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Poncho32

Dec 18, 2008, 4:48 PM

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American cars?

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I have a question, all over mexico you see cars being driven by Mexicans with United States plates that have been expired for many years,
with no evidence on the car of other licensing.
How do they get by with it?
Bud

travisdyer

Dec 18, 2008, 5:42 PM

Post #2 of 16 (4028 views)

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Re: [Bud Crest] American cars?

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A one word answer: Mordidas (Bribes). The owners pay a small bribe to the local cops every time that they get stopped. Previously it was often overlooked. However, recently, many of these vehicles, known as "chocolates" have been confiscated by the "federales". These vehicles are often used in many different types of criminal activities.

Poncho32

Dec 18, 2008, 5:57 PM

Post #3 of 16 (4023 views)

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Re: [travisdyer] American cars?

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I surmised that , but was wondering if they had some other way around it?
Bud

johanson

Dec 18, 2008, 6:47 PM

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Re: [Bud Crest] American cars?

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Maybe some of them are Pochos, you know US citizens whose parents were Spanish who have come back to visit or to live. Maybe the US plated cars are ten years old and the citizen plans to change them to Mexican plated cars.

jennifer rose

Dec 19, 2008, 6:58 AM

Post #5 of 16 (3972 views)

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Re: [johanson] American cars?

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Pete, pochos' parents very seldom are Spanish.

jennifer rose

Dec 19, 2008, 7:17 AM

Post #6 of 16 (3970 views)

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Re: [johanson] American cars?

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Pete, pochos' parents are very, very seldom Spanish.

johanson

Dec 19, 2008, 9:22 AM

Post #7 of 16 (3945 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] American cars?

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You are so right. What I meant to say is Mexican. What I and my friends understand a pocho to be is children of Mexican parents who were born and live in the US.

(This post was edited by johanson on Dec 19, 2008, 9:23 AM)

thriftqueen

Dec 19, 2008, 11:51 AM

Post #8 of 16 (3927 views)

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Re: [johanson] American cars?

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Pete, the slip of the tongue is excusable, for example when I am in New Mexico most all hispanics consider themselves Spanish, so one must say hispanic or Spanish. When I'm in Mexico I must be careful to say Mexican as the folks I associate with wouldn't understand the upgrade. My Mexican neighbor/school teacher in Alamos laugh about my slips of the tongue.

Saturday night we volunteered at a kids party held for folks who have a loved one or parent incarcerated. (We are in NM at this time). There were probably 250 - 300 people there. One game was played where if one was born in NM they were to find a friend in that group, the rest of us were separated by birth states then we were told to find a new friend in that group. Then all the folks from Mexico were asked to group, it was amazing how many there were in attendance. These folks don't consider themselves to be Spanish. We visited with many of these and they loved the fact that we live in Mexico. Our area of the state is accepting of the transplants be they legal or illegal.

(This post was edited by thriftqueen on Dec 19, 2008, 11:53 AM)

jennifer rose

Dec 19, 2008, 12:49 PM

Post #9 of 16 (3912 views)

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Re: [thriftqueen] American cars?

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Spain is a country in Europe. Its citizens are Spanish.

Mexico is a country in North America. Its citizens are Mexican.

We Mexicans don't think of being called "Spanish" as an upgrade. (Think of how Estadounidenses of English extraction would react to being called "English.")

Anonimo

Dec 19, 2008, 1:31 PM

Post #10 of 16 (3904 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] American cars?

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Can we examine the word, "pocho" now?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocho

Saludos,
Anonimo

thriftqueen

Dec 19, 2008, 3:04 PM

Post #11 of 16 (3889 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] American cars?

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My son in law and his family (native New Mexicans) have traced their lineage back to Spain. Many of the "Spanish" decent hispanics here in NM date back to the conquistadores, so as you can see there are some Spanish in NM. For the record I am of English extraction and I wouldn't mind a bit being referred to as English extraction!!

johanson

Dec 19, 2008, 3:42 PM

Post #12 of 16 (3880 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] American cars?

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Oops. I did not mean pocho in a negative manner. And I thought I understood the word. I meant absolutely nothing negative by the comment. When I speak Spanish, some people will make a remark, but you are an American, they don't learn Spanish, (which is too often the case here in Ajijic and Chapala) And I answer, ( Hablo Esp. porque yo soy pocho, pero pocho de Europa) which gets a laugh, and then I mention that along with my kind-of-sort-of Spanish I kind-of-sort of Speak NL, D, and Gringo.

We all laugh. Thanks for setting me straight on the word "pocho"

robrt8

Dec 19, 2008, 9:58 PM

Post #13 of 16 (3842 views)

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Re: [johanson] American cars?

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Wikipedia is not the straight on pocho. You're using it just fine.

sioux4noff

Dec 20, 2008, 2:06 PM

Post #14 of 16 (3795 views)

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Re: [robrt8] American cars?

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If you read the Wikipedia page, it says pocho can be considered offensive in some areas, not so in others. I'm sure that's correct. Sort of like gringo, it is sometimes is used in an offensive way, sometimes nt.

Oscar2

Dec 20, 2008, 2:52 PM

Post #15 of 16 (3781 views)

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Re: [robrt8] American cars?

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On several occasions, in carrying on a conversation with Mexicans in Spanish, and while joking around, I too, in a self-deprecating way would refer to myself as a pocho. And follow up, while boasting and laughing, I’d say, you just wait, in one year, while in your neighborhood, they will “not” be able to tell the difference between a local and me. Of coarse, they laugh and we continue carrying-on….. Laugh

Marlene

Dec 23, 2008, 1:11 PM

Post #16 of 16 (3694 views)

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Re: [robrt8] American cars?

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Which area of Mexico do you live in, Robrt8? It's obviously quite different than in my area and our local culture.