Job Discussion Forums

[JonnytheMann]

Gringo is just as pejorative as spic or wetback.

"Ugh, Costa Rica is just crawling with gringos. They're ruining the place by turning it into gringolandia."

"Ugh, Southern California is just crawling with spics. They're ruining the place by turning it into Wetbacklandia."

I find both sentiments equally racist & disgusting.

[ls650]

I took a look at www.dictionary.com and they seem to agree with you that it is 'disparaging' or 'offensive' in nature.

Still, I have no problem with being called a gringo. The funny thing is that no local here in Mexico has ever called me that - only other gringos.

Lighten up, man...

[JonnytheMann]

It's a disparaging, prejudiced word.

I wouldn't get my feelings hurt if someone called me a honkey or a cracker. In fact, I would laugh. But it doesn't change the fact that those words are disparaging. It's the same with gringo.

That word belongs in the same category as chink, spic, n-gger, k-ke, etc. We'd probably all be disgusted by some man writing on message boards about some place being spic-infested, right? So why is it completely acceptable to talk about a place being gringo-infested?

To me, it's the same thing as saying that Mallorca is Nazi-infested or kraut-infested. It's racist and wrong.

[ls650]

Well, I guess it's a matter of personal opinion. I'm not offended by the word 'gringo'.

[2 over lee]

I find the term dehumanising. I hate trying to explain to apparantly educated Chilenos that being from NZ, it is unlikely I learnt my Spanish in Tiuanja.

We all get chucked into together-sad, sure it's the same feeling for Hispanics in the States.

[JonnytheMann]

[Cdaniels]

Gringo is only mildly pejorative. It's like the term "blondie." I would not consider "blondie," racist. (although I suppose you could try to make a case) It is not the same at all as the term "wetback." You could use the term "Chicano" instead, but what would you replace "gringo" with? "Blancos?" United Staters of European Extraction? Please.

[2 over lee]

Gringo is pejotative in the way in which it is used. the essential meaning of Negro for example is not essentially racist, yet it is unacceptable.

JonnytheMan wrote>

[existe1]

Let's face it, The word gringo has to do with more than just someone's race or ethnic background. Gringo deals with a certain disregard for or superficial relationship to the culture they are visiting. It has to do with minimally cultured people, like Americans, that attempt to usurp whatever energy they can from other cultures due to their own lack, and without properly 'giving back'. Typical traveller to so called "less developed nations" wouldn't you say? So why get bent out of shape if you aren't that person?

[MikeyG]

I get called gringo all the time and I'm from the UK! It's totally ridiculous to compare it with the 'n' word!!! The truth is it is just a word to describe what we call 'yanks'. If it used in a negative sense so often it is because of the negative sentiments people in Costa Rica have for Americans...or is 'Americans' 'racist' and 'disgusting' too because it is only ever used in a 'pejorative' way.

[ThePeatMan]

1. the use of the word "gringo" has a lot to do with the spanish language... it's a language that loves to lump people into groups... as if the Taiwanese like being called "chino," but there you go. I've also found that gringo generically means "white foreigner", so it shouldn't be taken as a slur against estado unidenses.

2. existe1, don't be silly. to me the most annoying disregard for costa ricans is the "tourismo de la miseria" that I see all the time. It's all these european backpackers, people for whom "culture" is another word for poverty, so they travel to rural places and admire someone's miserable existence like it's there for their own amusement. maybe you think it's charming that someone lives in a shack, and that you're a better person because you "appriciate" it. I think it's condescending, and to me, <i>that's</i> the typical traveler to "less developed nations".

3. Some of these posts make it seem like spotting a busload of gringos is like spotting armed insurgents. sheesh, they're tourists, get over it. go to spain, you see tons of obnoxious brits, go to new york there's trigger-happy japanese, go anywhere in asia there are jolly australians. welcome to globalization, and just because you saw it first doesn't mean it's yours.

[MikeyG]

[ThePeatMan]

Yeah, nature, fine, great, but my comments are meant for people who are looking to see "culture," and trust me, there's plenty of 'em. They're the same people who complain that CR is too "Americanized," meaning, Oh, it's too bad they don't still have donkeys pulling carts around San Jos�. I don't feel like arguing about whether or not such travelers exist. It's obvious they do. The CR lonely planet (which likes to show people what they want to see) under "San Jose" has these hilarious pictures of a man pushing a wooden milk cart and a little indigenous boy selling fruit on a street corner. How charming! Look Gladys, look at the cute little poor kid!

I'm sorry about being so polemical, but after living here for a year and a half I've gotten a little tired of the condescending travelers who complain that costa rica doesn't fit into whatever latin american cliche they have in their heads.

are all travelers like this? no, defintely not, I've also met some really great people. but, getting back to where this thread started, people who complain about "too many gringos" are generally doing it out of selfishness or arrogance or the condescending desire to see some mythical "real" latin america full of nobel savages eating tortillas, and that bugs me.

[MikeyG]

I saw a chicken on a bus though! And I'm not joking. I think you can't help but feel a little saddened when you see what Tamarindo, Quepos and more recently El Coco have been turned into. The backpackers play their part obviously, it doesn't really matter where they come from but when tourists arrive, cocain, brothels and crackheads will follow.

[ThePeatMan]

Agreed. and I have to say the only thing more annoying than the condescending enlightened folk are the middle aged gringo expats who for some reason feel free to talk in really loud voices about the whores they've had... yeech.

but clearly, I have a lot of problems. a more possitive person can feel free to take up this thread at any time. out.