Women of reddit, what do you think about “passport bros”?

20 comments

1. The concept seems entirely based on racism and sexism.

2. Predatory.

   They seek women in less developed countries who are often keen for a better life because they can’t get women in their own country and it’s not because the women are “too picky”.

3. What is this??

4. I love how honest they are with themselves – even the name of the movement shows that a woman from a poor country will most probably date them just to get a passport of a more successful state. So cute!

   I find this movement awfully chauvinistic. But I’m glad they’re aiming to find women with a similar mindset, instead of trying to bend more independent and feministic ones.

5. Isn’t this just a repeat of what happened in like the 80s? I’ve seen a bunch of people that talk about how their mom or grandmother is Filipino or Japanese or Vietnamese or whatever, and their dad or grandfather is American.

6. Are we talking about Big Ed?

7. Men going overseas for women.

8. Are Passport Bros just another way to describe Mail Order Brides?

   I particularly enjoy when the wife gains citizenship, initiates divorce 1 day later, and Passport Bros act like they’re the victims.

9. Been happening since ships were invented.

10. I didn’t know this was the term. Up to this time, I’ve been referring to them as ‘predators’. That’s how I view them. Going anywhere to take advantage of a power imbalance, fetishise and profit from a culture that allows you to perpetuate your sexist ideologies and feed your inner saviour complex – then you’re a predator.

11. [removed]

12. There is an unfair power dynamic at play, plus the partner that has been brought over has been effectively cut off logistically from friends and family.

13. Sounds like the recipe for a total power imbalance.

14. Creepy and predatory. The whole logic behind them is based in misogyny and racist stereotyping.

15. Grown women are allowed to make their own choices. If their choice is to marry someone they barely know in order to get to a different country, that is their business.

    Transactional relationships suck. I would never want to be in one, but that doesn’t make the people who do bad people.

    The men who do this, I think, are not good people usually. They probably (very wrongly) think they are getting a naive wife who will do what they want and be “obedient”. A lot of these men know nothing of the culture they are marrying in to, and see the language barrier as a way to keep their wives from being “intelligent enough” to leave them. Just because someone doesn’t speak English, that doesn’t mean they are not smart and capable but a lot of Americans view foreigners this way.

16. My neighbor is planning on being a passport bro, but he is not bringing a bride here, he’s moving to the Philippines, where almost everyone speaks English, the cost of living is low. And of course, someone will be willing to marry him for his retirement fund and potential US citizenship. To me, “passport bro” is not some guy looking for a mail order bride to bring to the States, but a guy willing to relocate overseas, somewhere they will not be called out on their misogyny.

    I find the practice grotesque.

17. What?

18. I understand there are men that have had no luck dating in their own country, hence the reason finding someone overseas, or just keeping their options open. Nothing wrong with that. However, I think for some couples they genuinely love each other, but on the other hand, there are women that would literally just use these men for money/a better life in a western country, which is just pathetic. 🤦🏽‍♀️ So I guess there are pros and cons. These “passport bros” just have to be cautious when deciding to go that route. The last thing you want is to end up w someone that just used you for a green card or whatever.

19. It’s sad and creepy but men who are abusive or unlovable have always exploited the immigration system in wealthy countries to gain control over woman, at least temporarily. If we sincerely didn’t want this form of immigration fraud / exploitation, we would make changes to immigration law so that women from anywhere could apply for permanent residency without a marriage certificate, regardless of their occupation or finances.

20. In my opinion, they are predatory, racist, sexist, sex traffickers and abusers who take advantage of the financial/power differential and other people’s poverty and desperation to purchase access to sex work from people who otherwise would never agree to consent to be with them if given a truly free choice on the situation. It’s just the modern name for sex tourism and mail-order partner sex trafficking. It’s gross and so are the clients who perpetuate that system to take advantage of others.