Are “Passport Bros” really a problem?

If you’re a man, online and interested in travel in any capacity, you may have heard of the “Passport Bros” – aka men who travel the world, often with plans to meet women abroad.

Unsurprisingly, they’ve received their fair share of hate.

But, regardless of what you may think of this cohort, there’s no denying their influence is growing – the hashtag #passportbros now has over 470,000,000 views on the social media platform TikTok.

Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the Passport Bros movement. What is their philosophy? How did this movement begin? Why is it so popular? Is this something that could ruin the reputation of all men traveling abroad, or is it nothing to worry about?

Let’s find out right now!

What Are Passport Bros?

I’ll provide you with two definitions of ‘Passport Bros” from Urban Dictionary:

1. The “Passport Bros” are men who have chosen to seek out foreign women, typically from other countries, for relationships. They believe that western women have been influenced by cultural and societal pressures to behave in a certain way, and that by seeking out foreign women, they can find a more authentic, fulfilling, and harmonious relationship. This is seen as a way to restore the natural balance between masculine and feminine energy, and to avoid the “wickedness” of western women.

2. Men in the west who understand that the west (particularly the U.S.) is a sinking ship, both financially and culturally, and therefore, choose to live in countries where their money goes further and they’re treated with more respect, particularly by women. Passport Bros understand that their lives would be better in places like Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe, because strong family values are still seen as the norm in places like that. Hook-up culture isn’t as rampant in those parts of the world, and thus, the population, especially the women, are far less damaged. They create better and stronger family units.

Although biased, these definitions essentially capture the gist of it: men from western countries (primarily the United States) who are frustrated by what they deem an unfavorable dating scene in their home country traveling abroad in the hopes of improving their options and finding a more “traditional” woman.

In addition to the “cultural and societal” aspects mentioned in the definition, financial leverage also plays a role. On social media, Passport Bros often cite the fact that they can live a much better lifestyle in Asia or Latin America for a fraction of the cost of the United States.

Austin Abeyta, who runs a popular Passport Bros TikTok account called the “Digital Bromad,” mentions that:

One of the best things about being a passport bro is the lower cost of living abroad. For example, in some countries, earning $40,000 is enough to support a family. This means that my partner can choose if she wants to work or not, or if she’d rather focus on running the house and taking care of our children. In the US, many dual-income families can’t have the same freedom and flexibility, simply because it’s much more expensive to live there.

In short, we can think of a “Passport Bro” as a man who travels abroad for the primary purpose of improving his romantic options while also taking advantage of a lower cost of living.

The Origin Story

There appears to be some debate regarding who coined the term “Passport Bros.”

However, the idea was brought into the mainstream by an African American documentary filmmaker by the name of Al Greeze.

In 2011, Greeze released a film called ‘Frustrated,’ which explored a growing trend of Black men leaving the United States to pursue women in foreign countries, particularly Brazil.

After the documentary’s release, several YouTube channels sprung up – mostly in the Black community – of male vloggers singing the praises of foreign women and offering travel and relationship advice to viewers. In 2019, the movement exploded into the mainstream, and it’s been growing steadily ever since.

Most of the videos focus on Latin American countries such as Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia, or Asian countries such as Thailand or the Philippines.

And, while it’s fair to say that the movement originated in the Black community, it’s expanded beyond that now and includes men of any race.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Passport Bros movement blew up in 2019, right around the time that Covid hit.

People were bored in their homes with more time to consume content, and Passport Bros videos served as a form of escapism. After the pandemic came to a close, many folks weren’t obligated to return to the office and therefore set off abroad to experience what the Passport Bros were talking about.

As far as Latin America is concerned, since Covid, there has been a noticeable increase of gringos, Passport Bros or not.

These days, the group’s unofficial spokesperson would probably be the man quoted above, Austin Abeyta, or the “Digital Bromad,” who has amassed 430,000 followers on TikTok.

His video titles include “What I learned being a Passport Bro,” “Day in the life of a Passport Bro in the Philippines,” and “Tinder in Colombia: Red Flags.”

To learn more about the modern day Passport Bro, I suggest checking out his account.

Common Criticisms

You can probably guess the nature of criticism that has been launched at this group of men.

They have been accused of sex tourism, disrespecting other cultures and even gentrification.

It’s also claimed that these men go abroad for better dating options simply because they are unable to compete with men in their home countries.

Finally, there’s the typical insult hurled at any American man who chooses to date abroad: “She’s only with you for your money/a green card.”

Some consider the Passport Bros movement to be nothing more than a modernized version of mail-order-brides, only rather than importing a woman to the west, men are seeking out these women inside the borders of their home countries.

And, although Passport Bros would claim these criticisms are unwarranted, recent actions certainly have not won them any favors.

Let’s take a look at some of the dumb things Passport Bros have done lately!

Some Dumb Things Passport Bros Have Done…

Several months ago, a YouTuber named Auston Holleman uploaded a video stating that Brazilian women were easy, and subsequently published an interview with two women on a beach in Salvador, Bahia without their consent.

When the Brazilian press got hold of the story, he was essentially run out of the country and went as far as to be investigated for sex tourism.

In another incident, Mike Pickupalpha and David Bond, two North American “dating coaches” affiliated with the Passport Bros, were accused of sexual exploitation of Brazilian women for their social club the ‘Millionaire Social Circle,” in which they’d invite women to parties and charge men an entrance fee to attend.

In fairness to the Passport Bros, these harsh allegations of sexual exploitation seem to be exaggerated. That said, discretion is definitely not a strong suit of this movement. Not to mention, true or not, receiving this level of negative attention from the local press has the tendency to spark xenophobia among locals toward any foreign visitor to their country.

