Question about Latinos.

[AgentColby]

At Slammers in Fort Lauderdale you see a lot of Latin guys, and I hear them speaking Spanish, but I can't tell where people are from by their looks. One looks a little like a light skinned Noriega so I'm guessing he's from Panama. I met a cute Colombian guy there too. Brazilians often look Portuguese. Portuguese are handsome too, I knew a set of twins from a straight club and they did straight guy flirting with me. I prefer gringos for dating, but I'm open to all.

This is where a lot of people get it wrong, esp. white men. Latin culture is VERY diverse and it consists of light skin, dark, and in between. Latin culture is largely influence by the Spainards but it also has a very very heavy African influence. The slave trade dispersed Africans in many parts of the eastern world and the Carribbean, So. America and Central American had a lot of slaves. There's a lot of culture mixing in the latin culture.

Brazil has the second largest black population in the world. In Cuba, Central America and Dominican Republic, you will see a lot of light skin latins but equally see a lot of dark skinned African latins.

Brazil may be been a colony of Portugal at one time but there is nothing Portuguese about the culture. Many Brazilians have a lot of African blood in them but many have European ancestory. One fact: After WWII, a lot of Nazi soldiers fled to Brazil and Argentina.

To that end, one can not paint latin culture with one brush stroke. In my opinion, when white men say they like latin, it is all a fetish. I sincerely believe a lot of white men go for latin guys b/c it is the closets "ethnic" thing they can get without having to go to black/dark skin toned. Latin men have a lot of the same features as black: big butts, big lips, above average dick, and in alot of cases, smooth skin. Where the bonus point goes for white men is that they can get all these features while still having the "white skin".

[AgentColby]

I might be sensitive about this because as a black bottom, I am seen as black first and people who aren't "into" black guys seem to think they already "know" what it would be like to be with me simply because of the color of my skin. I get rejected a lot because I'm not the ideal bottom or because they expect me to top. I think expectations like this just divide us more. I'd like to see more people with open minds enjoying each other sexually. Thanks for the post, OP.

Well said, couldn't have said it any better. My experience has been that white men who say that they "aren't into blacks, Asians" etc often always have no black (or asian), no social interactions with blacks other than saying hello to "Tyrone Jenkins" at his office. Their "sexual dislike" of the race is purely based on stereotype and what they think they know about the race. People live in bubbles and white people live in their "white bubble". I see this a lot in NYC. Despite living in diverse community, I see people who live in white hoods, have white friends, and totally oblivious to the melting pot surrounding them. I do not necessarily think they are racist, just blisfully ignorant.

I myself used to be one of those "not into asians" guy until I actually met one. All my preconceived stereotypes were shattered. I leared that one stereotypical asian does not speak for all asians.

I often come across men, esp. white, who think b/c I am black I must be "X": a top, a thug, a "yo yo yo" hip hopper. I can see the dissapointment in their faces when they realize I am none of that. It is quite disappointing but I then understand that the experience says more about them and their ignorance than about me.

[Guest JizzDumpWI]

What a great discussion thread. So many of our brothers pursue "a type" and limit their experience to that. Some of them over time are challenged when they find they are no longer attractive to their type. Some of this group then discovers the rich diversity of men on this planet and open themselves to a new set of experiences.

When I say I like latin men that s largely because more latin guys are intact whereas more US white men have been circumcised. Getting fucked by an intact man is a wonderful pleasure....

[TustinBB]

In my experience Latinos refer to darker skin eyes and hair generally from Mexico. I was born in 1960 and have always lived in southern California. I remember a kind of an evolution of terminology from Mexicans in the 60's and later during the 70's when Ceaser Chavez was fighting for equal rights and wages came the term Chicano, then back to Mexicans or Hispanic and now Latino. All referring to either someone from Mexico or south of the US boarder to roughly Panama. It wasn't until the late 70's and 80's that I learned that there were white or light skinned, blond with blue eyed people native to Mexico. To be honest I really didn't grasp the reality until in the 80's when I had a relationship with a guy who looked like a white guy with a good tan and brown hair and eyes. His father was Irish and his mother from Mexico. ( He had an 11 inch thick cock, WOW )

I grew up with a similar terminology evolution during the same time frame regarding Black people. I remember one time at a family gathering at Grandmother's house (she was originally from Tennessee, then Texas and finally California) listening to her commenting during a conversation with relatives (I quote here not agree) in the mid 60's that Negros now want to be called Colored, then later in the 70's or 80's the change to being called Blacks, and sometime later to a lesser degree African Americans. But in this case in the 60's - 80's they were rarely referred to as Africans.

I am ashamed to admit that my mother's side of the family were a bunch of racist bigots.

My Father's side is of Irish decent and I remember hearing stories of when my Grandfather was growing up in the US north east that the Irish were treated as the lowest class citizens and frequently were discriminated against. Along with signs saying no blacks there were signs saying no Irish.

