Racism in Mexico

It would seem Mexico and the USA have some issues in common
http://www.thenews.mx/opinion/colorful-mexico/

Some maybe....
Government universities, such as U de G, pay no attention to skin color on awarding beca scholarships, only test results.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall....who's the FAIREST of them all?" .....probably applies in some cases to all racial groups.
Except....
When I took a large contingent of my Mexican family to Ireland and they couldn't understand why anyone would frequent a "tanning parlor".
Ireland, the land of almost Albino skin color and freckles, and the Irish, who don't do well in the land of powerful rays from the sun.
And then there are the "Black Irish", who have always  been viewed with suspicion, so racism pops up everywhere.  Now, there are many Nigerian immigrants in Ireland, who are the real deal of "Black Irish", but their problem is religion, as the majority are Anglicans swelling the Protestant population.
The mayor of London is of Pakistani descent and the Prime Minister of Ireland is of Indian (Asian), descent.  
Being "lily white", won't carry the water in many venues.

Racism is rampant in the Caribbean with lighter-skinned blacks looked on more favorably by their peers than their dark-skinned compatriots
And that is a well-established phenomenon.

Carry Bean wrote:
Racism is rampant in the Caribbean with lighter-skinned blacks looked on more favorably by their peers than their dark-skinned compatriots
And that is a well-established phenomenon.  

Absolutely, especially in Haiti, where there aren't any significant number of pure Caucasian European Whites.  And Caymanians "look down" on Jamaicans because they think, they have lighter skin.
That was my observation of the few places in that part of the world I have been to.

My understanding is that the taller, paler Mexican's are of European descent (Spain, etc.) and the shorter, darker Mexican's are of indigenous descent?

Largest selling cosmetic in India are "skin whiteners".

Chinese in the olden days kept girls out of the sun for whitening purposes. The bias toward "paleness" was still alive and well in my grandmother's era, where "sunbonnets" kept the tan away.

CanuckBob wrote:My understanding is that the taller, paler Mexican's are of European descent (Spain, etc.) and the shorter, darker Mexican's are of indigenous descent?

Many of the first Spanish immigrants to Mexico were Andalusians, most of whom were of mixed blood after 700 years of Moorish conquest, Gypsies, and Sephardic Jews, most of whom were darker skinned than the Aztecs Spain had conquered, and which the Castilian Spaniards wanted to get rid of anyway.  It still shows up today in the hair as in, straight hair vs being a "chinito".
Mexicans who go to the playa or work all day in the sun (contruction, agriculture, to name a couple) obviously get darker, easier than their NOB counterparts, and are euphemistically referred to as being "bronceada".
Bottom line is....we are La Raza, and let it go at that and not try to over analyze the situation.
Swedes and Finlanders haven't had much influence on skin color in this country.  

Just to add....the people of the Yucatan, notably those of Mayan ancestry are probably the most distinctive, physically of most Mexicans.  The rest to the north are pretty well homogenized, with preponderances toward one grouping or the other.

Thanks for the clarification. I imagine the German's had some influence here as well?

Historical footnote: The Spanish conquerors of Mexico and their descendants referred to the native people as "bestias" (beasts). The word "mestizo" comes from the Latin root meaning mongrel and "mulato" comes the Latin word for mule.

All you need to do is watch Mexican TV. You'll rarely find a dark complexioned person as a newscaster or star of a telenovela. And the word "indio" is used as a pejorative by many people here. But prejudice here is probably more pronounced in classism. Upper classes rarely befriend "los de abajo", they send their children to colegios not solely for a better education but in order for them to not have to mix with the chusma of the working classes.

Yes class is way more important but then most upper classes are pretty fair as well...

And lets be fair here - some Mexicans cannot stand gringos, an instant dislike. Some of them may have had bad experiences in the North, I don't know. Other than I know it is real, and may be shocking the first time you encounter it.

??? I never had anyone show any hostility here or anywhere I have been in Mexico, I guess it depends on the attitude of the "gringo"..

My Irish ancestry has NEVER caused me a problem in Mexico, in fact, it has been a plus.
Just think "San Patricios". :
As Clete says....Indio is a word that is only used "en casa" and not to be used in front of, or by extranjeros.

CanuckBob wrote:Thanks for the clarification. I imagine the German's had some influence here as well?

Yep, they tried...but mostly politically and not so much to "purify" the race.
Just watch a couple of good movies about Mexico....."The Wild Bunch" and "Under the Volcano" and you will see a little of what I mean about their trying "to influence" in both World Wars.

CHILLIN wrote:And lets be fair here - some Mexicans cannot stand gringos, an instant dislike. Some of them may have had bad experiences in the North, I don't know. Other than I know it is real, and may be shocking the first time you encounter it.

Perhaps I live in a happy bubble but after nine years here I still await the shock of encountering the Mexicans who can't stand gringos. I have always been treated respectfully and warmly wherever I go and whatever I do.

Maybe I would make it easier for you if I explained that many of the reactions I have witnessed are targeted at Gringo, obviously tourists. This also goes on in many great cities of the world - New York, London, Paris.

What is a gringo to you?? An American, a white person? A foreigner ?


By the way we do not use that word in Paris so why are you using it? It means nothing there.

CHILLIN wrote:Maybe I would make it easier for you if I explained that many of the reactions I have witnessed are targeted at Gringo, obviously tourists. This also goes on in many great cities of the world - New York, London, Paris.

Easier for me to what?
I did not say I didn't understand what you were saying. Nor did I challenge your observations. I merely said I had not experienced what you had. I have never witnessed "obvious tourists" being mistreated either. I have observed obvious foreigners being rude to Mexicans as well as other foreigners. I have rolled eyes over such behavior and been treated to a beaming smile from the one being treated poorly.

Yes I have observed more foreigners being rude to Mexicans than Mexicans being rude to foreigners but then we do not live in a city with lots of foreign tourists..

Totally agree. I have never experienced any hostile attitude from any Mexican other then for a few days after you know who was elected to you know what, you know where.

For "gueros" of foreign origin, the sooner you start acting like a Mexican, the sooner they will forget the color of your skin. The same goes for the extreme prietos (foreign).

Lady Otter Latté wrote:

CHILLIN wrote:And lets be fair here - some Mexicans cannot stand gringos, an instant dislike. Some of them may have had bad experiences in the North, I don't know. Other than I know it is real, and may be shocking the first time you encounter it.

Perhaps I live in a happy bubble but after nine years here I still await the shock of encountering the Mexicans who can't stand gringos. I have always been treated respectfully and warmly wherever I go and whatever I do.

No problem until they go from being a gringo to a gabacho.