Apparently, an early meaning of "dude" was someone overly dressed for the occasion, overly conscious of clothing and fashion. In time the meaning changed. Sometimes you will hear it in cowboy/western movies to refer to someone from the East. Westerners use it even today to mean someone from the city who is not dressed for the country and lacks country skills. For example, they may use boots, hats, belts, etc. that nobody from the country would use for everyday wear. When I was a kid, I lived on a ranch in Arizona. I assure you that it was an insult to call someone "dude". However, it was acceptable to say "to be duded up" to mean to be dressed in one's best clothing, fancy clothing, etc.
The West still has "dude ranchs", places where people from the city can get a taste of country living. Some of the estancias in Argentina and pousadas in Brazil are set up along the lines of dude ranchs with horseback riding, barbecues, etc.
Among Hispanics in the USA, in place of "dude", the word "homes" is often heard. "Homes" or "homey" can be used in reference to males or females. You'll also hear "homeboy" and "homegirl". A homeboy is someone from your barrio, but it's often a friendly greeting to anyone young. (Ex: Who was the homeboy I saw you with last night? How are things, homes?)
Among blacks in the US, "brother" and "sister" are common. I assume that the terms come from the practice of Protestants calling one another "brother" or "sister". (Ex: A brother came to see you this morning while you were out of the office. Brother Smith, how are you today?) As you can see, the term is not used quite like "hermano" in Spanish.
For ten years I lived in a small community in the mountains north of San Bernardino, California. "Downtown" had a bar, a post office, a fire department (the firemen only came in case of fire), and a water company. That was all. The population of squirrels was much greater than that of humans. For food, gasoline, etc. I had to go to one of the larger towns nearby. Visitors from the city were called "flatlanders". "Mountain people", as we referred to ourselves, were convinced that living in the mountains made us better drivers, smarter, wiser, etc. than the flatlanders who would come up the mountain for a weekend. No, I didn't call anyone a "flatlander"!
I lived for two years in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil). Every "gaucho" that all true Brazilians live in the South. A man from Ceara told me he had spent 13 years living in that area before feeling accepted. On the other hand, a man from Maranhao encouraged me to go the the Northeast, saying that there the true Brazil could be found, and that only foreigners lived elsewhere. I am superior to you. Where I live is better than where you live. Does that sound familiar?
Be well.
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