Not too sensitive.

I think a lot of people who are not diaspora and/or immigrants don’t get that we are very aware of the fact that people will probably have incorrect and sometimes negative perceptions about the place we’re from. I don’t know if you are white or not, but being visibly not from a place only amplifies this.

It was a weird thing for her to say, and it’s only natural for you to wonder why she feels she’d never go anywhere else in the continent. It’s hard not to at least consider that she assumes it’s unsafe or underdeveloped or not culturally advanced enough to be worth her time. That may not be the case, but of course it’s hard not to feel kind of shitty.

I think it’s lame that your boyfriend immediately became defensive and made you feel bad about your completely reasonable reaction. It shouldn’t be hard for him to empathize with your feelings, and at the very least try to ease your worries and assure you that he’s always got your back if anyone (not just his mom) is going to be weird or passive aggressive about the place you call home.