After high profile cases such as these, you’ll notice an uptick of gringo hate on social media platforms. While this typically dies down after a week or so, it’s still not a good look.

And, while there haven’t been all that many high profile cases of Passport Bros acting out on a level that warrants news coverage, the cumulative effects of hundreds of social media accounts talking about getting with local women doesn’t paint foreigners in the best light in these places.

It’s fair to say that the majority of Passport Bros affiliated social media channels that now exist aren’t exactly subtle about their intentions.

Videos like this one and this one aren’t likely to win you much love among locals.

Are Passport Bros Really A Problem?

So, will the Passport Bros single-handedly ruin the reputation of all male travelers?

I don’t think so.

I mean, they ain’t helping, but I don’t see this as a massive problem.

It’s important to remember that going abroad to meet women isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. This sort of thing has been occurring for ages. The only thing that’s changed is the name.

That said…

The main concern is that the new kids on the block seem compelled to record and share their antics.

Before the rise of social media, men traveling abroad to meet women – if they were on the internet at all – were contained to somewhat obscure online forums or chat rooms and more or less out of the eyes of the public.

Passport Bros, on the other hand, are attention-seeking in their endeavors; in the past month alone, the New York Post, Men’s Journal and Insider have published articles about this group.

There’s little doubt that Passport Bros and Pickup Artists blowing up YouTube, Instagram and TikTok is harming the reputation of male travelers abroad, but the overall long-term damage will likely be minimal.

Generally speaking, you won’t be personally judged by the unsavory actions of your compatriots while abroad.

My Personal Opinion

During my research for this article, I scrolled through numerous #passportbros videos.

Honestly, I don’t see much redeeming about this movement.

While, in fairness, not all of these videos are women-centric, the few that aren’t consist mainly of coping with being falsely labeled as sex tourists.

It seems to be mostly bad quality content that isn’t particularly useful. The level of insight contained in these videos amounts to little more than “foreign women are better because they seem to like me better.”

While I’m sure there is some good Passport Bros content out there, it’s overwhelmed by low quality takes from folks who – frankly – don’t even appear to have much experience living or traveling abroad.

Additionally, it’s woefully biased content that fails to portray the negative aspects of dating within a country and culture you’re unfamiliar with.

In Latin America, for instance, you’ll invariably have to navigate dating norms within low-trust, highly promiscuous societies where you may not speak the language.

Portraying these countries as more traditional as far as relationships go is iffy at best, and could set up a lot of men for disappointment and heartbreak.

Having lived in Latin America the better part of a decade, I’ve seen first hand the number of gringos who have been utterly blackpilled upon realizing that the whole “Trad Latina” stereotype is essentially a myth, and that romantic relationships and family values can actually be rather tumultuous and dysfunctional!

On a pettier note, I simply don’t like the aesthetic of grown men gleefully boasting on camera about how their Tinder date made their bed in the morning or cooked them lunch, and/or peppering ESL girls with interview style questions about dating American men.

To me, such conduct comes off as strange, bizarre and distasteful.

Is There Anything Positive About This Movement?

One positive thing I could say about this movement is that…at least it’s honest!

They don’t attempt to obscure the fact that they are going abroad strictly to meet women. No one really even pretends to be interested in the local culture, customs or language.

It’s a direct and unapologetic movement, and I can respect that (in a way).

I’ll also concede that they are probably helping some men live their best life. The Passport Bros movement has undeniably inspired many men who have never considered traveling abroad to get their first passport, sort out visas and take that leap into the unknown. Although their initial reasons for going abroad might have been dating, I’m sure that some at least developed a deeper interest in a new country and are happier for doing so.

I can’t hate on that too much.

Finally, even though I’m against their delivery method, I must admit: they do have a point. I get where they’re coming from. It’s clear that many men struggle to find the motivation for dating and relationships in the United States.

There are many theories as to why this is, including the rise of feminism, unfavorable divorce laws, career obsession, unrealistic standards, the popularity of online dating and OnlyFans, etc.

All that is a bit much to get into now, but the main takeaway here is that it’s indeed true that American men are less interested in the prospect of dating American women. This leaves some men with two choices: drop out of the game completely, or, go abroad. The Passport Bros movement presents the latter alternative and offers a community of like-minded men doing the same.

Going abroad for the first time can be nerve-wracking, and I can sympathize with wanting a group of online bros around who are doing the same and can offer support and positive reinforcement.

In short, I understand the appeal.

Closing Thoughts

While I don’t think this movement will be exceedingly harmful to the reputation of male travelers in the long-term due to the fact that this whole “Passport Bros” concept isn’t a new thing, if you’re looking to travel and are seeking a tribe, or are an aspiring travel vlogger etc., I would advise against associating with the Passport Bros.

The optics of this movement are too seedy, and it attracts too much negative attention and energy.

While I’m certainly not against men traveling or living abroad and dating foreign women while doing so, I don’t see the benefit of shouting it from the rooftops, either.

If you’re a man who is interested in traveling to a foreign country, and you’re looking for a crew of like-minded individuals, there are plenty of helpful non-Passport Bro communities on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram where you’ll have less risk of having your reputation sullied by affiliation.

End of the day, I don’t believe this movement is destructive, nor do I consider it one to be taken too seriously. Men have been meeting women while traveling since…forever, probably, and it’s not a trend that’s likely to fade any time soon.

If you’re a man who’s interested in traveling abroad, my advice would be to avoid this movement.

After all, we got all the info and support you’ll need here in the Nomada Newsletter community.