Talk:Gringo/Archive 2010

Applications

Two details I guess could be included in the article:

1. In Brazil, the term is usually understood as a synonym for "foreigner", but it's preferably applied to North-Americans (U.S. and Canada) and Europeans. It is especially used when refering to a particular physical appearence, namely tourists with transparent-white skin, usually already reddish from exposure to the sun. In that context, Germans, Scandinavians and North-Americans are the main "target". Although the expression is not pejorative, people do avoid saying it to a foreigner, as they use it only when talking about them. The term is usually not applied to citizens of Latin American countries, if the locals happen to know the place of origin of a foreigner, even if they too are transparent-white.

2. In Mexico, the United States are jocosely dubbed "Gringolandia", a pun with "gringo" and "Disneyland" (Disneylandia in Spanish), the former being an association with people from the U.S. and the latter with the country itself.

Regards, Redux 05:59, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)

3. Currently in the American Southwest I have noticed that 'Anglo' is a bit less complementary than 'Gringo.' This was referred in a documentary on Los Angeles and I'm aware of it here in northern New Mexico where I do construction with both hispanic Nortenos and Mexicans, as well as other Latin Americans. In the Los Angeles documentary the 'anglos' were the 'ricos' of 'West LA' whereas 'gringos' were just other working stiffs of European descent. I'd be interested if others are aware of this pattern.

4.The story I was told, and I will repeat it as a curiosity only, is that in the late eighteen hundreds Colonel William Green bought mining rights in Cananea, in the northern part of Sonora, 40 miles from the US border. After a few years of explotation,in 1906, the Mexican workers decided to strike. conflict followed and then 25 miners were killed by gunfire.During later demonstrations people chanted "Green Go!"; meaning "Colonel Green, Go Home". People ignorant of the english language heard this and repeated the words as "gringo!". Perhaps in a derogative fashion. However, as a Mexican myself, I have never used the word in a pejorative way nor do I remember anybody using it as an insult, but mostly to describe a white north American.

The point 1 is totally nonsense - probably from someone that only visited Rio or Bahia. I'm from the South of Brazil, where most people are white and we call ANY foreigner gringo, it doesn't matter the race or color of skin. A dark skinned latin-american would be a Gringo as well as a white american. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.236.89.10 (talk) 05:26, 3 November 2010 (UTC)

The mere form of talk here proves one thing...

Again, it depends on the context. For instance: i might say "un gringo vino el otro día" "a us citizen came by the other day" or I could say "ese pinche gringo me trae hasta la madre" "I can't stand that fucking us citizen" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.219.196.254 (talk) 14:55, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Nobody here knows a hheap of shit. In Mexicom, amercians' are scorned at and considetred 'Gringo', and somehow inferior. Also compare to militant mexican culture in the United states brought by the human migratory patterns bnears the southern amercian border.

Furthermore I have heard the term used as a negattive within the last three monthw, go listen to ctalk on the streets of LA. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Tainted Angel (talk • contribs) 15:01, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Race irrelevant.

Why do some people insist on making distinctions of "white"/"non-white" when discussing cultural interactions of Latin and Anglo Americas? Contrary to popular belief, not every single person from Tiajuana to Tierra del Fuego is of Mestizo extraction. Latin America's population is incredibly diverse, with ancestries European, Indigenous, and African all well-represented. "Gringo" is a term I've heard used by Latin Americans of all colours to describe Anglo Americans of all colours.

From what I've read, you are quite right. The article is still too "Anglocentric" (in the US's sense of "Anglo"). FilipeS

It's not used in that way in Argentina and Uruguayat least so I change "It is used in "Latin America" for "it's used in some countries of L. AMerica"

I agree not only that but most Argentines and I believe Uruguayans too use Yankee and not Gringo. (XGustaX 16:13, 20 May 2007 (UTC))

• In Brazil, the persons with very clear skin, eyes, and hair(for example: a turist of Argentina or mesmo South of Brazil in the North, of majority is amerindian ancestor is denominated or confused to "gringo") is very commom confuted to gringo!! the term "gringo" is associated to fenotipic caracters of the center-northern europeans and descents of USA/Argentina/etc...!!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.71.77.13 (talk) 08:59, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

Your point about Brazil is totally nonsense - just because it could happen in some parts of the country it doesn't means applies to the whole of it. It treat the South of Brazil like it is not part of the country. Gringo in brazilian context means foreigner and that's all. There is no relation whatsoever to color of skin. A white brazilian will call a black american "gringo". We have diferent slangs for lily-white people, like "ALemao", Galego", "Polaco", "Branquelo", etc... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.236.89.10 (talk) 05:31, 3 November 2010 (UTC)

This article is pathetically biased. "Gringo" is a virulently racist term of hate.

