MexConnect.com Forums: General: Living, Working, Retiring: A million gringos: Page 2

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joaquinx

Jul 31, 2011, 12:09 PM

Post #26 of 45 (2368 views)

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Re: [esperanza] A million gringos

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No more than you when you associate the word "gringo" with a certain group...

Sorry, frito, that is not a word I use. Ever.

And know a number of American citizens living in Mexico who are not "white people", no matter what their age.

And many Mexicans resent the word "American" to indicate those who are citizens of the United States of America.
_______
My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.

esperanza

Jul 31, 2011, 12:44 PM

Post #27 of 45 (2354 views)

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Re: [joaquinx] A million gringos

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Yep, joaquinx, you are so right.

OK, now some of us have aired our differing opinions about all of this terminology. It's good that we can each say our piece.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

cbviajero

Jul 31, 2011, 12:52 PM

Post #28 of 45 (2349 views)

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Re: [joaquinx] A million gringos

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As far as I can tell all mexicans should be considered americans,north americans or even estadounidenses after all they are from the estados unidos de la republica mexicana which is located on the continent of north america.I personally don't have a problem with the word gringo,no matter that you have lived for 40 years in Mexico your neighbors, if they don't know your name will refer to you as the gringa without intending any offense,everybody here has a nickname el gordo,el pelon,la gringa etc.For some reason I don't like the term gabacho maybe because it rymes with gacho.
Chris

Bennie García

Jul 31, 2011, 12:52 PM

Post #29 of 45 (2349 views)

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Re: [joaquinx] A million gringos

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And many Mexicans resent the word "American" to indicate those who are citizens of the United States of America.

You know, I've been here a long time and I can't recall many Mexicans being upset about this.

joaquinx

Jul 31, 2011, 12:58 PM

Post #30 of 45 (2346 views)

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Re: [Bennie García] A million gringos

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And many Mexicans resent the word "American" to indicate those who are citizens of the United States of America.

You know, I've been here a long time and I can't recall many Mexicans being upset about this.

But you did recall a few. Most don't care. I don't mind being call a "gringo." If fact, I consider any foreigner a gringo. I have a running joke with the Chileano down the street when he calls me gringo. I call him Argentino.
_______
My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.

(This post was edited by joaquinx on Jul 31, 2011, 12:59 PM)

cbviajero

Jul 31, 2011, 1:27 PM

Post #31 of 45 (2336 views)

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Re: [joaquinx] A million gringos

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Thats funny,the quickest way to get rich in south america,buy a argentino for what he's worth and sell him for what he thinks he's worth.
Chris

(This post was edited by cbviajero on Jul 31, 2011, 1:56 PM)

frito

Jul 31, 2011, 2:14 PM

Post #32 of 45 (2314 views)

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Re: [RickS] A million gringos

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I certainly didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest! When I worked on the border I worked with many young Hispanic men who openly hated me for being white. Not withstanding that people who first met me often spoke to me in Spanish and were surprised I could only say a few words. I'm a Scots-Irish/Cherokee who's proud of his heritage. Culturally I'm an Anglo. And where I'm working now I've had white co-workers act angrily towards me for wanting to retire to Latin America. No mistaking their anger, they make it very clear what they think of Hispanics. I can understand a Hispanic American's sensitivity to the subject after dealing with people like that. But please understand that some of us Anglo's interested in moving south get pressured from different directions. We aren't your enemy but feel sometimes we have to walk on eggshells. It's why J've looked at countries in South America where the culture clash isn't a pervasive part of life. But the more I look at it the more I like Oaxaca. Seems to be everything I want. All I can do when there is treat people the way I want to be treated, observe and respect and if called for emulate the local customs, and spend my meager income in their economy. Beyond that is above my paygrade.

La Isla

Jul 31, 2011, 2:19 PM

Post #33 of 45 (2309 views)

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Re: [frito] A million gringos

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And where I'm working now I've had white co-workers act angrily towards me for wanting to retire to Latin America. No mistaking their anger, they make it very clear what they think of Hispanics.

I can understand that uninformed people might be surprised that you want to retire in Latin America, but why would they be angry? Why should they care?

frito

Jul 31, 2011, 2:57 PM

Post #34 of 45 (2296 views)

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Re: [La Isla] A million gringos

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And where I'm working now I've had white co-workers act angrily towards me for wanting to retire to Latin America. No mistaking their anger, they make it very clear what they think of Hispanics.

I can understand that uninformed people might be surprised that you want to retire in Latin America, but why would they be angry? Why should they care?

Because many whites in east Texas feel threatened by the growing Hispanic population. And many fervently believe that because so many Mexicans and others have come here looking for work then Mexico must truly be a horrible place. Seeing daily reports of the drug war right at the border doesn't allay fear either. I'm not saying that everyone here feels this way, nor did everyone I met on the border treat me badly either. Met many wonderful people on the border. Most white folk I meet in east Texas are very friendly until you tell them something that differs from their view of the world. Some handle it ok, most I've met don't. Engrained prejudice.

La Isla

Jul 31, 2011, 3:03 PM

Post #35 of 45 (2292 views)

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Re: [frito] A million gringos

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Thanks for the explanation. It's too bad that East Texans can only be friendly to people whose world views coincide with theirs. Your post is a reminder to me that I should be more understanding of people with whom I disagree :).

arbon

Jul 31, 2011, 4:23 PM

Post #36 of 45 (2271 views)

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Re: [frito] A million gringos

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I'm a Scots-Irish/Cherokee who's proud of his heritage. Culturally I'm an Anglo.

