Lets also not forget to support local businesses

CanuckBob wrote:California is a country now............?????? Jajajaja

This was during the bush administration,it was embarrassing to be a US citizen abroad,that said I wasn't buying any tee shirts emblazoned with maple leaves either to hide my identity.

wheels wrote:

Big Daddy Mexico wrote:I currently hire 3 fulltime mexican staff. And I am not a gringo. I am a Canadian. I was not asking for your help. I was just letting people know that helping the smaller stores helps the local people. And my wife of 4 years and 2 kids are Mexican.

LOL and you are not a gringo?????

Nope, I am not a Gringo. A further meaning from Wikipedia

"For most Latin Americans[citation needed] the word has only very mild pejorative connotations, or none at all. Typically, the word is simply used to describe someone from the US."

i am a Canadian.

Big Daddy Mexico wrote:

i am a Canadian.

As long as you live in Mexico you will always be considered a gringo by mexicans, just by your looks and accent,get used to it,it's no big deal.

viajero wrote:

Big Daddy Mexico wrote:

i am a Canadian.

As long as you live in Mexico you will always be considered a gringo by mexicans, just by your looks and accent,get used to it,it's no big deal.

I do agree, by the Mexicans. However as the definition states, in English it is offensive.

And it is no deal at all to me. It is just that I do live in a Mexican family, I am aware of the differences. FYI

Big Daddy Mexico wrote:

wheels wrote:

Big Daddy Mexico wrote:I currently hire 3 fulltime mexican staff. And I am not a gringo. I am a Canadian. I was not asking for your help. I was just letting people know that helping the smaller stores helps the local people. And my wife of 4 years and 2 kids are Mexican.

LOL and you are not a gringo?????

Nope, I am not a Gringo. A further meaning from Wikipedia

"For most Latin Americans[citation needed] the word has only very mild pejorative connotations, or none at all. Typically, the word is simply used to describe someone from the US."

i am a Canadian.

O.K. now I’m feeling affronted and to think I “Lov-ed” your saugages.

gringal wrote:Big Daddy.......no offense, but Canadian borns are also "gringos" . :D
If that's an offensive term to some, let's just say we're "expats".

However, it doesn't matter much which places you patronize........ever had a "gringo" waiter? They're the staff, and they're all hurting these days. It's off season, off economy and times are hard for everyone.
Tip generously.

All of my Mexican friends here in Chapala, Ajijic, and San Antonio are adamant that Canadians are not "gringos". I've asked at least 15 of my friends about this and they assure me there are "gringos" and "pinches canadienses". (joke)

Here's a post from one of my friends (used with permission):

No tengo idea de cual sea el verdadero origen pero en la actualidad (por lo menos en Mexico) "gringo" y "gringa" no son insultos. Para nada es "a racist slur" como dijo alguien por alli. Tampoco consideraria yo necesariamente que sea un termino afectuoso, es simplemente la manera de referirse a alguien o algo de los Estados Unidos. Una analogia es como los neozelandeses son conocidos en Australia y otros lugares. Son llamados "kiwis". Eso no es un insulto ni algo amistoso, es simplemente una manera de llamarlos.

Ahora, lo que si tiene tal vez es un cierto contenido politico sutil. Por varios siglos "America" era el nombre de todo el continente que en ingles es llamado "The Americas". Asi nos seguimos llamando los latinoamericanos. En Latinoamerica "America" es un continente y "americanos" son todos los que vivimos alli. Por esa razon, muchos preferimos otras palabras para referirse a los habitantes de los Estados Unidos. En el lenguaje formal se usa "norteamericanos" y "estadounidenses" pero son palabras demasiado largas. Por eso es tan comun las palabras estas "gringo" y "gringa". Pero absolutamente no son insultos.

If you need a translation, just ask.

And here's another interesting post concerning gringos, gabachos, bolillos, gachupines and pochos:

"En esta parte de mëxico (Ciudad Juarez);

Bolillo es un pan blanco y se usa para nombrar a la gente de EUA que es de piel, ojos y cabellos claros.

Gachupín, se usa para nombrar a los españoles, pero no es muy común sobre todo en generaciones jóvenes.

Gringo y gabacho puden considerarse sinónimos. Se usa para nombrar a los estadunidenses, especialmente cuando son de piel, ojos y cabellos claros.

Pocho es el mexicoamericano que no habla correctamente el español y en su lugar habla spanglish.

Pueden ser términos ofensivos o no dependiendo del contexto y las circunstancias, como todo."

casi nada wrote:

gringal wrote:Big Daddy.......no offense, but Canadian borns are also "gringos" .
If that's an offensive term to some, let's just say we're "expats".

