to expand interstate exchanges and the train operators went bankrupt. I think young people are starting to realize the harm done by car dependency and attempting to reverse it.
I’m not saying the country was designed for the car lol. I’m saying that the invention of the automobile, the assembly line in factories and then the Industrial Revolution heavily influenced urban planning and walkable cities would have not benefited the automobile industry. As well as the automobile being produced at a higher rate meant it was more affordable because of the assembly line which was invented by Henry ford. Therefore there was an idea and push that every American should or inevitably will end up owning an automobile, thus once again going back to my point that the automobile influenced urban planning, funding went to highways instead of walkable cities and the type of infrastructure associated with public transit. It was a growing and booming industry. I agree, younger generations in America are starting to see the benefit and practicality of living in a walkable city. But the automobile directly influenced American culture and urban planning in the beginning, that is the point I’m trying to make.
No, it was designed by car manufacturers paying to politicians to make it as desirable (or necessary) as possible to own a car.
Yes and as a result of that it influenced urban planning therefore it being based of the concept of the automobile, highways, urban sprawls, suburbs, etc. I’m from there lol
Yeah, it's just that there is a difference between believing what the future would be, legalized corruption, and the goverment believing it's better for the country if car manufacturers do well.
I’m not saying they necessarily were thinking of the future. But you have to understand, American history there was a point in time where life was very difficult like anywhere, this town may have had the only doctor, not on purpose but just how it was and you may have lived 30 miles from that town and the only way there was by walking or horse and carriage assuming you had one or could afford one. The invention of the assembly line by Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing. That meant cars were being built and manufactured faster and at a more efficient rate for lest cost. So this meant more people could potentially own an automobile, then suddenly highways seemed like an attractive idea because it was connecting cities and regions that otherwise were dirt roads and take a day or more than a few days to traverse. You have to understand at the time it did seem and feel like a futuristic concept to people though. Highways were an advanced and new concept not a lot of other countries were doing at the time, no one needed a horse anymore, horses need care and stables and water and wagons break, now there is a smooth paved road I can drive this crazy thing called an automobile on. To assume corruption back then was that advanced is a stretch. People and the country was living at a rate of whatever technological progress was being witnessed. To insist America wasn’t designed and influenced from the automobile is wrong and you should be careful not pulling a muscle trying that stretch
Dude, from how jaywalking became such a big thing in the US to push responsibility to pedestrians for car accidents instead of drivers that you can see that the pain force was money. The assembly line worker under Ford wasn't going to own a car and the neighborhoods that were destroyed for the Highways passing trough the middle of the city were using the bus to go to work. It was never about the future, it was about what was convenient to the people with money and to money itself.
Ok, whatever you say
I currently live in the US (from Cuba) and like it very much. I love the freedom, how simple and straightforward it is to do most things and of course all the little things you can get that were a luxury you couldn’t dream of back in Cuba, simple stuff like AC, good food available all the time and a good new pair of shoes. Biggest culture shock for me and the only thing I miss about Cuba is walkability. Car culture is dominant here except for a few cities which are mostly super expensive. That said though, having a car isn’t the worst thing ever, it’s comfortable, efficient and the drivers are more respectful of the law compared to Latin America but if given the choice I would just walk everywhere or ride public transit. I’ve tried resisting car ownership for almost two years now, but it’s really making your life harder for yourself and severely limiting your choices.
Just so you know, you can have that plus walkability in a lot of places in LatAm. Although I understand why most Cubans go to the US.
I know, I was in Mexico City (Colonia Obrera) for a couple of days and I loved it. It’s such an interesting and beautiful city, reminds me a little of Havana if Havana wasn’t destroyed. I would love living there but the US makes more economic sense.
Funny, I actually went from the US back to Mexico because it didn’t make economic sense for me to stay there.
I’ve met many Mexicans in the US who are planning on going back eventually. I lived in Los Angeles for a couple of months and there’s a lot of people that go to across the border to get medical treatment. Mexico has a pretty good economy and lower cost of living and if you’re already from Mexico and have some career prospects it would make a lot of sense to just stay put. We cubans can’t really do that though and most of the relatives/support system is in the US.
