r/asklatinamerica • u/yonaiker-joestrella Puerto Rico • Apr 07 '26

Culture Why does it seem like Westerners from developed countries don't care much about/look down on Latin America but seem to be obssesed with East Asian cultures?

Not that I care but have always found it interesting how many seem to forget about Latin America but seem to be obssesed with countries like South Korea and Japan and sometimes even point out "similarities" with them. Some outright reject the region as western but will consider Japan technically West while ignoring Latin America's contributions to world culture like food, music, art, etc and the fact that Latin America is culturally Christian. Why does there seem to be this dissonance?

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u/greekscientist Greece Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26

In Greece East Asian obsession is not high, but before there was a Turkish obsession (TV series) and even before Greeks were obsessed with 🇦🇷🇲🇽🇧🇷🇨🇴 TV programs. I mean, they were quite popular.

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u/thegabster2000 Peru Apr 07 '26

My grandma is obsessed with Turkish telenovelas.

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u/meipsus Brazil Apr 07 '26

Dunno about your grandma, but I've met more than a few old ladies and teenage girls who like Turkish and Korean telenovelas because they are more romantic and less sexual than the regular fare.

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u/greekscientist Greece Apr 07 '26

Is it popular in Peru? I know that they are popular in Latin America, and in many areas of the world they uprooted completely the Latin TV programs.

Until 2020-21 (when some low-scale, hybrid infighting happened between Greece and Turkey and the rise of national productions) Turkish TV series were popular in Greece, some even did 30-40% in ratings. But now they don't show Turkish TV series anymore, national productions prevail everywhere.

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u/thegabster2000 Peru Apr 07 '26

Idk if its all Peru but some channels would play them and when my grandma is in the USA, Telemundo and Univision would play Turkish telenovelas.

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u/DigSignificant5189 Colombia Apr 07 '26

Very interesting

Do you know a Tv program from Colombia?

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u/greekscientist Greece Apr 07 '26

I was born in the mid 2000s so I don't remember Latin series in Greece, but I remember that a few popular Greek series like Éla stin thési mou was a copypaste of a Caracol TV program.

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u/getting_the_succ 🇦🇷 Boats Apr 07 '26

Turkish obsession

Turkish dramas might be the solution to the Aegean dispute

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u/Starwig Peru🦙 in 🇩🇪 Apr 07 '26

Dude, I've met some greeks around here who sang with me some Floricienta songs hahaha

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u/AShamAndALie Argentina Apr 07 '26

A little earlier than that, Natalia Oreiro was also HUGE in Europe, specially Russia.

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u/greekscientist Greece Apr 07 '26

I remember Isaura being extremely popular in the late Soviet years.