Immigrant men, What’s something that’s considered masculine in your culture, but feminine in your current country?

34 comments

1. Not an immigrant….. But from a US point of view a straight man holding hands with another straight man is seen as strange here but normal in a number of other countries.

2. Cheek kissing is a way to greet esp French but Americans would obv think* it’s gay asf

3. Giving your kids lots of hugs. It’s always a masculine thing to show affection. Current country it’s considered feminine for males to show lots of affection. Idk why.

4. I’m a Kiwi. I lived in Tennessee for a few years. Let me tell you that my wearing off short rugby shorts was considered way out there by blokes in Tennessee. The girls loved it though 😅

5. In Europe it’s completely normal for male friends to go to a club and dance together. In America it’s frowned upon if you’re straight.

6. I’m in Spain now and I find the whole overly dramatic ‘macho’ guy display to be more of a feminine thing.

   My home country is more of a stoic, stiff upper lip thing.

7. Our culture is a lot more “conservative” with what men’s roles are in family dynamics. For the most part, child upbringing is considered the “woman’s job” and bringing home the bacon is the “man’s job.” I remember my mom saying she was “thankful” for my dad missing work to go to the hospital when I was born. I can’t relate to that at all: isn’t that like … common courtesy? Lmao

   Also apparently I’m not allowed to be afraid of anything as a man. Afraid of heights? Must be a woman. Afraid of spiders? Must be a woman. Etc. All it did was force me not to vocalize my fears.

8. Wrestling. I would get so much shit for it here but wrestling is one of the national sports in my family’s country.

9. Russian culture got very americanized, but before that it was normal for men kiss other men as greeting, see Brezhnev and Stalin.
   Even though I was born in USSR that looks wrong for me.

10. Being friendly with kids

11. Hugging your son.

    Americans are insanely gay. There’s no way you think hugging your son is weird unless you’re so closeted that you think hugging YOUR OWN SON is weird.

    Insanely gay.

12. Yoga

13. Long hair – maybe. I’m a New Zealander. I’ve had longish hair my whole life (I’m 59). I get misgendered maybe once every 5 or so years in NZ. So I’m currently living in the Philippines and I’m regularly getting misgendered. Sometimes more than once a day. I don’t understand it, I’m tall, no woman is as tall as me here. Yet they regularly call me “ma’am”. Sometimes I get a “morning ma’am, sorry sir”.

14. Eyeliner, I’m not sure if it’s considered masculine per say but guys also wear it

15. Arabs greet one another by kissing on the cheek. That’s not a thing in Canada/Australia/US.

16. Damn reading these comments, Americans are rigid asfffffff

17. I’m not Scottish nor an immigrant, but the Kilt is traditional Masculine Scottish wear. Modern American men do not wear open legged bottom wear.

18. Dancing as a man, was done in troops and groups, and gangs. And there were full on dance competitions by men. Knowing how to dance is a must or you would be ridiculed for having no Rhythm, and by extension must be terrible at sex. And so no woman would want you if you’re scared to get on the dance floor or didn’t have a few moves.

    Here, any man dancing must have gone to dance classes as a kid and must have played with dolls, and every “tough guy” is scared to hit the dance floor.
    ¯( ˘͡ ˘̯)/¯

19. I’m not an immigrant but my parents are and I’m well aware of my own culture, Persians hug and kiss when greeting one another

20. I’m having a hard time with this question, but if I reverse it it’s easy. I grew up in the US and now live in Mexico. It’s considered masculine here if men get physically affectionate with close friends—cuddling, hand-holding, stuff like that. But in the US you will get called gay so fast for that.

21. In Thailand lifting your shirt to sit on your belly after a good meal.

    In the west I feel like deliberately exposing your midriff isn’t done by men.

22. A long wrap that’s pure cotton. It’s beautifully comfortable. Easily mistaken for a long skirt.

23. Arab here, it’s ok to hold hands with your friend. Usually if we are in a deep deep talk I’ll hold my friends’ hand and walk with them while talking. And you know how the U.S, Canada, and most western countries think of handholding.

24. Dancing! Especially moving your hips. I’m from Central America now in the USA

25. My work mate is from papua New guinea, and he told me it’s normal for men to walk around holding hands but not normal for a man to hold hands with a woman or his child. I said in my culture that’s gay.

26. Caribbean men are very metrosexual, in here (USA) it’s more common au nature, hair everywhere

27. I live in Spain and the men shave their legs, chest, pubes, probably even arms. This is considered extremely feminine in Ireland where I’m from. It looks good on the ripped guys but the chubby guys at the pool look like giant babies.

    Personally I’m against it, body hair is natural. For the sake of not being a hypocrite, I also apply that same standard to women

28. In Germany Maria is considered a unisex name.

29. I am American but find incredibly weird that some American families, particularly of Eastern European descent and other, kiss each other on the lips. To me is really odd.

30. Wearing a sachet (ie, man purse).

31. Wearing colorful clothing

32. I’m an American woman, but my husband is from india. I was surprised to learn how popular Justin beiber was among Indian men compared to the American perception at the same time period

33. Dancing. I’m a South American living in Scandinavia, and guys here not only typically don’t dance, they joke about it being a “gay” thing. Fair enough, where I’m from you don’t get far with girls if you don’t know how to handle yourself on the dancefloor

34. What I learned ITT: Arab men – probably the most homophobic demographic in Western countries – doing everything short of actual anal sex that’s considered as gay in the West.