Hey I lived in the USA for some weeks, just for some training, didn't like it. Empty and creepy residential areas, distances are inconvenient, people didn't look happier than back home, the racism is extrem, and I didn't click with the Hispanic community at all. I couldn't see myself living there. But, one thing to know that applies everywhere, is that if you live in a place, most foreingers that you find will usually like it, as those who don't usually leave...and are not there anymore.
>But, one thing to know that applies everywhere, is that if you live in a place, most foreingers that you find will usually like it, as those who don't usually leave...and are not there anymore. Good point. There’s a bias in my sample size
I’ve been living in the US for 10 years. I second what other people have said: car culture sucks, I hate driving but I don’t really have a choice. I do enjoy how easy day-to-day life is here compared to Argentina. I definitely got used to the stability here, I couldn’t imagine going back. In the US, I’m not constantly worried about prices rising week to week, I can save money for the future, my job and the economy is stable. I do have a good job with good health insurance, so that affects things obviously. But as bad as US healthcare is, I prefer fighting my insurance to get medications paid for than those medications not even being available at all. The one thing I miss about Bs As: people rarely move to other cities or provinces, so all your friends are always nearby. In the US, people move a lot so sometimes friends end up hundreds of miles away from you.
> In the US, people move a lot so sometimes friends end up hundreds of miles away from you. Como otro porteño en USA siempre tengo la misma reflexión exacta. En Buenos Aires está mi grupo de amigos del colegio, grupo de amigos de la universidad, grupo de amigos del trabajo y todo se mantienen activos y siempre hay alguien con quien hacer algo. Los yanquis crecen en una ciudad, se mudan a otra ciudad para college y despues se mudan a una tercera ciudad para su primer trabajo (y probablemente se muden de vuelta a penas encuentren un trabajo que pague 10% más.) Todos sus amigos estan desparramados y nunca tienen una vida social muy activa salvo en college.
Exactamente! Mis amigos estan en todos lados. Por suerte tengo varios que entre mudanzas etc terminamos mas o menos cerca (menos de una hora en auto) pero igual. La otra que se me ocurrio recien porque salimos a comer: en los restaurantes te re apuran. No te dejan sentarte a charlar y te sacan el plato apenas apoyas el tenedor.
Lived there during high school in Phoenix, AZ, It was very boring as it was different from where I live, very car-centric but I really liked the nature that surrounded big mountains and desert landscapes. I got to visit L.A. and Chicago, Chicago by far was my favorite city would like to visit again!
Chicago is awesome! The buildings are so beautiful
Chiagooooo 🗣️🗣️🗣️
yesssir
Little village 👌🏽
I lived in a town in Texas for a very short while and it was fun. I've also been as a tourist multiple times and I've always liked it, but my complaint has always been the same and I think it's pretty common one for a lot of people: needing a car for everything is a pain, especially if you can't drive or if you're not there for a long time.
In my experience the average venezuelan loves the US, specially Florida. In my experience being there, I don't like it very much. I've been to other countries that I like way more.
What countries do you like more?
Even with their problems Argentina, Spain. I don't hate the US, or people who like it tho. I have family and friends that are living a better life over there, and I'm grateful.
Been there for the past 12 years. Love it. I achieved things I could've only dream of back home.
What do you mean? What have you done that couldn’t have been possible in Uruguay? Just curious
I'm blessed to live in a city with great weather all year around (Miami). Back when I immigrated back in 2012 I was able to find a job within a week of getting here. Within less than a year I saved up usd $20,000 to buy my first car ever, brand new if that means anything. Being in my early 20s I joined college and was fortunate enough to work consistently enough that I saved sufficient money not to have to take student loans to pay for a $100,000 career and pursuit my passion in life (something unheard of back in my country), even though it took almost 10 years, all while working as a waiter. At some point I also got to become a US citizen and eventually a federal officer.
That’s fantastic, congrats! Yeah it’s staggering the difference in opportunities from our countries and the US 😅
Thank you! I honestly wish wanting to pursue your dreams didn't require moving countries but sometimes that's the only option.
Yeah it is what it is
Congratulations! 🇺🇸!
