Black Americans

Sherryne wrote:

I agree 100% on the comment about skin color being a major social determinative factor.  I believe the deference and preference shown to a person with lighter skin color is due more to a class distinction rather than racial distinction.  The lighter skin color being thought to place one closer to the Spaniards, therefore, the ruling class.

Completely agree, Sherryne, that the distinction is at least as much a matter of class as race. Of course, race/class/economics tend to get intertwined in all societies.

Where I noticed the distinction: I lived in the north of Quito, near Quicentro, an upscale shopping mall, and would often eat at the food court there. After a few visits I began to note that most (though not all) of the people seated were lighter-skinned. However, virtually all of those doing the most menial tasks -- clearing tables, mopping the floor, tending the banos, etc) had darker skins.

Sherryne wrote:

By the way, I am a woman of color.  I love my home country, USA, too, but I like Ecuador, too. I like the life my little bit of pension money allows me to have most of all.  To me, it is a no-brainer as to where that should be for most of us.  At least for me.

I'm a white male, but I too love both the USA and Ecuador. I'm in the States at present for medical reasons, but very much looking forward to my return.

Laurirenee: Come down for your visit and check it out. I hope you'll like Ecuador as much as many others of us do, and decide to stay if it's right for you.

Bob

Sherryne wrote:

BobH -- best wishes for successful outcome of your medical issues and hope you will be returning soon in tiptop shape!!  The observation you made about the job being performed as it relates to skin color made me kind of chuckle.  While you are there in the USA,  look around you, everywhere you go, and see if you notice the same thing.  In USA it will most likely be menial job -- darker/African Ameican; job of more "status" -- lighter /white.   I chuckled because I have seen that all my life.  Glad to hear you are becoming aware!

Thanks for the good wishes!

I totally agree that conditions are the same here in the States (and other countries I've visited). Race/class/economics, as I said above, are closely related.

The example I would use here is my doctor's office. My own doctor is Asian, and all of his partners and the top-ranking assistants (nurse practicioners, PAs) are either white or Asian. Some of the lower ranks are Hispanic, and I don't recall seeing a single black on staff (this is in Phoenix, where the Hispanic population is large, but there are relatively few African-Americans compared to other large cities).

There has been a lot of progress in my lifetime, but still a long way to go.

Bob

shirl51 wrote:

Hello everyone!... My name is shirley I am 51 blk american an I drive a delivery truck for fedx.,..I have my buddy who I consider my daughter she is Philippine us citizen taking all kinds of odd jobs she is 28..

We would love to move to Ecuador an possible teach English or odd jobs to support ourselves..we have small money enough to last for 6 months ..so we would like to have some info on what would be our best move..I live in Virginia by washington DC and I'm ready to go...thank you

Hi Shirley. Seriously not trying to discourage you, but odd jobs will not get you by in Ecuador without a additional steady income, most of those will go to Ecuadorians. Most expats come with the idea that they'll teach English, but most schools will want at minimum TESL certification, and the pay is very low ... anywhere from $3-7 an hour for a 25-30 hour work week. You will need to have a work visa for that, although it is possible to come down on an extended (6 month) visa to look for a job.  If you have a degree, there is always the option of coming in on a professional visa, which has no income requirement.

You can google Ecuadorian visas to see the requirements on the various types of visa and what is required to obtain each.  Good luck!

shirl51 wrote:

Thku

  Hope it all works out for you. If you're on Facebook, come join us on the Ecuador Expats group. Great people and many people who have lived/worked in Ecuador for a while.  You'll also be able to find great information on many of the cities and towns, so you can get an idea of where you might like to settle, what the cost of living is (and it can vary greatly) and get any questions/concerns answered.

shirl51 wrote:

I need to find out who she is...thanks

I'll look and see if I can find it. Can't remember her name. It was on the English speaking Mauritania Forum. Topic was something like "Cost of living in Mauritania"

shirl51 wrote:

Hello everyone!... My name is shirley I am 51 blk american an I drive a delivery truck for fedx.,..I have my buddy who I consider my daughter she is Philippine us citizen taking all kinds of odd jobs she is 28..

We would love to move to Ecuador an possible teach English or odd jobs to support ourselves..we have small money enough to last for 6 months ..so we would like to have some info on what would be our best move..I live in Virginia by washington DC and I'm ready to go...thank you

Hello Shirley;
Please keep in mind that Ecuador is not the USA, Canada or Europe. What may be the norm where you live is not the norm here in Loja.

While it is a fairly easy process to enter and stay in Ecuador for a short period of time (270 days per year, - 90 day T-3 visa + 180 day 12-IX Visa Extension), it becomes very complex if you decide you want to stay longer, especially if you don't have the financial means to support yourself while in Ecuador.

The cost of a 12-IX Visa Extension application and visa fee is $230 per person plus $50 per dependent. In your case both you and Erika will each need to apply for a separate 12-IX Visa Extension as the Ecuador government will not acknowledge Erika as a dependent. Also each applicant must prove that they have a minimum of $2,000 in a bank account (plus an extra $100 per dependent) as well as an exit ticket (air flight or bus ticket already purchased). Most of the time a person can get around the ticket issue.

As for working in Ecuador, Ecuador has very strict labor laws and as such you need to be a resident of Ecuador in order to work (legally) in Ecuador. And because of the strict labor laws, many Ecuador businesses will only hire people for less than 90 days (called a trial period) in order to avoid the expenses associated with a full-time employee.

For example: once an employee works 91 days or more for a company, that company will need to pay the employee 14 months wages for only 12 months of labor each year (plus holiday pay). If the employee is laid off or fired for some reason, the company will need to pay a severance pay of one months wages for each year worked (calculated on 14 months of wages not 12 months wages).