In high school several of my best friends were Mexican/Hispanic/Latino and Negro/Colored/Black/African Americans. None of my friends saw the color of anyone's skin as anything different than having blue or brown eyes or blond or black hair. The really racial distinctions came from my parent's and grandparent's generations. Although "EVERYONE KNEW" that Blacks and some Latino's where hung like horses. It all depends on how and where and how enlightened your parents were and where you were raised.

Sorry for the long reply.

[Deaner]

For a lot of us, it takes a keen eye (and ear) to distinguish a person's nationality. It can be hard for non-Spanish speakers to distinguish between Mexican, Cuban, or Venezuelan accents (and some might not even be able to tell the difference between Spanish and Portuguese). Same as it is for Americans to tell between various UK dialects and vice-versa.

In my experience (I lived in Miami for several years), it can be quite embarrassing and even insulting to accidentally misidentify someone's background. Think of somebody from Texas being called a New Yorker or San Franciscan. Whether it's as major as national pride or something as simple as sports team affiliation, most people would take a certain amount of offense.

Whether it is generalizing people as Latino, Asian (rugs are Oriental, people are Asian, btw), white, black or whatever... I think on some level it is a combination of some ignorance and some politeness. Not to mention that, as we continue on in the 21st century, there is increasing globalness in peoples' backgrounds. There are blond people from Africa, redheads from Asia, and dark-skinned people from Europe.

[Pig Bottom]

In my experience (I lived in Miami for several years), it can be quite embarrassing and even insulting to accidentally misidentify someone's background. Think of somebody from Texas being called a New Yorker or San Franciscan. Whether it's as major as national pride or something as simple as sports team affiliation, most people would take a certain amount of offense.

If they had any smarts of common sense they wouldn't take offence to being thought to be of a different nationality. If a Peruvian is offended that someone thinks they are Colombian, How would they feel if a Colombian was disgusted that he was called Peruvian.

[vrsbbltn]

I feel it is totally normal for all of us to prefer to date guys from our same race and/or country of origin, as we feel more identified in many things. What I don't understand is some guys' extreme fetishes, as they only fuck guys from x race, no matter how incredibly hot some guys from other races are, it's intriguing.

There's absolutely no need to get offended if someone thinks we are from another race/culture/country than ours, it denotes you are not happy about who you are, or think you are superior. Even within Latinos, I can't say where MANY guys are from by noticing their looks/accents, I'm just not familiar with all accents, as there must be over 70 including regional ones within countries, so why would I get offended if someone from another race thinks I belong to another country? makes no sense.

What do bothers me is when someone says "Oh, I'd never thought you were from that country, as you don't look like any of them, they way you dress, speak", based on stereotypes, such comments are disrespectful.

Edited January 11, 2013 by vrsbbltn

[TustinBB]

One of my ex lovers father was from Australia and got very pissed off when someone asked where in England he was from.

Just look at Ireland and the long history of problems between the Catholics and the Protestants.

I think ultimately in the not too distant future that with the younger demographic today mostly not giving fuck if you are gay that these cultural distinctions will fade away and we will truly be a homogeneous population like in Star Trek. Remember Captain Kirk with the blue or was it green alien female?

[Pig Bottom]

One of my ex lovers father was from Australia and got very pissed off when someone asked where in England he was from.

In that case he sounds petty, ignorant, unintelligent and childish. A mature adult would calmly state where they are from.

[uclatinosj]

Personally i appreciate Latinos with brown skin, usually Mexicans, Dominicanos, boricuas n cubanos. not many brasilians out here in the west

[horndoggy]

One of my ex lovers father was from Australia and got very pissed off when someone asked where in England he was from.

Truth be told, when travelling internationally, a lot of us Canadians get at least a little annoyed or irritated when we're presumed to be from the USA.

[evilqueerpig]

I knew I was QUEER at an early age, but coming out to myself helped me rid myself of my own prejudices. When seeking someone out as a friend or a fuckbud, I don't see race, I see the man. Right or wrong, I do find Latinos to be more passionate, but ALL men have unique things to offer.

[simpleguy305]

which bar? Jamboree?

[slowfuck]

Does it perhaps align more to cultural stereotypes than anything else? To me Latin triggers a specific image in my mind visually, but also triggers thoughts of him being a fun-loving, sex-loving, hottie of whatever age until proven otherwise. My limited personal experience has proven that as being quite accurate...

[Guest BS97]

I like men from every country your list.  Where is Belize on your list?  One of my hottest encounters ever (so far) was with a guy from Belize.  For me, Latin would include 1-6 except 3, and Hispanic all of 1-6 plus maybe Spain.  Setting aside my own personal perceptions, I often hear people single out Mexicans as Mexicans, almost never favorably.  My mother is Mexican and my father is from Ecuador.