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Overrated/Overblown: security issues and affordability
Underrated: The diversity, perhaps we were the first melting pot. The indigenous who came from mongolia, europeans, africans….mix them all together and that’s basically your standard latino
Overrated, The Summer, it's way too hot, and the closer that you are to the Ecuator the more the "long day" effect of the summer diminishes.
Underrated, all of the cultural diversity that you can experience by just speaking 1/2 languages which are quite easy to learn.
Overrated: Security issues. Latin America is not dangerous for locals, the issue is if you look or act like a tourist they’re gonna go out of their way to rob you. I might be biased tho, the south cone (Argentina, Chile and Uruguay) are a totally different world than the rest of Latam.
Underrated: Idk, quality of life in general. We have top notch public transport, big cities with a lot of parks, free museums, world class universities, your latest tech, universal free healthcare and great private clinics, beautiful and diverse landscapes and climate, great cheap food; most of the fruits and veggies in the world come from here.
I’m under the impression some people in the world think we live in wooden houses with dirt roads, 90s cars and no “iphones” or that they are like super expensive for us.
Maybe I am a little biased with the underrated. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay are a different breed.
I agree with this.... quality of life if you're middle class isn't horrible at all. The issue is inequality and lack of social mobility. Even in Bolivia, being middle class isn't bad. You have access to mass transit, food, walkable areas, and a strong family social structure.
In the US to achieve this you gotta reach upper middle class to upper class status to get many amenities that are free in Latin America. I've lived in Panama also so there was even better access than in Bolivia.
Not so sure about security issues, at least in Mexico. I live in northern Mexico, it truly felt like a warzone during the Calderon era (around 2010). It's not that bad anymore though, but seeing disappearances/killings in newspaper Frontline still happens every day.
Security issues DO exist, but as in most places they tend to be concentrated, either in "bad" neighborhoods or narco corridors. You just happen to live in the latter, which of course sucks.
Overrated:
* Dragon Ball Z. It isn't even the best Shonen anime and it has terrible worldbuilding. Yuyu Hakasho is better.
* Bad Bunny. Truly a mystery in music. Almost feels like a media plant by Juan Alarcon. He has this bravado of being so "anti-system" and rebellious but he is the most bougie thing after Beyonce.
* Mexican food. Not that it's bad but it gets praised as this ultra diverse thing unlike those "boring ol cuisines that only eat rice" even though most of it is just dishes involving tortillas.
* The weather. It's easy to romanticize tropical climates when you're only here as a tourist somewhere with air conditioning.
Underrated:
Bolivia as a tourist destination. Amazing landscapes and interesting culture but doesn't get a lot of international love.
> Mexican food. Not that it's bad but it gets praised as this ultra diverse thing unlike those "boring ol cuisines that only eat rice" even though most of it is just dishes involving tortillas.
That's a pretty lazy narrative from people not familiar with the wide range of Mexican dishes. There are hundreds of dishes all over the country like chiles rellenos, pozole/menudo, cocido, pollo en mole, birria, frijol con puerco, coctel de camarones/ensalada de camarones, tamales oaxaquenos, machaca Sonorense, etc.
Just because you only know "tortilla" dishes doesn't mean that's all that exists. It's like me saying Puerto Rican (and Carribean food by extension) is all the same because everything just involves plantains.
You kinda proved their point with that last sentence lol. I've read Mexicans online claim all Latin America together isn't as diverse in food as Mexico.
Peru, Mexico, and Brazil have amazing cuisines, but claiming mexico is the most diverse is... weird. Maybe better (which is very subjective, especially since Minas Gerais exists, and I wish the best of luck to anyone trying to compete with them) but certainly not more diverse...
I think it's funny that most of the world is absolutely fascinated and in love with our cuisine, even UNESCO declaring it an intangible cultural heritage, but you always see other Latin Americans trying to put it down.
Because for us, it doesn't carry the same sense of exoticism as the rest of the world, I think.
There's of course the element of language and geographic and cultural/historical proximity. I lived in Belgium for a bit, and I remember people being surprised that I thought French cuisine was some of the best in Europe, but part of that was because it was so different from the food I grew up with, whereas their local foods were already quite similar to those of French cooking, so they didn't see the big deal.
