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Ask a Mexican
I
lived in Spain a few years ago and my roommate, one of my good friends, was Mexican. That is, he IS Mexican. He was
born in Mexico City, lived here in the US for several years and just recently moved back to the DF with his
bride. When we lived in Spain together, I was constantly embarrassed by the questions he'd get asked about the
differences between Spaniards and Mexicans. Some people, it turns out, were unaware there was much difference. These
people were almost inevitably Americans. And they were the open-minded ones who had come to Spain to study! Oh, the evenings I spent sitting around a table drinking red wine with my buddy and laughing about how ridiculous we (that is, Americans) sometimes are. What's even more ridiculous IMHO is that some of the most culturally illiterate people in the world live in one of the most culturally rich places in the world: Los Angeles. If you take the one hour drive down Interstate 5 from LA to Orange County, you will pass communities rich in international cultures.
From Thais to Vietnamese to El Salvadorans to Armenians, LA is a vibrant salad bowl of international cultures. Yet, most people will never experience these other cultures because they speed from place to place via the freeways, never once stopping (except maybe for gas) in any of these communities.
Now all of this is to set up my hearty appreciation for this article in the LA Times about a column that's been running in the OC Weekly called Ask a Mexican. The columnist, one Gustavo Arellano (pictured), takes on the local prejudice and ignorance (both abundant in Orange County) with sharp wit and gut-wrenching humor. To wit: when one writer asked "Why do Mexicans call white people gringos?", he fired back:
"Mexicans do not call gringos gringos. Only gringos call gringos gringos. Mexicans call gringos gabachos."
And when asked to explain why Mexicans to sell oranges at freeway off ramps, he snapped:
"What do you want them to sell — Steinways? According to Dolores, who sells oranges off the 91 Freeway/Euclid onramp, in Anaheim, she can earn almost $100 per week hawking the fruit. That averages out to more than $5,000 a year — and since it's the underground economy, she doesn't pay taxes!"
I was tempted to write and ask the difference between Spaniards and Mexicans just to see what kind of a response I'd get, but it being Orange County, my guess is someone already did.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jmchez Feb 26th 2006 8:14PM
Gabachos? That's a new one. Must be some sort of Mexican subculture thing because Dominicans and just about every Latin American calls Americas gringos. I know I grew up hearing that term.
If you are polite you will refer to Americans as Americanos, Norteamericanos or Estadounidense (Unitedstatian). I like the last term and actualy think that the Frank Lloyd Wright coined term of Usonian (from USA)sounds lovely.
rod Feb 26th 2006 10:40PM
Im Mexican, I live in Mexico city. We call them gringos and gavachos, but gringos is used more frecuently.
Rose Rivera Feb 28th 2006 12:27AM
Elder Mexicans I know use the word "Gabacho", not "Gringo". "Gringo" is used in westerns.
carlos Mar 4th 2006 10:42AM
What's the deal with mexican women these days? Why do they continue to wear those ugly looking hiphugger jeans that look like they're painted on? You'd think they could find trousers that fit. Apparently they think it looks good. Well they're wrong. It's unattractive and very unappealing. Especially the ones that have such a big butt it looks like they have a pillow stuffed into their pants.
Yesenia Mar 6th 2006 5:33PM
Gabacho or Gringo? I think that neither sound right. I would say Norte Americanos. I always hear people say Americanos, but people from diverse countries can still be Americanos (Mexican-American, African-American, Native-American,Latin- American etc.) Back to the question... even though it doesn't sound right to me, the most commonly used with my family is Gabachos.
Debbie Mar 6th 2006 5:55PM
Since Erik assumes all Americans are stupid and can't tell a Mexican from a Spaniard, let me enlighten you all. He never did explain the difference, just wanted to make fun of us.
1. Spaniard is from Spain. They are often, blond and blue eyed, just like many Europeans.
2. Mexicans are from Mexico. They are a combination of Spanish and Indian. That's why they have darker skin and hair, because of the Indian...I think maybe Aztec indian, but not sure. I'd have to go back to my history book for that one.
If anyone knows what type of Indian the Spaniards hooked up with, please clue us in.