¿What makes you think/feel that you are an "Anglo" Culturally?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

frito

Jul 31, 2011, 5:11 PM

Post #37 of 45 (2252 views)

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Re: [arbon] A million gringos

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I'm a Scots-Irish/Cherokee who's proud of his heritage. Culturally I'm an Anglo.

¿What makes you think/feel that you are an "Anglo" Culturally?

I must be, Hispanics keep calling me one, LOL. Do you identify with a given group? Do you say that everyone, no matter their race or ethnicity, have the same values, shared experiences? Not a value judgement, just a reality. My Father's family is Scots-Irish, my Mother's family is Irish and Cherokee from eastern Oklahoma. My sister is blonde, burns in the sun easily. I have black hair, white skin, and get very dark in the sun. Some ask me if I'm Italian, a little old lady in McAllen once said to me when I didn't understand her "but you look so Mexican!". My Dad's first cousin married a Mexican-American man from San Antonio. I grew up with their 3 bilingual children who I'm still close to. A first cousin of mine married a Mexican-American man from Alamo in the RGV. All this took place in Florida and Georgia. I'm the only one who lives in Texas. So it wasn't like I grew up in a Hispanic neighborhood but consider myself Anglo. Most Hispanics in my hometown in Florida, and there weren't many when I was a kid, were Cuban. It was a very whitebread life. My grandfather was a well driller, we were very middle class. Sorry to write so much but wanted to make it clear.

esperanza

Jul 31, 2011, 6:10 PM

Post #38 of 45 (2237 views)

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Re: [frito] A million gringos

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Thank you, frito.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

frito

Jul 31, 2011, 6:26 PM

Post #39 of 45 (2229 views)

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Re: [esperanza] A million gringos

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Thank you, frito.

Right back at you! I depend on your posts to help me understand life in Mexico, keep up the good work. :)

RickS

Jul 31, 2011, 7:52 PM

Post #40 of 45 (2205 views)

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Re: [La Isla] A million gringos

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"It's too bad that East Texans can only be friendly to people whose world views coincide with theirs."

Unfortunately it's not just East Texans who are bigoted in that way. And, of course, not all East Texans can be put under this umbrella of thought. And if one reads enough national and international news it is obvious that there are a lot of folks on our planet who share this myoptic view. Many do it either in the name of religion or profess to be religious which, to me, makes it even harder to understand.

Axixic

Aug 1, 2011, 5:49 AM

Post #41 of 45 (2162 views)

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Re: [dongringo_catemaco] A million gringos

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Obviously Mexican citizens hold no visas.

Total visa holders in 2010 are reported as 205,074 of which 31.4 % are US and Canadians.

If I apply the 31.4% to the now million+ supposed foreigners after 2010, that would produce about 320 thousand and I`ll still be more than 600 thousand gringo residents short. .

I know Mexican citizens who are also U.S. citizens and when they move back to Mexico, they get FM3s because it's cheaper to bring their U.S. plated car in with an FM3 than nationalizing it.

Reefhound

Aug 1, 2011, 7:20 AM

Post #42 of 45 (2140 views)

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Re: [joaquinx] A million gringos

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And many Mexicans resent the word "American" to indicate those who are citizens of the United States of America.

I've never understood that since there is only one country with "America" as part of it's name. However, there are many with "states" and even Mexico has "United States" (in Spanish) so it would seem to be more encroaching and assuming to call someone a U.S. citizen than an American. But who cares really? There will always be someone who gets upset by anything. If it's not intended to be offensive, then anyone who gets offended needs to get over it.

joaquinx

Aug 1, 2011, 7:29 AM

Post #43 of 45 (2128 views)

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Re: [Reefhound] A million gringos

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There will always be someone who gets upset by anything. If it's not intended to be offensive, then anyone who gets offended needs to get over it.

So true. I always ask, "What would you call a citizen of the US, in English?" I never get an answer. I believe that the resentment is that we used the term first. Perhaps, King George used it first. Who knows? The term "American" didn't gain popularity until after the Civil War. I really don't wish to be referred to as an "United States of American."
_______
My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.

jrpierce

Aug 1, 2011, 12:35 PM

Post #44 of 45 (2069 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] A million gringos

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"With these new figures it's pretty obvious and now official, that nowhere near a million "gringos" or "Americans" live in the United Mexican States."

That may be your conclusion, but it isn't mine!

In an effort to get back to the original topic of this thread, Tony I wanted to agree with you about the data.

You said Mexico's census reported 738,103 people born in the USA but living in Mexico in 2010. So where do the remaining 1/4 million come from? Some possibilities:

I know people living here in Mexico who were not born in the USA (instead in Europe, for example), however became US citizens. They wouldn't be counted above.

A baby born to US citizens living outside the US is a US citizen if the birth is properly registered with the US consulate or Embassy. I also know of people here in that category.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, as of 2005, there were 1.6 million naturalized US Citizens of Mexican birth. At that time, Mexicans were the fastest growing group of naturalized citizens in the US. In 2009, MPI reports that 111,630 more Mexicans became naturalized citizens of the US. Over time, I know that some of those folks return to Mexico primarily due to family ties.

This all makes me think the million number has some face validity, even if it is not absolutely proven.

Jim

tonyburton / Moderator

Aug 1, 2011, 12:48 PM

Post #45 of 45 (2062 views)

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Re: [jrpierce] A million gringos

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OK, so we've come full circle! - time to close this thread, but feel free to start another if anyone wishes to continue the discussion.

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