Only 4% of Americans owned a passport in 1990

[JadeB]

Did nikkas just never left their hometowns or what???

Not even Mexico or Canada???

Yeah international travel laws were probably a bit looser back then but it been a requirement to have a passport when leaving the US since 1941

It just doesn't compute

 

[null]

 

[Ol’Otis]

Traveling was kinda expensive back than
You literally had to go thru travel agents

 

[King]

Traveling was kinda expensive back than
You literally had to go thru travel agents

Yeah OP not everyone had a network set up for them of upper class people immigrating to the US who were already familiar with international travel.

 

[Sad Bunny]

What’s the percentage now?

 

[JadeB]

What’s the percentage now?

42%. Still lower than Canada (66%) and the UK (76%) but a big improvement.

 

[JadeB]

Yeah OP not everyone had a network set up for them of upper class people immigrating to the US who were already familiar with international travel.

 

[paperbag]

Did nikkas just never left their hometowns or what???

Not even Mexico or Canada???

Yeah international travel laws were probably a bit looser back then but it been a requirement to have a passport when leaving the US since 1941

It just doesn't compute

you didn't need a passport for Mexico or Canada before 9/11

and why do people always act like usa isn't the full width and almost breadth of a whole continent?

 

[TEH]

A lot of nearby countries didn’t require a passport and took a drivers license I think.

 

[Sbp]

The U.S. is diverse so a lot of traveling was done within the states. Plus cities put way more effort into attracting families for tourism.

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Y'all need to stop with the bougie shyt. Sometimes life just gets you and you going through motions. It still happens with a lot of people today. Too busy working trying to pay bills, having unwed kids, child support. All those things take priority

 

[concise]

Passport shaming wasn't a thing yet since the lines between the haves and have nots were more clearly defined.
Also a good chunk of those is likely dual-nationals and naturalized citizens.

 

[JadeB]

The U.S. is diverse so a lot of traveling was done within the states. Plus cities put way more effort into attracting families for tourism.

you didn't need a passport for Mexico or Canada before 9/11

and why do people always act like usa isn't the full width and almost breadth of a whole continent?

I grew up in America so I already know that it's a diverse country. Passports being extremely uncommon at one point is just foreign to me. I'm 23 so there's that also.

 

[Remote]

Where is the source for this 4% number?

 

[paperbag]

I grew up in America so I already know that it's a diverse country. Passports being extremely uncommon at one point is just foreign to me. I'm 23 so there's that also.

Aww small baby. Yeah you don't even understand what america is(was) because you didnt experience before 9/11 or life without cellphones. It was a completely different world.