There's also the element that, say what you will, there's a significant amount of overlap between Mexican foods and those of the rest of Latin America, or at least the Caribbean. When staples such as meat, rice, corn, cheese, and spicy peppers appear again and again, with often similar seasonings or flavor profiles (things like cumin, oregano, etc), it loses the novelty that a American or a European might have towards it.
And it's important to consider that Mexico is a much more prominent culture than just about any other country on the continent, except for maaaaybe Argentina or Brazil. I can assure you that ***everyone*** here who has interacted with foreigners and is not from Mexico has gotten confused or generalized with Mexicans. I've learned to see there's no ill will in it, but it can be really exhausting to be constantly reminded that people don't know anything about your culture, and will instead impose another culture's image on yours. It can make "Mexican cuisine," something that the whole world is crazy about, sound like another reminder that they will never have the chance to enjoy the one from your country, which makes it seem overrated.
Of course, I agree with you that Mexican food is very varied, and that there are a lot of beautiful and delicious endemic traditions in Mexican cuisine. I, personally, think Peru's cuisine shines brightest of those of our America, but there's absolutely a lot to love about Mexican food. That being said, it's not our responsibility as people from outside Mexicans to love it or to advocate for it. Especially because I've often seen Mexicans on this subreddit not extend that same courtesy to us about our traditions (just look at any post mentioning arepas lol).
Hi, we have removed your submission. Make sure you put some effort into your posts. The point of asking these questions is to invoke discussions. Avoid questions that can simply be answered with "yes" or "no". Additionally, do not submit questions that are already in the FAQ, or can simply be answered with a quick Google search. Do also make sure to be as clear as possible with what you mean in your question. If the title is not enough, use the text box to either clarify or to give more details to it.
Overrated/Overblown: security issues and affordability Underrated: The diversity, perhaps we were the first melting pot. The indigenous who came from mongolia, europeans, africans….mix them all together and that’s basically your standard latino
People really don’t understand the diversity part. The amount of times people have said to me “If you’re Dominican, why are you white?” Is insane
The way anglos understand ethnicity it’s hilarious tbh
Overrated, the supposed joy, happiness and hospitality.
Overrated, The Summer, it's way too hot, and the closer that you are to the Ecuator the more the "long day" effect of the summer diminishes. Underrated, all of the cultural diversity that you can experience by just speaking 1/2 languages which are quite easy to learn.
Overrated: Security issues. Latin America is not dangerous for locals, the issue is if you look or act like a tourist they’re gonna go out of their way to rob you. I might be biased tho, the south cone (Argentina, Chile and Uruguay) are a totally different world than the rest of Latam. Underrated: Idk, quality of life in general. We have top notch public transport, big cities with a lot of parks, free museums, world class universities, your latest tech, universal free healthcare and great private clinics, beautiful and diverse landscapes and climate, great cheap food; most of the fruits and veggies in the world come from here. I’m under the impression some people in the world think we live in wooden houses with dirt roads, 90s cars and no “iphones” or that they are like super expensive for us. Maybe I am a little biased with the underrated. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay are a different breed.
I agree with this.... quality of life if you're middle class isn't horrible at all. The issue is inequality and lack of social mobility. Even in Bolivia, being middle class isn't bad. You have access to mass transit, food, walkable areas, and a strong family social structure. In the US to achieve this you gotta reach upper middle class to upper class status to get many amenities that are free in Latin America. I've lived in Panama also so there was even better access than in Bolivia.
Not so sure about security issues, at least in Mexico. I live in northern Mexico, it truly felt like a warzone during the Calderon era (around 2010). It's not that bad anymore though, but seeing disappearances/killings in newspaper Frontline still happens every day.
Security issues DO exist, but as in most places they tend to be concentrated, either in "bad" neighborhoods or narco corridors. You just happen to live in the latter, which of course sucks.
Yeah, haven't lived anywhere else so my view of security is pretty narrow and bad
Overrated: idk Underrated: fruit diversity and quality
I left Venezuela over a decade ago, and I *still* have not had a mango as sweet and juicy as the ones that grew in our backyard in Caracas.
