Have you heard?
Western men are leaving en masse for greener romantic pastures overseas.
And by men, I’m referring to a rather peculiar group of black men who call themselves “passport bros.”
Western men traveling overseas for romance is nothing new.
Men have been doing this for decades, long before the dawn of social media and dating apps.
Perhaps the most well-known historical and contemporary example of this phenomenon is mail-order brides, whereby mostly older men sought women from less developed countries through catalogs, online portals, and marriage agencies.
Considering bringing a wife back to the West was and still is an expensive endeavor, it meant white men predominately were the group that most sought love overseas. They, after all, historically held greater social and economic power.
Add to this, a lot of women from poorer countries have these perceptions of white men as being more wealthy and having higher status; no thanks to the media portraying them more favorably, might I add. It has created a perfect environment for romantic unions of convenience, where the desires for economic power and stability intersect with the allure of a submissive and marriage-oriented partner.
However, this is not to say Western black men have never historically sought out romantic partners from other countries — because they have. But it was never to the same extent.
Most of the time, when black men sought romance outside the West, it was primarily due to being stationed overseas. Finding romantic partners was done mostly out of convenience and not intent.
Now, the reason for this disparity between white and black men is multifaceted and too broad to delve into at this time. Simply put, it is due to a complex combination of factors, including systemic racism, economic inequality, and fear of discrimination when traveling abroad. Sadly, anti-Black biases were not and continue to not be limited to the United States and some extent, the rest of the West.
But things are changing.
Traveling overseas is no longer the privy of the privileged few. Cheap air travel, increased tourism, and the advent of social media and dating apps have made international romance more accessible.
Black men who in the past were limited to geography have discovered they can imitate what white men have been doing all this while. Essentially, passport bros are late to the party.
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Different package, same motivations
Passport bros share the same sentiments as white men who travel to poorer countries to find women. The only difference is Passport bros criticisms of Western women predominantly target black women.
You will often hear them say black women are too loud, belligerent, overly masculine in their demeanor, and that most are not marriage material.
If you heard some of the vitriol toward black women from passport bros without knowing it’s coming from black men, you would think they were utterances straight from bona fide die-hard white supremacists.
Strangely enough, most passport bros don’t even travel to Africa. It’s mostly Latin America and Southeast Asia.
And the reason for this is not only because they have given up on black women in the States, but there is also an underlying fetishization of non-black women, preferably those with lighter skin tones. Again, I partly blame the media for playing a role in fueling misconceptions about Africa and its people.
Let’s not forget, just because you are black doesn’t mean you are magically immune to the effects of mass media.
I know it’s a rather hot take. But that’s the conclusion I have come to after spending a lot of time following this community from its inception to where it is now. But to be fair, some passport bros do travel to Africa, just not in the large numbers you would expect, given that most women in Africa possess the same qualities these passport bros seek.
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Women are women no matter where they are from
As someone who has dated women from all walks of life, races, and nationalities, I can vehemently say; women are women no matter where they come from.
They all have similar motivations and desires. Sure, cultural differences may exist, but they do not fundamentally change the essence of a person.
This notion that women from poorer countries make better partners is fallacious.
Of course, if you are visiting as a tourist from a developed country, women seeking a come-up will act accordingly and put on the submissive, wifely act to the tee.
For many of these women, Western men are the only surefire way to escape poverty.
Traditional women usually do not marry or seek relationships with foreign men. They much rather marry from within their own culture — something that goes over the heads of many passport bros.
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And then there is sex tourism
Let’s not kid ourselves. Many Western men travel overseas primarily for sex and nothing more, even if they don’t readily say they do. And passport bros are no exception.
The sad reality is that a good number of these guys are not exactly a hot commodity with Western women. So they opt for the easy way out by utilizing some of that Western privilege and a strong currency to get sex from foreign women who may have limited opportunities or face economic challenges.
The exact percentage of passport bros traveling for sex is hard to ascertain, considering not all exchange money for sex directly.
Some do genuinely end up dating and entering relationships, but the transactional element is always present — paying her bills, rent, or any other financial responsibilities. And this arrangement goes on even after they return to their home countries.
I have even heard some passport bros state they don’t mind paying because, unlike Western women who take your money and offer nothing in return, foreign women are always appreciative and put out.
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It’s not all sunshine and roses with foreign women
If you think it’s just the men doing the exploiting, you would be dead wrong.
As someone who has lived in Southeast Asia for a considerable amount of time, I have seen it all.
I have seen naïve Western men enter relationships with seemingly innocent-looking local women, only to be duped out of their hard-earned money.
I have seen foreigners lose their life savings, get cheated on, and get scammed, all because they falsely believed non-western women were these perfect angelic beings who live only to please their man.
What’s more, some foreigners who find themselves in a domestic pickle quickly discover that justice is not blind in these foreign lands, as it favors locals more often than not.
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There is nothing wrong with traveling for love
It might seem like I’m against traveling with romance in mind, but quite the contrary.
Traveling can be a mind-opening experience that can offer new perspectives and a means to personal growth. Add the possibility of finding a romantic partner along the way; well, that’s just icing on the cake.
What I’m against, is when people use traveling to run away from their problems at home. In the case of passport bros; running away from Western women because they cannot cut it.
If you cannot find a good woman out of almost a billion people in the West combined, then the problem is with you.
And trust me, if Western women think you are a loser, then non-western women will also think you are a loser.
The world is connected now that women, no matter where they come from, can tell what makes for an attractive Western man. It’s just that they won’t say this stuff to your face because there is a monetary and life in the West incentive.
On top of that, female empowerment is gaining traction in many developing countries. It’s only a matter of time before they no longer need to adhere to traditional gender roles.
And what will passport bros do then? Where will they go?
If you are a passport bro, you are better off working on becoming attractive to women in the West first, and if you still want to travel, then by all means, knock yourself out.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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