It's a huge relief to not have to endure the racial profiling I experienced in 33 years in the UK and US, cannot emphasise that enough after 7 years in Arequipa. It still amuses me that people take me for a local and are surprised at my "perfect" English, when it's my mother tongue, Wales the home of my heart.
One negative aspect of that is the pressure to conform to societal norms, as I look (and feel) Latino I must surely despise LGBT folk, indigenous people, and objectify women, tolerate corruption, etc. Or else, as I move comfortably in relatively privileged circles but am clearly not a “true expat”, my eccentric passion for social justice is somehow less palatable.
Generally bite my tongue, pick my battles, but refuse to join in with prejudiced opinions or mistreatment of the downtrodden.
One negative aspect of that is the pressure to conform to societal norms, as I look (and feel) Latino I must surely despise LGBT folk, indigenous people, and objectify women, tolerate corruption, etc. Or else, as I move comfortably in relatively privileged circles but am clearly not a “true expat”, my eccentric passion for social justice is somehow less palatable.
Generally bite my tongue, pick my battles, but refuse to join in with prejudiced opinions or mistreatment of the downtrodden.