However, it doesn't matter much which places you patronize........ever had a "gringo" waiter? They're the staff, and they're all hurting these days. It's off season, off economy and times are hard for everyone.
Tip generously.

All of my Mexican friends here in Chapala, Ajijic, and San Antonio are adamant that Canadians are not "gringos". I've asked at least 15 of my friends about this and they assure me there are "gringos" and "pinches canadienses". (joke)

Here's a post from one of my friends (used with permission):

No tengo idea de cual sea el verdadero origen pero en la actualidad (por lo menos en Mexico) "gringo" y "gringa" no son insultos. Para nada es "a racist slur" como dijo alguien por alli. Tampoco consideraria yo necesariamente que sea un termino afectuoso, es simplemente la manera de referirse a alguien o algo de los Estados Unidos. Una analogia es como los neozelandeses son conocidos en Australia y otros lugares. Son llamados "kiwis". Eso no es un insulto ni algo amistoso, es simplemente una manera de llamarlos.

Ahora, lo que si tiene tal vez es un cierto contenido politico sutil. Por varios siglos "America" era el nombre de todo el continente que en ingles es llamado "The Americas". Asi nos seguimos llamando los latinoamericanos. En Latinoamerica "America" es un continente y "americanos" son todos los que vivimos alli. Por esa razon, muchos preferimos otras palabras para referirse a los habitantes de los Estados Unidos. En el lenguaje formal se usa "norteamericanos" y "estadounidenses" pero son palabras demasiado largas. Por eso es tan comun las palabras estas "gringo" y "gringa". Pero absolutamente no son insultos.

If you need a translation, just ask.

Nice, once again proves how kind, of heart a good souled “Mexican” can have. Thanks

I am from Mexico Norte, aka California. Ther are more Mexicans in California than in Jalisco. So if I am a Gringo, so be it. I feel like a Mexican, eat like a Mexican but lack that beautiful Mexican skin. Gringos fry themselves in the sun or in tanning booths trying to achieve the Mexican looking skin only to increase their chances of skin cancer. Even brown we usually don't look like a Mexican. So we remain Gringos.

My company has a Mexican name, Mexican owner, my wife and son are Mexican. We buy our products in Mexico and spend our money here along with the US money from my retirement. Mexico could use more Gringos like me. Viva Mexico and viva Gringos.

TioBob

Bravo, TioBob!

What can I say, with a handle like "Gringal"? I know what I am and will always be, whether I speak fluent Spanish, behave myself politely, or what. I'm blue eyed and light skinned. So be it, and let's not make too much of it. I'll always be that foreign senora down the street. With time, I'll be a citizen of this country.....but that still won't make me any different.

What's important is how we treat each other. A young man in CA of Mexican parentage used to say that when God made people, He took some of them out of the oven too soon: burned others, but made the Mexicans "just right". I agree.
Let's all have more laughter together: in English, Spanish...and Spanglish.

casi nada wrote:

gringal wrote:Big Daddy.......no offense, but Canadian borns are also "gringos" .
If that's an offensive term to some, let's just say we're "expats".

However, it doesn't matter much which places you patronize........ever had a "gringo" waiter? They're the staff, and they're all hurting these days. It's off season, off economy and times are hard for everyone.
Tip generously.

All of my Mexican friends here in Chapala, Ajijic, and San Antonio are adamant that Canadians are not "gringos". I've asked at least 15 of my friends about this and they assure me there are "gringos" and "pinches canadienses". (joke)

Here's a post from one of my friends (used with permission):

No tengo idea de cual sea el verdadero origen pero en la actualidad (por lo menos en Mexico) "gringo" y "gringa" no son insultos. Para nada es "a racist slur" como dijo alguien por alli. Tampoco consideraria yo necesariamente que sea un termino afectuoso, es simplemente la manera de referirse a alguien o algo de los Estados Unidos. Una analogia es como los neozelandeses son conocidos en Australia y otros lugares. Son llamados "kiwis". Eso no es un insulto ni algo amistoso, es simplemente una manera de llamarlos.

Ahora, lo que si tiene tal vez es un cierto contenido politico sutil. Por varios siglos "America" era el nombre de todo el continente que en ingles es llamado "The Americas". Asi nos seguimos llamando los latinoamericanos. En Latinoamerica "America" es un continente y "americanos" son todos los que vivimos alli. Por esa razon, muchos preferimos otras palabras para referirse a los habitantes de los Estados Unidos. En el lenguaje formal se usa "norteamericanos" y "estadounidenses" pero son palabras demasiado largas. Por eso es tan comun las palabras estas "gringo" y "gringa". Pero absolutamente no son insultos.

If you need a translation, just ask.