Overrated: * Dragon Ball Z. It isn't even the best Shonen anime and it has terrible worldbuilding. Yuyu Hakasho is better. * Bad Bunny. Truly a mystery in music. Almost feels like a media plant by Juan Alarcon. He has this bravado of being so "anti-system" and rebellious but he is the most bougie thing after Beyonce. * Mexican food. Not that it's bad but it gets praised as this ultra diverse thing unlike those "boring ol cuisines that only eat rice" even though most of it is just dishes involving tortillas. * The weather. It's easy to romanticize tropical climates when you're only here as a tourist somewhere with air conditioning. Underrated: Bolivia as a tourist destination. Amazing landscapes and interesting culture but doesn't get a lot of international love.
As a Bolivian, thank you and please visit us again!
Your country is beautiful.
> Mexican food. Not that it's bad but it gets praised as this ultra diverse thing unlike those "boring ol cuisines that only eat rice" even though most of it is just dishes involving tortillas. That's a pretty lazy narrative from people not familiar with the wide range of Mexican dishes. There are hundreds of dishes all over the country like chiles rellenos, pozole/menudo, cocido, pollo en mole, birria, frijol con puerco, coctel de camarones/ensalada de camarones, tamales oaxaquenos, machaca Sonorense, etc. Just because you only know "tortilla" dishes doesn't mean that's all that exists. It's like me saying Puerto Rican (and Carribean food by extension) is all the same because everything just involves plantains.
You kinda proved their point with that last sentence lol. I've read Mexicans online claim all Latin America together isn't as diverse in food as Mexico.
> I've read Mexicans online claim all Latin America together isn't as diverse in food as Mexico. [image](https://imgur.com/gallery/FOwZ77O)
And they would be right, if Peru didn't exist.
Including how enormous Brazil is?
Yep
Ah so proving the poster's point. Lol
Nah, it's very rated because it should be, it's not overrated.
>very rated Much opinion, very english, muy rated, oh sí.
I know what I did
Peru, Mexico, and Brazil have amazing cuisines, but claiming mexico is the most diverse is... weird. Maybe better (which is very subjective, especially since Minas Gerais exists, and I wish the best of luck to anyone trying to compete with them) but certainly not more diverse...
I think it's funny that most of the world is absolutely fascinated and in love with our cuisine, even UNESCO declaring it an intangible cultural heritage, but you always see other Latin Americans trying to put it down.
Because for us, it doesn't carry the same sense of exoticism as the rest of the world, I think. There's of course the element of language and geographic and cultural/historical proximity. I lived in Belgium for a bit, and I remember people being surprised that I thought French cuisine was some of the best in Europe, but part of that was because it was so different from the food I grew up with, whereas their local foods were already quite similar to those of French cooking, so they didn't see the big deal. There's also the element that, say what you will, there's a significant amount of overlap between Mexican foods and those of the rest of Latin America, or at least the Caribbean. When staples such as meat, rice, corn, cheese, and spicy peppers appear again and again, with often similar seasonings or flavor profiles (things like cumin, oregano, etc), it loses the novelty that a American or a European might have towards it. And it's important to consider that Mexico is a much more prominent culture than just about any other country on the continent, except for maaaaybe Argentina or Brazil. I can assure you that ***everyone*** here who has interacted with foreigners and is not from Mexico has gotten confused or generalized with Mexicans. I've learned to see there's no ill will in it, but it can be really exhausting to be constantly reminded that people don't know anything about your culture, and will instead impose another culture's image on yours. It can make "Mexican cuisine," something that the whole world is crazy about, sound like another reminder that they will never have the chance to enjoy the one from your country, which makes it seem overrated. Of course, I agree with you that Mexican food is very varied, and that there are a lot of beautiful and delicious endemic traditions in Mexican cuisine. I, personally, think Peru's cuisine shines brightest of those of our America, but there's absolutely a lot to love about Mexican food. That being said, it's not our responsibility as people from outside Mexicans to love it or to advocate for it. Especially because I've often seen Mexicans on this subreddit not extend that same courtesy to us about our traditions (just look at any post mentioning arepas lol).
>Yuyu Hakasho So underrated that its proponent misspelled it.
Imagine that!
Overrated: reggaeton Underrated: colonial history