Were this not a term used primarily to tar whites, the tenor of this article would be far different.

All of a sudden, the "intent" of the speaker is important, rather than the word. Never mind that the etymologies of "spic" and "gringo" are very similar. Gringo="greek" as in "wow, I don't understand what those weird foreign guys are saying."

"Spic"="spiggody" as in "You don't speak-a-dee English? I don't understand what you're saying."

Gringo = racist links:

I am brazilian and here the word "gringo" is used to any foreigner, from any country, not only U.S.. And it is not offensive, the portuguese word "extrangeiro" is harder to talk than "gringo", we use "gringo" as a simple abbreviation, not pejorative.

Gringo on list of racist terms. [[1]]

"And I would point out that 'Gringo' is also a racial slur against White people by the hispanics!!! Why do we allow the racist term Gringo to be used against us without an outrage and a demand for the hispanics to stop using it??" [[2]]

"I as a white american consider 'gringo' to be a racist term." [[3]]

Gringo is used by the racist hate group MEChA. "In the spirit of a new people that is conscious not only of its proud historical heritage but also of the brutal 'gringo' invasion of our territories..."

"By the way, if you think that 'gringo' is a term of brotherly affection, you are wrong. It is not an insult on the level of 'wetback' but is on a par with 'spick' which is not acceptable speech by any 'gringo.'" ttp://www.anklebitingpundits.com/content/?p=1217#comment-31791

"A racist term used by Mexicans and other hispanics referring to Americans - a hateful term used frequently and commonly." [[4]]

"I just wanted to comment that GRINGO is a racist term... same as beaner, or the N word... so if you say gringo yet claim to not be racist.... guess what you are?" [[5]]

From http://www.answers.com/topic/gringo:

grin·go (grĭng'gō) pronunciation

n. Offensive Slang., pl. -gos.

Used as a disparaging term for a foreigner in Latin America, especially an American or English person.

[Spanish, foreign, foreign language, gibberish, probably alteration of griego, Greek, from Latin Graecus. See Greek.]

WORD HISTORY In Latin America the word gringo is an offensive term for a foreigner, particularly an American or English person.

Let's stop the bias and call this hateful term what it is: racist.87.117.199.130

You shouldn't assume that everyone is as negative as yourself. :-) FilipeS 20:51, 18 December 2006 (UTC)

Let me make it clear that I personally, and I am sure most Europeans and Australasians as well, would be far more offended to be called an Americano than to be called a Gringo, and the default mistake of thinking all westerners belonmg to the US causes far more damage than the word Gringo, SqueakBox 02:26, 25 December 2006 (UTC)

Well, I am European, and I would not feel offended it I were ever mistaken for an American. I think the problem with the word "gringo" is that it can sometimes be used derogatorily. But this is true of many words. If you say "that f*** son of a b***", you're using the word "son" derogatorily, but that doesn't mean that "son" is, in general, a slur.

Another possible problem is that I suspect the Latino communities inside the U.S. may give the word a more negative sense than it has in many Latin American countries.

Which brings me to another point; how Americans seem to have a tendency to assume that any (possible) slur ir race-based. See the article by the American expat who lives in Brazil, at the bottom of the article. While "gringo" may have racial overtones (because people of certain races are more easily identified as foreigners in Latin America), it is definitely not a racial notion, at least as used in a large part of L.A. FilipeS 12:22, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

Here in Costa Rica the term 'Gringo' and 'Gringa' are definitely NOT offensve. North Americans, including myself, refer to each other using the term while Europeans are distinguish by referencing their particuliar nationality. Native Costa Ricans proudly refer to themselves as Tico or Tica and encourage the expats living here to use the terms. It all works quite nicely and no one is offended. Frankly, I'm rather proud to live in here and be ID'ed as 'gringo'. Woldbrook 16:45, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

Certainly for me being called a Gringo is to do with my European and British heritage and the fact that I speak Spanish with a pronounced foreign accent. It certainly isnt to do with being white as there are many white people here who are natives to this part of the world, speak Spanish as their first language, etc, SqueakBox 16:56, 26 December 2006 (UTC)