As you can see from the above example, the company can avoid such expenses by hiring new employees every 89 days. So even if you spoke fluent Spanish, the likelihood of keeping a job is minimal. And besides, the average daily wages for an Ecuadorian is $15-$20 per day.

If you are able to find a job to work for someone, you will need to apply for and pay for a 12-VI visa as most businesses will not do it for you because of the above example.

The other alternative is to start your own business here and apply for the 12-VI work visa for yourself and Erika once the business is legally formed which will allow you to work in Ecuador from a minimum of one year to a maximum of two years before you need to extend your 12-VI work visa. The only problem with forming a business in Ecuador (because of the labor laws) is you must have at least one Ecuadorian as a part owner (can be as less as 1% ownership) as well as have at least one Ecuadorian on the payroll (could be the Ecuadorian owner).

But there again, if you only speak English and not fluent Spanish you will be limited to who your customers will be. While more and more English speaking people are coming to the Loja area, there are not enough of them at the moment to support a business that only tailors to those who speak English.

As for teaching English here, there is not a high demand because most Ecuadorians see no need and besides, most of them couldn't afford it if they wanted to.

Since Loja is the capital of the Loja Province, housing isn't as cheap here as someone on this forum has suggested. I should know. I live here and my business requires me to know such things.

The cheapest unfurnished apartment I have found is $250/month (plus utilities) for a two bedroom, one bath. By unfurnished, I mean no stove or refrigerator or gas tanks to supply gas to your stove or hot water heater (which means you will have to purchase them).

The cheapest furnished apartment I have found was $350/month (plus utilities) for a two bedroom, two bath were the location is not very desirable and the window view is a brick wall. The furniture was so, so and I wouldn't want to sleep on any of the mattresses.

In order to rent an apartment, you would need to pay in advance the first months rent plus a deposit in the amount of the first months rent.

I have trusted local Ecuadorian friends who I have hired to do the negotiations on my behalf for others because it doesn't matter how well a person may speak Spanish, if you're a gringo, they see $$ and will take advantage of your ignorance.

As for how much would it cost you monthly for the two of you live here, the Ecuadorian government requires a retiree when applying for a 9-I retiree visa to have a minimum of $800 / month income plus an extra $100 per dependent. There's a reason for that. Because of the cost of living here for the average American to live a somewhat comfortable life. Of course a person can always live on a lower budget if they should choose.

I don't mean to discourage you in anyway. I only wish to give you some insights to what it is really like here. My business requires me to be candid with all those who desire to move to this wonderful country. I created a website that provides more details about Loja on the LojaWelcomeCenter.com website. Keep in mind that the website is still being built daily, but much of the information is there.

If you need further insights or have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I am here to serve and assist.

Ken

MrKMW wrote:

LojaWelcomeCenter.com website. Keep in mind that the website is still being built daily, but much of the information is there.

If you need further insights or have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I am here to serve and assist.

Ken

What an awesome post, Ken -- detailed, comprehensive, clear, supportive,

You're already a great resource person on Expat.com.

Welcome to Expat.com and best of luck with Loja Welcome Center.

cccmedia in Quito

cccmedia wrote:

MrKMW wrote:

LojaWelcomeCenter.com website. Keep in mind that the website is still being built daily, but much of the information is there.

If you need further insights or have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I am here to serve and assist.

Ken

What an awesome post, Ken -- detailed, comprehensive, clear, supportive,

You're already a great resource person on Expat.com.

Welcome to Expat.com and best of luck with Loja Welcome Center.

cccmedia in Quito

Thank you for your kind words. It is much appreciated. Ken

shirl51 wrote:

Not true at all....he experience something different from cuenca so it doesn't mean he has a problem...I watch on YouTube how racist it can be towards afro edcudorians to find work an a whole lot of other stuff so please...depending on who u run into..me I wouldn't take any crap..if your rude I'm going to be rude back..your not superior cos your skin is light nor are you in title. Makes me sick to see ppl of color just want there fair share in life just to be hated cos there skin isn't light so not everyone has a life issue...

People that look for racism will always find it.

Big Will 59 wrote:

I'm a retired military and thinking of maybe moving to Ecuador also. What is the best place for kids to go to school? (International)

For best results, Big WIll, consider telling us more.

For instance, would you prefer they go to school here in the capital, which is considered by most folks to be EC's most international city, or Cuenca, a relatively safe smaller city widely considered to be one of the world's most desirable cities for Expats...

How old will the kids be upon starting school here....

Any preferences:  all classes in English, for instance, emphasis on dance or the arts,
in-city or suburban, or other...

cccmedia in Quito

Big Will 59 wrote:

I'm semi retired married with two young children (6&2 yo). Is it possible for Americans to purchase property and house in Ecuador, and with that is it possible for us to live on $1400 per month? And are there international schools in the Cuenco area?

Property purchase by foreigners is absolutely possible in Ecuador.  No cedula -- the Ecuadorian ID -- is required.  I paid cash for my condo in Quito years before I moved to Ecuador, and don't have information for you about the possibility of financing.

$1,400 a month:  If the family is healthy, the international-school tuition is reasonable and you're generally frugal, it may be possible.

CEDEI School, which promotes an "InterAmerican" program, may offer what you want. I saw other possibilities after googling "international school Cuenca Ecuador."

There is no "o" in Cuenca.

cccmedia in Quito

Travelone wrote:

I lived in Quito for one month, and the people there was very friendly. It's a place with so many things to see and do. ... there's no time to pay attention to other people issues. I had a blast in Quito, Baños, and Mindo.  It's a beautiful country and the food was delicious. I never encounter any racal comments, nor did I experience any tension. I suggest knowing some basic spanish to communicate with everyone.

Didn't you miss the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and/or 76ers?
Otherwise I am sure Quito is better than the City of Brotherly Love.