Celina Mar 7th 2006 2:49PM
As a young lady we used to hear my Uncle call the
anglos ...gavachos, which I thought was a more respectful word than Gringo, but I heard both. As
far as Spaniards being blond and blue eyed I would say
half right!! My Mother had the dark hair and my Father had the blonde hair and blue eyes. Both Spanish. You can also find blonde and blue eyed Mexicans. Not all Spaniards that ended up in Mexico married Indians and they would still have had dark hair and brown eyes. Last week I heard one of my son-in-laws refer to a "non-Mexican" as the white guys.
My instant remark to him was that Mexicans are not
of the colored race. Some may be but that does not mean they all are. By the way, no Mexicans live in this town and all the young "Gavachas" are wearing the tight low rider pants. They have to show off their tatoos.
Celina Mar 7th 2006 2:49PM
As a young lady we used to hear my Uncle call the
anglos ...gavachos, which I thought was a more respectful word than Gringo, but I heard both. As
far as Spaniards being blond and blue eyed I would say
half right!! My Mother had the dark hair and my Father had the blonde hair and blue eyes. Both Spanish. You can also find blonde and blue eyed Mexicans. Not all Spaniards that ended up in Mexico married Indians and they would still have had dark hair and brown eyes. Last week I heard one of my son-in-laws refer to a "non-Mexican" as the white guys.
My instant remark to him was that Mexicans are not
of the colored race. Some may be but that does not mean they all are. By the way, no Mexicans live in this town and all the young "Gavachas" are wearing the tight low rider pants. They have to show off their tatoos.
Celina Mar 7th 2006 2:50PM
As a young lady we used to hear my Uncle call the
anglos ...gavachos, which I thought was a more respectful word than Gringo, but I heard both. As
far as Spaniards being blond and blue eyed I would say
half right!! My Mother had the dark hair and my Father had the blonde hair and blue eyes. Both Spanish. You can also find blonde and blue eyed Mexicans. Not all Spaniards that ended up in Mexico married Indians and they would still have had dark hair and brown eyes. Last week I heard one of my son-in-laws refer to a "non-Mexican" as the white guys.
My instant remark to him was that Mexicans are not
of the colored race. Some may be but that does not mean they all are. By the way, no Mexicans live in this town and all the young "Gavachas" are wearing the tight low rider pants. They have to show off their tatoos.
Vanessa Mar 7th 2006 3:46PM
When Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico, he met with Moctezuma II, an Aztec King. The offspring from a Spanish and Indian is called a Mestizo.
YOLI Mar 7th 2006 4:25PM
GRINGO MEANS GREEN (PALE SKIN COLOR OR GREENISH) AND GO (GO HOME), AND WAS USED WHEN AMERICANS TRIED TO INVADE MEXICO THROUGH THE NORTH PART OF THE COUNTRY.
Ingrid Rojas Mar 7th 2006 5:26PM
I am swedish, lived in Mexico off and on for 10 years, visited LOTS of places and speak their spanish. They are wonderfully warm people, heplful and nice.Gringos is not a bad word, thei are hardly offensive, just amused with the americans, but never rude.They are very proud people. Bolillo is a white roll with a nice crust, tastes exellent, type french bread. They call us that for our white color, jokingly!!We the americans are often rude, they are shy and proud, and both of us do NOT SPEAK the other ones langugague both physcally and mentally. They are on a different plane than us americans. So is most of the world. USA is a very young country, strong and independent,FREE.Other countries have different ruels and regulations and discipline in daily lives.Curtesies
are almost forgotten here. Not in other contries. Mexico is so relaxing, friendly and welcoming.Lets read up on them and than travel to their turf with respect.And hold on to your pocket book. They are great sellers, entertainers and do NOT make fun of you!! Happy travelling
Ingrid Rojas Mar 7th 2006 5:28PM
I am swedish, lived in Mexico off and on for 10 years, visited LOTS of places and speak their spanish. They are wonderfully warm people, heplful and nice.Gringos is not a bad word, thei are hardly offensive, just amused with the americans, but never rude.They are very proud people. Bolillo is a white roll with a nice crust, tastes exellent, type french bread. They call us that for our white color, jokingly!!We the americans are often rude, they are shy and proud, and both of us do NOT SPEAK the other ones langugague both physcally and mentally. They are on a different plane than us americans. So is most of the world. USA is a very young country, strong and independent,FREE.Other countries have different ruels and regulations and discipline in daily lives.Curtesies
are almost forgotten here. Not in other contries. Mexico is so relaxing, friendly and welcoming.Lets read up on them and than travel to their turf with respect.And hold on to your pocket book. They are great sellers, entertainers and do NOT make fun of you!! Happy travelling
RYAN FLYIN Mar 7th 2006 7:58PM
I WAS CALLED GRINGOS REGULAR AT ADELINAS IN MEXICO...N THE GIRLS WERE SCREAMIN LECHE LECHE AS I SPRAYED IT ON THEIR CANS
Jose Perez Mar 8th 2006 1:47PM
During the Mexican-American War the most favorite song around that the time for American soliders was "Green Grows the Grass At Home". The Mexican scouts spying on U.S. troops, would hear the Americans singing this song while marching. The scout not understanding english understood the first two words of the song as "gringo" hench that was the word they used to mean a American solider.