Gringo is racist? Most gringos I know, particularly those who live in Latin America or interact with Latin Americans in Los Angeles, are pretty comfortable with the term and accept their gringo status with good humor. There is, of course, resentment of gringos when they act superior, hypocritical, politically arrogant or boorish. But, more often than not, Latin Americans like their gringos and never tire of saying something like, "We like you gringos/norteamericanos but not your government." To refer to fair complexion, Mexicans typically use huero, Salvadorans say chele, Peruvians say colorado or blancón. In Latin America, there are hundreds of different terms and nicknames to describe someone's coloring. Yes, Latin Americans might use their own color profiling norms to make an assumption that someone is a gringo. But, most Latin Americans are sophisticated in reading color within a range of mostly cultural and social variables. Some two-fifths of Latin Americans consider themselves to be white, and yet those blancos are just as likely to call the norteamericano a gringo while never imagining that the term could apply to themselves. Those who claim gringo is a "virulently racist term of hate" have been listening to too much talk radio. The reference to MECHA above is a giveaway. Especially in Los Angeles, there is some hysterical, politically motivated agitation against students who belong (or belonged) to campus MECHA chapters and against teachers and families associated with a culturally innovative charter school. I happen to know some of the founders of the school, and critics are way off base. When nativists claim that Chicano or Latino identity or politics is racial, they often misundrstand what Latin Americans mean by the Spanish terms "raza" and "racismo." I teach comparative race relations (Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Bolivia, Dominican Republic and US), and the distinction between race and raza, or rasicm and racismo, is important. In Mexico, for example, the term "raza cósmica" refers to a culture that supposedly transcends race. Most Mexicans know that there is plenty of color prejudice in their society, but they don't assign people to specific "races" or try to use a color line in the U.S. manner. When Bolivians refer to someone's "raza," they are making a cultural (not color) distinction. In the north Peruvian highlands, there are groups of Indians who are blond and blue eyed. No one would ever call them gringos. Because the talk radio and anti-immigrant demagogues can only understand "race" as it exists in their own consciousness and U.S. usage (and probably also because they racialize Latin Americans), they perceive "raza" and "gringo" as U.S.-style racial categories. The best analogy for gingo that I can think of is the Hawaiian term "haole." Yes, it can be used in a derogatory or semi-racial way, but its origins in "foreigner" are not called into question. Almost all haoles in Hawaii refer to themselves as haoles. Many, if not most, also recognize that native Hawaiians have legitimate historical and cultural reasons for resenting haole dominance of land and economy. The few haoles who get all agitated about Hawaiian "racism" toward them are usually recent arrivals from California who have little cultural understanding or empathy. Haoles would much rather be called haoles than "white people." Hawaiians sometimes argue about how broad to make haole (for example, whether or not Japanese Hawaiians are haoles), but their usage is predominantly cultural. Someone in Hawaii can be fair complexioned, have an English last name and a mother who was mostly of Portuguese ancestry, yet no one will call them a haole. I agree with the comment above that there are much worse things than gringo that Latin Americans can call a Yanqui. A Latin American boyfriend or husband might call their U.S. partner "mi gringuita." But a Latin American would never use gringa to speak of his locally-born partner just because she is white. It is nationality, not phenotype. For these reasons I believe the main Wikipedia entry is a job well done. It should not surprise that many Mexicans have nationalistic or folkloric beliefs about the term's origins. That does not make them correct etymologically, but it does clarify current usage. Yankees entering Mexico to wage war or own business got into conflict with Mexicans. Songs, uniforms, color of money, linguistic misunderstandings: all seem to be cultural stories, some self-deprecating, that Mexicans tell about their reaction to the foreigners coming from the north. When a few whites complain that they are not allowed to call Mexicans "beaners," and therefore resent being referred to as "gringos," they are revealing more about themselves than they imagine. lastudies 31 January 2007.

What people don't understand is that not many countries are as "race and ethnicity sensitive" as USA. Racism isn't really a problem in Mexico (like classism or sexism). Yes, racism exists to some extent here, but it's nothing compared to racism in USA. Ethnicity, nationality or color of skin don't mean much in Mexico. So, if you meet a gringo that has lived a big chunk of his life in Mexico, you will probably notice that he is comfortable with that term, and it can indeed used as a term of endearment. The term is mostly used because gringo is shorter than norteamericano, americano or estadounidense. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 201.141.209.10 (talk) 01:31, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

