Is the Internet-Famous Passport Bros Movement Problematic? Exploring the Ethical Dilemma

The theory of evolution purports that we were once cavemen (and women). In the 21st century, we’ve discovered a new species called the Passport Bro: a breed of men who roam the earth with curiosity and confidence — maybe a little too much confidence if you ask me.

Since the term was born on TikTok, the movement has gained a massive following online. Still, many of us are stuck wondering what being a Passport Bro even means. But Distractify has answers … Here’s what you need to know!

Dating in the digital age can be difficult — that is for everyone except for the internet-famous Passport Bros. Their movement was built on the foundation that men can find a better, more traditional wife outside of the United States.

This is especially true in poorer, undeveloped countries where women struggle to make ends meet.

Because the U.S. dollar reigns supreme, Americans who travel abroad get to enjoy certain luxuries that they wouldn’t if they were at home. Let’s take Alpha Passport Bro Austin Abeyta, AKA the Digital Bromad, for example.

On social media, Austin offers his 400,000+ followers the lowdown on how to crack the Passport Bro code. According to him, there are plenty of benefits to dating abroad — one of which is a lower cost of living.

“If you make $60,000 a year, you can live like you made $120,000 a year pretty comfortably,” the popular passport bro said in a May 2023 TikTok. “The things money can provide makes a huge difference in dating.”

“Watch The Tinder Swindler — it’ll explain it all,” Austin added, referring to the true crime documentary on Netflix.

Another upside to international matchmaking, per Austin, is the locals’ attraction to his “exotic” American accent.

“The American accent is kind of trash, to be honest, but the fact that you have one peppers your words and gives everything you say a little bit of weight, a little bit of spice,” Austin said in the video. “It makes it more exciting.”

While Austin’s fellow Bros would probably agree that the TikToker is out here living his best life, others believe that the movement is problematic.

“The problem of Passport Bros is that they believe geography somehow bends and warps female nature (women are women everywhere),” Twitter user @ejantunez said. “In fact, given the dynamics of the third world, the women in those countries are even more cutthroat, they simply hid it behind a veneer of femininity.”

The movement has been widely likened to sex tourism. Not to mention, the legal age to consent in other countries can be as young as 13. Plus, a lot of Passport Bros have been caught on camera being mad disrespectful to natives.

It’s not hard to tell why the sexpat movement has received so much backlash, but that hasn’t stopped the Bros from booking a flight overseas for love — or at the very least, a good time.