&gt; expat in some African or Asian country<p>There may have been some confusion as I apparently left out a word (&quot;&#x2F;in&#x2F; the US&quot;). I&#x27;m only discussing privilege in the US.<p>I have no idea how these things work in Africa or Asia. Presumably there are similar situations in other countries, though that is a guess. Your scenario sounds reasonable - yes, the natives would have the privilege of starting with the &quot;default&quot; level of suspicion while the (white) foreigner has to overcome an <i>extra</i> scrutiny.<p>Privilege can be overcome. You specified a <i>rich</i> expat, and money can be a very effective way to make problems go away. However, a similarly rich native will probably have to spend somewhat <i>less</i> money in similar situations because of their privilege.