Black Men Expats (Part I): Special Edition

Originally Published:

I have had a number of people ask me: "Why One Brown Girl?  What about the guys?" and "Why don't you have any initiatives that empower boys? Why just girls?"  #sigh

The truth is I've never really known exactly how to answer that question without sounding trite.  It's simply a part of my mission and it's a mission I'm proud of.  Most of the time I just smile and -- to be honest -- never really answer.  I think the question is rhetorical anyway.
Alas, here I am yet again presenting the extremely popular Black WOMEN Expatriates series on BlackAtlas.com in spite of the fact that I accidentally deleted ALL of the LIKES of support on Parts I through III that endorse that very popularity.  Post mishaps aside, I have decided to give some #TravelByExample love to the fellas as well because...guess what?  Black men are expats too.
In the spirit of spreading the word about Black folks who walk in the spirit of the African-American expatriates from years past (think Richard Wright, James Baldwin, etc.), I am pleased to present the first Black Men Expats Special Edition featuring two gentlemen living abroad in Brasíl and the Dominican Republic, respectively.
Enjoy...

Brazil: Ernest White II
STATS: Ernest is a Black American Fly Brother from Jacksonville, Florida who is based in São Paulo and has lived in Brasil for two years. In the past six months, Ernest has started to split his time between São Paulo and Berlin, Germany, and has previously lived and worked in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Bogotá and Barranquilla (Colombia), and Brasília (Brazil). In a relationship with no children, Ernest works as a journalist, translator, and tourism consultant.
Blog: Fly Brother
1. What made you decide to leave your home to become an expat:  I've always been interested in foreign cultures, but I moved to Latin America specifically to experience life in a place with a strong African cultural current running through the society as a whole, not just within one particular community.
2. What you love about being an expat: I love the adventure of being at once different and part of the places that I call home. And I can tune out local politics, for the most part - something I can't do in the USA, unfortunately.
3. What you don't love about being an expat: One of the most difficult things about being an expat is having to navigate a foreign bureaucracy without the specific coping skills that you acquire growing up in a particular society. The learning curve is very steep when you're an expat.
4. Advice for men considering the expat life: Expect life as an expat to be challenging and downright unpleasant sometimes, but worth it in the long run. Learn the local language. Treat your new countrymen - and especially countrywomen - with respect. If you find yourself [complaining] about the place more than praising it, it's time to roll up the tent and move on. Free your mind... (you know the rest).
5. How often you get back to the US: As a journalist, I'm in the States at least every couple of months. The longest I've ever been gone without going home to see my family was perhaps 8 months.
6.  What you miss about the US: Frankly, I miss interacting with other professional/highly-educated black people. That particular demographic is hard to come by in much of Latin America.


Dominican Republic: Charles S. Farrell
STATS: Born in Missouri, raised in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and having spent time living in Wilmington, DE; Washington DC; and New York City, Charles grew up on the campus of Lincoln University, the oldest historically Black college in the U.S. and has been living in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic since October 2008. Single with no children, Charles is the co-founder and project director of the Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy, a project that provides educational opportunities to young Dominican baseball players in order to qualify them for college scholarships in the U.S.
Website: Dominican Republic Sports & Education Academy
1. What made you decide to leave your home to become an expat:  I had [previously] visited the Dominican Republic on numerous occasions, so I was familiar with the country and felt a real kinship. I was spending so much time traveling back and forth to the Dominican Republic on business that it just made sense -- money and time-wise -- to relocate. One of the best decisions I ever made!
2. What you love about being an expat: I love the experience of living in another culture. I love being able to contribute to that culture based on my education, experience and resources.
3. What you don't love about being an expat: I get frustrated sometimes with the lack of some domestic resources. Getting things accomplished in the manner and time I grew accustomed to in the U.S.
4. Advice for men considering the expat life: Make sure you visit and spend some time getting to know the country outside of vacation spots. Don’t base your decision on some romantic notion that your life will magically change for the better: life has its problems everywhere. Understand that you will be a guest in whatever country you choose and that an American sense of imperialism isn’t appreciated. Look to be able to contribute something positive in your new community, something that will enhance your experience and those around you.
5. How often you get back to the US: I have averaged getting back about twice a year.
6. What you miss about the US:  People often ask me what I miss [about the US] living in the Dominican Republic. I miss reading the New York Daily News. There are no English language daily newspapers in the country. Of course, I get news online, but there was nothing like taking a cup of coffee outside on a Sunday morning, lighting up a cigar, and reading my paper.

I miss bagels; not the frozen ones, which are here, but the fresh deli bagels that are famous in New York. I try to load up when I visit the U.S., but it only lasts about a week at best. I am told there are a couple of places to get good bagels in Santo Domingo, but I am skeptical.

And, I really miss my church in New York. After years of a Sunday ritual of attendence, it was part of my life. While I speak passable Spanish, the vast majority of churches conduct services in Spanish, and most are Catholic, which I am not.

I have found one church that holds English language services; one Sunday it is Episcopal; the next interdenominational. I go infrequently, but it is good to have a place to commune with God. But in truth, the services are pretty boring. I don't need holy rollers, but I was used to a choir, a little soul. From my observation, I am the only African American in attendence. Not that there is anything wrong with that; just much different from what I was used to.

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Know a Black male expatriate that should be included in my next Special Edition?  Shoot an email to Tracey@OneBrownGirl.com.