Source: UCG / Getty
Professional Black women are leaving the United States in droves because they are fed up, feeling unsafe and betrayed by the system.
Bloomberg reported that in the past three years of COVID-19, there had been an exodus of professional African American women searching for countries like Mexico, Portugal, the Caribbean and even Bangkok that would provide better protection, even if they have to relocate, withdraw their children and start businesses abroad.
Some might be familiar with what is a “passport bro,” a subculture of men in the dating scene, primarily of whom are Black men, seeking long-term relationships or potential wives in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Thailand, Costa Rica and the Philippines.
Both are taking a radical approach in wanting to be wanted, but in contrast, these working professional females are looking out for their own business opportunities and safety. Some passport bros have been depicted as sex tourists seeking to trick impoverished and indigenous women into becoming submissive American homemakers.
There are two waves of Black women leaving the U.S.: those who can afford to leave without being dependent on employment and those searching for work in another country. Black women are the least financially secure group of Americans, with racial wealth disparity reaching new depths between Black people and white people, Business Insider reported.
The racial wealth gap has been widening for years. In 1992, the median net worth of white families was between $100,000 and $150,000, which is far more than Black families, which had less than half of $50,000, according to McKinsey.
In fact, from the 1990s to 2016, the median net worth of Black families has been consistently low. The median net worth of Black families is less than that of Hispanic families, albeit not that much. During that same time, the median white family gained about $50,000 more in net worth since the 1990s and after the Great Recession.
Bloomberg reported, as of 2019, Black Americans had one-sixth of the wealth of white Americans, with more than half of Black people saying it is challenging to overcome wealth inequality, according to a Pulse of Black America survey.
There is also a situation where Black women are fed up with poor healthcare treatment and issues regarding voting rights. Although racism still exists in traveling abroad, the advantages of displacing locals in developing countries soften the blow as it is a higher privilege to be a Black woman with money, as many of their destinations have a lower cost of living.
Roshida Dowe, a former consumer automotive finance lawyer in Silicon Valley, retired in 2018 and retreated to Mexico City, where she claimed to have saved $660,000, CNBC reported.
In September 2020, Dowe and business partner Stephanie Perry, a pharmacy technician who worked night shifts, cofounded the ExodUS Summit. This forum helps Black women seeking refuge outside the states.
“This is a movement,” Perry, who in 2015 left the U.S. after spending 12 months traveling across Southeast Asia, Australia, and parts of Europe, told Bloomberg. “I think Black women have discovered that the American dream is not necessarily possible in America.”
RELATED CONTENT: Taraji P. Henson Considers Living Outside The U.S. A Means Of Self Care