Gustavo Arambula Mar 9th 2006 2:27AM
I WANT TO CORRECT YOLI
THE GREEN PART IS ACTUALLY CONCERNING THE AMERICANS GREEN UNIFORM, AND FOR THE GO HOME PART IT IS TRUE, WELL THAT IS SOMETHING ONE OF MY MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS IN MEXICO TOLD ME.
AND I ALSO HEARD JOSE PEREZ'S VERSION AND I ALSO THINK THAT MIGHT BE TRUE TOO.
enrique lassala Mar 19th 2006 7:01AM
How are you all doing? I hope youīre ok
First of all I want to tell you that we are all members of one race:human So why donīt we try to view the world differently and gladly accept we all have things to share to other cultures and that is great!
Also I want to say that I am Mexican and proud to be one, and I have blonde hair and green eyes, my four grandparents are european and the reason I mention this is far from racist, I just want to let you know that more than 11 million mexicans are white, (10%of the population) mostly from spanish background, but also from other countries, we also have a large lebanese, jewish, european,and south american communities that have been here for a long time and their son/daughters were born here and so their grandsons/daughters and their as mexican as the native indians which by the way, unfortunately, have the worst working conditions of all mexicans and we also have our racist issues down here (which is nothing to be proud of)and then they cross the border to find a better opportunity for them,an issue that I donīt like but that is a fact. but the majority of mexicans are Mestizos (a mixture of white-indian blood), that makes 60% of the total population.But there is a misconception of Mexicans.We come in all colors, sizes and shapes and as in any other country in the Americas, mexican population is made up of native indians but also from people that came here from all over the world, it is interesting to check this information in internet. But despite all this I just want to let you know that most of us are nice,caring people who donīt want to hurt or offend anyone and that takes me to my final comment:the word gringo is merely used to refer americans but it does not have an offensive connotation, it is a fact that we do have a love-hate relationship,but it is also a fact that what unites us is stronger than what separates us, if not check out what the 15 million mexicans that live in the U.S think or the 1 million americans who live in Mexico think or ask why 5 million mexicans choose to vacation there or the 18 million americans choose to vacation here.The true fact is that eventough there are thousand of mexicans or americans that complain about eachother, the majority of us (mexicans,americans) are respectful toward each other and there are thousands of families
made up of american-mexican or mexican-american parents. I love you all and letīs not generalize anyone or anything because there is always the other side of any issue that we can think of. I love to be Mexican, I love to be human, I love you for being human and I respect your points of view.
lee Mar 21st 2006 8:00PM
Interesting...
In Oacaca and Chiapas there are also communities rich in ethnic African-Mexican and Asians, who have been there for many years, having arrived, as so many others did all over the world, to work, and usually to be exploited for their labor, and their decendents are still there. Also, there is a common perception in el Norte that native Mexican "Indians" are all Aztec or Mayan, but Mexico is a huge country with a vaste number of varying indigenous ethnic groups, each with its own language and customs. Mexico is an amazing melting pot, not unlike its northern neighbors and offers visitors and natives alike many opportunities to travel and learn about all the various things it means to be Mexican. I encourage anyone truly interested in learning about our shared continent to travel to Mexico (or travel around it if you are already there) and be prepared to be amazed!
Paul Kircher Mar 23rd 2006 3:01PM
I am thinking about retireing to Mexico. Could anyone send me any information that would help me decide, if this the right choice. I have been thinking of this for some time, and have made the usual inquiries on the net, and have a good idea that this is what I would like to do, but would appreciate any pointers..Thanks
bob Mar 23rd 2006 8:18PM
well as for gringo , gavacho and bolillo they are all used but who the heck cares , as for me an american man that loves mexican ladies as long as they call me PAPI I am happy .