The 10 Types of Colombians That Live Abroad

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After having lived abroad with a Colombian for MANY years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many different types of Colombians. Because well, Colombians stick with Colombians. There is such a strong attachment to their land, it’s impossible for a Colombian living abroad to feel indifferent about their country. It’s always a love or hate relationship. Although for the most part, I’ve found it to be mostly love.

It’s curious to see people with such a strong identity. I myself have been raised in a multicultural background and don’t have such a strong bond to any one place in particular.

So over the course of the many years living abroad with a Colombian and meeting all types of Colombians in different situations, I noticed a few trends of the different types of Colombians that live abroad. Here we go!

1. The Colombian Lover

This person has obviously realized that latin@s are an absolute object of desire in their new country. And they’re totally playing on the stereotype. They might not dance salsa well back home, but in (insert country) they’re rockstars and they’re loving the attention. They speak the local language but want to keep their accent, or infuse their conversations with Spanish words. They’ll dress all sexy and play up their latin looks. And it all works like a charm ? The locals are all falling at their feet like flies.

2. The WannaBe Colombian

They lived in another country for a couple of years and now they speak like they’re from there. Umm…What?!! There’s no way you forgot your accent and started speaking in a Spanish, Argentinian or whatever accent within a span of less than 2 years!

But for some reason, they swear their experience abroad has opened their eyes and made them more worldy and hopefully their weird accent demonstrates that.

3. The First-Generation Colombian

They only spent a few years in Colombia or were born abroad. By the looks of them, you would have never guessed they’re Colombian. Although they have kept many Colombian traditions at home, they might speak some Castellano, or know just the few words their moms scold them with. Colombia is basically a far away place they’ve visited when they were little and haven’t been back to since.

4. The Patriotic Colombian

They promote Colombia around the clock. They’ll show you all the tourism videos from ProColombia, take you to eat a bandeja paisa, and always have bom mom bums and coffee delights to hand out to their friends. They definitely have an agenda to change the drug-tainted image of their country. They actively educate the world around them that there’s more to Colombia than Pablo.

5. The Latino-Only Colombian

It’s Little Colombia up in here. This Colombian hasn’t really wanted to make local friends. They just don’t get them like other latinos would. As a result, they probably aren’t learning the local language as well as they should.

They celebrate every Colombian holiday and have tried to bring as much of Colombian culture to their new country. They’re attending every Colombian soccer game and always referencing their culture in conversations. They’re also going out to latino clubs and on a continuous search to look for a Colombian restaurant in their new country…even if it’s 5 hours away.

6. The Renounced Colombian

This Colombian spent the required few years in a country to get the nationality and now they say they’re from there instead. Also because, their great great grandfather was from (insert country of choice) so that REALLY makes them from (insert country). They’re so proud of their new nationality that they flash their passport like gold at every chance they get.

7. The Homesick Colombian

Nothing is as good as it is back home. They’ve had a hard time adapting and they miss the people, they miss the food, they miss their family. They miss how inexpensive everything was back in Colombia. They miss the luxuries and services Colombia offers. Where they are now, everything is insanely expensive, the people are cold, and their family is too far away.

8. The Colombian that doesn’t want to look back

This Colombian moved to a new country to start a new life. They’re sick of Colombia and want nothing to do with it. They left because they couldn’t stand the way of life there. The poverty, low salaries, few opportunities, traffic, robbery, they’ve had enough of it all.

They’ve found success in their new country and are adapting perfectly well. As a matter of fact, they LOVE their new country: the organization and ease of everything. It’s so different from Colombia, and that’s exactly why they love it. Although they do miss some things, for them, it’s just not worth it.

9. The Original Colombian

This Colombian is true to self. They are the essence of Colombia and behave exactly as they would back home. They hustle, they negotiate things you would think would be otherwise non-negotiable and they have this happy Colombian aura around them that hasn’t yet been tainted by their new country.

They’re probably one of the loudest at parties, and can be found dancing while everyone else is chatting and standing in the corner.

10. The Interested Colombian

They probably have intentions of “mejorar la raza” or improve their race as they’d like to say, by finding a partner with lighter skin and eyes. And they’re probably not afraid to say it! Being able to find a person with lighter features is essentially the Colombian equivalent to social climbing. Scoring a blondie with blue eyes is the true goal here. They’ll bring them home to la familia to show them off.

They’re daydreaming of the light eyes their future baby will have.

Do you have Colombian friends living abroad? Which category do they fall in? And if YOU are the Colombian living abroad, which one are you?

I think deep down, all Colombians are a mix of all of these, just that some have more of one than the other.

Have a laugh with me and let me know in the comment box below which one BEST describes you!