Good post.The mexicans that I know who work with extranjeros do distinguish between gringos and canadienses.I don't take offense at the term gringo as long as it's not preceeded by pinche and of course mexicans are both norteamericanos and estadounidenses by reason of geography and the name of their country(Estados Unidos de la Republica Mexicana).
For some reason I don't like the term (gabacho)maybe because it rhymes with gacho?

Big Daddy Mexico wrote:

wheels wrote:

Big Daddy Mexico wrote:I currently hire................... kids are Mexican.

LOL and you are not a gringo?????

Nope, I am not a Gringo. A further meaning from Wikipedia
"For most Latin Americans[citation needed] t............from the US."
i am a Canadian.

But Canadians pay PST or are harmonized to death. Oh that's right. You're from that other country that controls all of the oil, and therefore doesn't need to pay PST. I'm jealous. Because be I in Seattle or Vancouver, I'm over taxed by the state or province.


PS looking forward to coming back soon.

ajijicbob wrote:I am from Mexico Norte, aka California.

Mas bien eres de Alta California.

Big Daddy:

You might just give admitting that you are a Gringo a try. It really doesn't hurt and I have had some really great and fun conversations with Mexicans both SOB and NOB because I admit to being a Gringo and refer to myself as such. Granted there are often some shocked looks when I use the term but things lighten up pretty quickly!

Some other terms not mentioned here:

güero(a)...light skined Hispanic...commonly used around the Lake Chapala area

chicano(a)...Mexican American

anglo...an American(US) of other than Hispanic ancestry...usually European non-Hispanic ancestry

pocho(a)...a person of a Mexican/US father and mother or vice versa.
never considered a derogatory term

Gringo??? depends on the context...can be warm, can be hostile.

ratero....always bad

This is how I interpreted these words growing up. Might have different meanings in different areas or with different families.

viajero wrote:

ajijicbob wrote:I am from Mexico Norte, aka California.

Mas bien eres de Alta California.

Alta California, Baja California, Baja California Sur: From Oregon to Cabo San Lucas
A mighty big state before it was divided up into sections. Zorro sure had his work cut out for him, righting all the wrongs and covering all the geography by horseback. Probably why they divided it up.

[quote="slainte


pocho(a)...a person of a Mexican/US father and mother or vice versa.
never considered a derogatory term

[/quote]
I'd have to disagree with that one.

Often when you call someone a pocho it not only means born in say the US by Mexican parents, but someone who doesn't know much of anything about Mexico.

Depending upon how it is used it can be considered an insult, or so I have been told.

viajero wrote:[quote="slainte


pocho(a)...a person of a Mexican/US father and mother or vice versa.
never considered a derogatory term

I'd have to disagree with that one.[/quote]

This has happened (cross nationality marriages resulting in children) several times in our family and the "word" when used was never considered derogatory. Maybe that's because it was used inside family discussion. Don't know, but ignorance is bliss...and also ignorance.

MexicoPete wrote:Often when you call someone a pocho it not only means born in say the US by Mexican parents, but someone who doesn't know much of anything about Mexico.

Depending upon how it is used it can be considered an insult, or so I have been told.

Pete I've never heard of either one of those interpretations. As far as I know, "pochos" can be born anywhere, including Mexico. And the pochos I know, know a lot about Mexico...like educated here with university degrees.

CanuckBob wrote:California is a country now............?????? Jajajaja

Probably the Califonia GNP is the same as all Canada. LOL It is a huge place financially.

Z

I call myself a Gringo cause thats what I am. If someone wants to make it bad
fine but I like the word. We all know what we mean by Gringo food for example.
The word has its place and I don't mind being refered to as a gringo at all. Maybe
I am wierd I don't know.

Z

Zedinmexico wrote:

CanuckBob wrote:California is a country now............?????? Jajajaja

Probably the Califonia GNP is the same as all Canada. LOL It is a huge place financially.

Z

Your not trying to compare California's financial nightmare to Canada are you. When you minus away debt I would suspect that Canada is far wealthier than the entire USA......let alone that mess in California.

Hey Saint39
You wrote "Pete I've never heard of either one of those interpretations. As far as I know, "pochos" can be born anywhere, including Mexico. And the pochos I know, know a lot about Mexico...like educated here with university degrees."

You could be right. It's just that I have been told its a child born in another country of parents who were born in Mexico.

Yes these "pochos" may now have returned to Mexico, but I understand the word to mean that they were born and lived for sometime outside of Mexico and therefore knew less about Mx than those who were born in MX.

I think I could have said the above in many fewer words.

I believe I'm right, but I could be wrong :)

Interestingly California's economy is slightly larger than Canada's.