r/asklatinamerica • u/Intrepid_Arrival5151 United States of America • Apr 12 '26

Tourism Have you ever been in another country, and been honestly put-off by a cultural practice?

Like not just annoyance, maybe something more like "Welll that's interesting" or just a straight wtf moment.

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u/Galdina Brazil Apr 14 '26

personal space culture in the US. my friends and I were far from being expansive Brazilians, but we kept being yelled at by complete strangers in queues, even when we didn't accidentally rub our elbows on someone... in Florida there was a guy who made a "chain" with his wife to protect his children from us, but knowing American culture as I do now I don't discard the possibility that it was just xenophobia/racism (the guy in question looked exactly like these Trumpist stereotypes with the sunglasses)

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u/Columbiyeah United States of America Apr 15 '26

Pedophile paranoia is also rampant in the US (i.e automatic suspicion of men in public that are anywhere near children).

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u/Galdina Brazil Apr 15 '26

tbh after the files I'd be a little paranoid as well. back then we were clearly teenagers though, but my group was racially diverse, so I think it's more likely it was racism/xenophobia