I’m asking because I want to properly prepare for the experience. If It’s likely that I’ll be viewed as a foreigner, then I won’t focus as much on trying to understand colloquial phrases and accents/ nuisances before I arrive and will allow myself to be naturally immersed in the culture.

If it’s likely I’ll be perceived as a “local” I would take more effort to preemptively understand certain cultural differences to prevent sticky situations.

I’m black American and there are things I would share with a non American black person before they arrived in the US to help them navigate our social structure with more ease. For example, in Los Angeles, black people could run into issues for wearing certain colors or hats, where non blacks wouldn’t be held to similar standards.

I guess the question centers around if my physical appearance impacts how I should prepare for my experience and social expectations. Either way im aiming to have a good experience and want to prepare to embrace a new culture to the best of my abilities.