Costa Rica Retirement – Attitudes Towards Americans

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We are not experts in American politics and will never turn this newsletter into any kind of political commentary but during the week after the November 2nd election in the USA, we have had an avalanche of emails and have been swamped with new registrations!

The reason we bring the subject up is that many of you have asked if the increasingly negative attitude towards Americans that is now prevalent across the globe has also arrived in Costa Rica and we’re delighted to tell you that no!

We really have NOT seen or heard of any ‘discrimination’ or ‘hatred’ towards Americans by Costa Ricans. You will find that Europeans and other more ‘forthright’ Latin Americans will be willing to give you their opinions but…

The strongest opinions seem to come from other Americans who have been living here for some time. After being outside of the USA for many years, they tell me that they have become ‘objective’ at viewing what’s going on inside the USA and more understanding about people living in other countries.

One lady originally from New York stated that since less than 20% of Americans have passports, these people cannot know what it is like in other cultures…

Interestingly enough, she pointed out that in an August 2004 Zogby poll; “Voters with active passports prefer Kerry 58% to 35%, while those without a passport are for Bush 48% to 39%”.

Others have stressed that it is NOT just a case of a different language, the people are ‘different‘ which is not necessarily wrong, just ‘different.’ Whether we understand them or not, we must learn to ‘accept’ those differences and live with them…

My friend George Lundquist summed it up well; “As you know, I deal with Ticos every day as friends, employees and business. I have seen no change from the past. They are the same tranquil, “How may I serve you?” Joyful people I have loved since I first set foot here 15 years ago.”

Written by Scott Oliver, author of 1: How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa, 2: Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore and 3. ¿Cómo Comprar Bienes Raíces en Costa Rica, Sin Perder Su Camisa?

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.