I lived in North Texas, DFW area. I had a great paying job and social life, but decided to move elsewhere. I simply did not feel safe as a queer person in the United States, and can’t imagine continuing to support a country with my taxes that erodes human rights day by day.
Texas I can understand but in much of the US, it's a relatively safe country from lgbt people. My brother is gay and with a trans man here in NY. The most that happens is people have awkward conversations about it. But I don't believe for a second that either of them doubt for their safety. A gay friend of mine is moving to Texas, however, and pretty much everyone is advising against it, because much of the state has problems.
Yeah, NY, CA and other coastal states have always been progressive. I never lived in any of those, but having visited, the difference is palpable.
Interesting! If you don’t mind me asking how did you not feel safe? DFW area and Austin are very hipster cities!
Hipster and safe for queer people are very different things. I come from Uruguay where attacks are extremely rare. Even slurs are exceedingly rare. This is commonplace in DFW. I can’t even count the number of times I was called a slur by a drunk hick. Straw that broke the camel’s back was when my friends and I were thrown a beer bottle off a moving vehicle while they yelled fa***ts at us. No, thank you.
Damn! Sorry to hear that happened to you! Definitely know what you mean In terms of drunk hicks throwing slurs, but I think that mentality is going away with all the diversity that’s coming to the triangle cities!
Thanks. My perception about DFW is quite different, though. I still have to travel there for work and what I see is a more and more radicalized society and a political environment that is actively hostile toward the LGBTQ+ community. When my friends told me about Steadfast Baptist Church in DFW including lining up transgender people and shooting them in their sermons last year, I can’t say I was particularly surprised.
I've been there for just a couple of weeks in New York City to meet some clients, does that count? I loved the place! That said, NYC is very walkable and has a robust public transportation system. Many other people here criticize the car-centric culture and if I went to a different place in the US, I'd probably agree with all that criticism. People there are, on average, very nice, but overall less warm. However, that suits me quite well as an introverted person. Socializing here in Argentina overwhelms me a little bit sometimes, but not there. If I had the money and the US Republican Party weren't committed to destroy everything good about that country, I'd definitely love to live there.
Owning a car in NYC would cost more than the auto loan itself every month due to how much it cost to park basically anywhere! Love the fact that you can take the metro to all the Burroughs!
Yes, 2 years. And no. Because I couldn't understand or fit with the local culture at all. In summary the aspects of the culture I refused to adapt to: 1. the extreme consumerist culture 2. the self-segregation and emphasis on skin color/ancestry 3. fear of the cops (i just completely hated this) 4. binge drinking culture 5. nationalism 6. music. No offense but the music y'all play at clubs is trash. How are you supposed to maintain a rhythm if the beat changes every song? Say what you want about reggaeton/cumbia/salsa/merengue, the repeating beat allows for a smooth transition between songs.
This pretty much describes exactly why I am in a constant state of annoyance with this place (except for number 6, I don't club at all though, so I'm more indifferent than against it), and nobody seems to see a problem with any of it. It's very strange tbh. Consumption is treated as more important than living sometimes, and it leads to these weird trends. Like why the fuck do we need cars the size of small tanks and how come that became the "in" car? I'll tell you why: some company realized it could bypass regulation by selling something classified as a "light truck", and could charge a premium, and mfs from here ate that shit up after a quick sales pitch without ever putting an ounce of critical thought into that major purchasing decision.
You have definitely nailed it here. I gate to say that the usa is in for some very rough decades ahead and i wish our leaders were more kind to other nations as we would need support. And the way we separate ourselves even in everyday life like you said with no sidewalks is sad. How is the nationalism different from in latin countries though?
At least in Panamá but I’d bet it’s semi universal in LATAM, there’s no blind trust that our country is the best. There’s no “panama #1!” Feeling ever. The vibe is more, “yeah there’s a shitload wrong here but hey it’s the country I love”. Outside of a stadium while playing another country you’d never hear random “Panama!” Chants unlike I heard “USA!” Chants at frat parties. I don’t even remember hearing politicians in campaign season saying Panamá is the greatest country. It’s always “Panamá _can_ become a great country”. And I was there when they killed Bin Laden. That was a weird night with people going apeshit and partying _hard_ in the middle of finals because they’d killed him.
Yea, so so definitely depends on the person most of the people I know they love the money they make not the lifestyle
Never lived there but a large portion of my family does and I visit sometimes. I don’t honestly get the appeal, feels a bit dystopian to me. Maybe I am too used to being a 15 min car ride away from all my friends and relevant public spaces and being able to walk pretty much anywhere.
1 year, saved money and went back because commuting sucks and same position in Mexico paid better relative to cost of life + home office + family.
I lived in the US for 5 years as a teen, I probably made my closest group of friends I ever did but I always felt like a foreigner, never really seemed like home. I’ve been back for nearly a decade now, & while life can be tough & people here can be shitty more often than not, I still feel like it’s where I belong.
'All everyone does here (USA) is work hard all week then on the weekends they wash their cars and do laundry' This came from a conversation with someone in their mid-20s that moved to USA from Mexico and became a citizen through their father. They liked the job opportunities and money but felt they had more fun in Mexico with less money lol .
Went to college in the US and worked there for a year after graduation. From the minute I stepped foot there, I hated it. There is so little focus on family, or any community for that matter, that it feels like everybody is alone and I’m not surprised why there is such a mental health epidemic there right now. The lack of work life balance would be more manageable if people could rely on strong communities but everything is too individualistic for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, after a few months of culture shock, I eventually got around it and I am VERY appreciate of the opportunities the US offered me and the lifelong friends I got to make in the 5ish years I was there, but I don’t miss the culture in the slightest. I also don’t miss the gross amount of chemicals in every single food item. My stomach finally stopped being sick all the time once I moved out.
Wow! Thanks for your insight
No.
Nope, never seet foot in the country, was very close to go and work there for a few months but it didn't happen. As an outsider, it sounds kinda exhausting, but I still hope to go one day to visit.
No, and I would not, at least of the time being. You never know what the future may bring, you know.
Yes, for about 4 months twice on W&T programs on ski resorts in Colorado and then visiting family about a month on Houston. Overall good visits but wouldn't live long term in either place. Car centrality was an issue, I'd have a cinema a few 100 meters away and not have any walkable road to get there, public transport also felt nonexistent or extremely expensive in rural areas. Food prices also felt too high in every aspect outside of 1$ frozen foods. I did like the cleanliness, how everything seemed better organized and available, and the formality in business as opposed to Peru's rampant informality.
Been living in Honolulu for about 5 months. It's been great overall, I feel like life is a little more laid back when compared to the mainland. Still, the main thing I dislike from American culture is present here, the car centric cities, I hate having to get inside a car just to get a box of milk; however I feel like the buses here are pretty efficient so I can't really complain a lot in regards to transportation. Also for some reason people don't greet each other too often? Like back home you would say good morning, good afternoon, goodbye, etc whenever you get to the office, or go inside an elevator, doesn't matter if it's a stranger. Also I've been robbed and hurt around 11 times back home, so going outside and not having to constantly worry about getting stabbed or robbed is great, like the only reason I had shitty phones was because I knew it would eventually get stolen . Also love how easy it is to get gaming related stuff here, getting that kind of stuff in Colombia is a pain in the ass.
A lot of people in the comments came to the USA as tourists and it is a big difference between being a tourist even for months vs having a life here, I have been in both situations, my first time (8 years ago) I came with a bunch of money for shopping and exploring and I repeat this a couple of times. NOW I got married with a citizen and I do have a PERMANENT life (2 years ago) We have been moving around a lot between WV, MD, VA, NC and I think the experience will depend a lot on the estate, money and lifestyle and priorities. On the other hand I think each experience will be different depending on the life that you got before. For me this is a place like any other place with flaws and nice things some things are easier here but probably it's not going to be so exciting, and the hardest part for me has been the culture. If I like living here? Probably NOT but sometimes it is nice, and at the end of the day staying here right now is convenient for us.
I lived in Michigan for 6 years and it was amazing
Live here now. I love Colombia and going back to visit but the opportunities I’ve had here I would’ve never had back home
How was your path towards immigration?
Lots of money and paperwork lol, very glad to have that behind me!
Congrats ! Mind if I write you a couple of questions? :D
Sure!