Mexico has a population of whom roughly 10% self-identify as being of predominantly European descent, about 30% self-identify as being of predominantly Amerindian descent, and most of the remainder self-identifying as being of mixed European and Amerindian descent. And yet the vast majority of Mexican presidents have been from the European-descended CASTE, and almost all of them had European-descended spouses. Just look at Mexican telenovelas: the majority of the casts in most telenovelas are of European descent--and overwhelmingly the main role is held by an actor of European descent. It is infrequent when there is a mixed European/Amerindian character in a prominent role, much less a full-fledged Amerindian, who are almost non-existent. Yet considering Amerindians make up around a third of the population, and "mixed" people make up the majority at roughly 60% of the Mexican people, shouldn't peoples from these groups hold the majority of the leadership positions and telenovela casts? Yet they don't. The European minority does. Furthermore, it seems that there is a disproportionate amount of European-descended Latinos on Wikipedia and the internet in general. Latinos of mixed or Amerindian descent are extremely underrepresented compared to their European-descended peers. They obviously do not have the same access as many Latinos of European descent. In contrast, the United States (of America) has plenty of leaders from non-European backgrounds, and an American of African descent is a major contender for the presidency. This is although the population of the United States until recently has been overwhelmingly of European descent (even today, if Latinos are considered a distinct people group (race), the number of Americans who self-identify as being of European descent is around 75%. The amount of Americans that are of European descent is over 18 years old (much less the 25 years old necessary to become a Congressman, the 30 to become a Senator, and the 35 to become President) is even greater.

You seem to have your countries mixed up. And you have the nerve of accusing the United States of being racist, while Mexico isn't.

The United States indeed does have racism (as does every country of Earth), but it is not nearly as institutionalized as in Mexico, as the evidence clearly shows. Chiss Boy 11:06, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

You haven't read the newspaper for centuries, have you? Hoohoo, Bush junior is president ;-) (This was really just a joke, as I have to admit, I haven't been to Méjico so far) Well the funny thing is, that most hispanoablantes don't think it is intended to be racist. And who should know better? If you want to distinghuish between people, you always have to use words that characterise them (red hair, blue pullover, ...). So the question is: Is it intended to be racist - or just used for characterising. How it is understood by the people called "gringo" might be a language problem - or even different temperament. I truely was astonished at my nicaraguense and peruvian friends calling me "muchacho" (youngster) after our first (yet official) meeting. But they call themselves "muchachas" as well. Another story: As I was young, I was shut up, as I said that one of the people invited to a Dinnerparty was a Yew. They thought I was swearing in a "racial way". The only thing I wanted to do was tell (and help...) as I knew that he didn't ate everything. The same way as I try to have vegeterian food on a party I know my friend, who is vegetarian, whats to show up. To cut the story short: You cannot say something is racial if you do not definitely know its racial and understand the culture, language,... as far as this is not given, I trust the native speakers telling me it is not intended to be racist (in most cases). Adromel 21:52, 10 June 2007 (UTC)

As for the topic at hand, those who are the objects of the term gringo (apparently Americans of many ancestries) are the ones to declare whether or not the term is a slur. A lot of ethnic (as is this one--Americans are (or should be) of one ethnicity) and racial slurs have very innocuous or neutral definitions (consider some of the ones for Africans), but because of how they ARE USED, they become offensive. The article can include that gringo is not offensive in some countries, but that in other countries it is. Chiss Boy 11:06, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

I don't know in some countries it is and some it is not like Costa Rica. (DoubleNine 17:47, 20 May 2007 (UTC))

I am Mexican and I live in Mexico. I have always used the term gringo referring to someone from the United States, no matter the color of their skin. When I know that a person is form the Unites States I consider that person to be gringo (not offensively). Well if someone is black or white most mexicans will consider them as gringos, if they are "hispanic-americans" we would consider them as "paisanos" or "chicanos" or maybe even gringos. I personally do not like that Mexicans cross the border and populate another country, but I understand that things have not been very good economically in Mexico so they have to leave and I understand that many Americans need them for their labor force. But that's another topic. Back to the Gringo topic. Mexicans who do not speak any language other than Spanish sometimes can not distinguish that easily between a person speaking English or another language, for example German or French (though they are very different languages). So those Mexicans might call Germans gringos, but only because they thought they were Americans. In Mexico, if we want to insult an American we would say “Pinche Gringo”, if we do not say “pinche” before “gringo” it is not intended to be offensive. We call people from Mexico city “chilangos” and that is not offensive until we say “pinche chilango”. I have some Argentinean friends and they call Americans Yankees. Yankee is only offensive when they say “Yankee de mierda”. I do believe that the term “gringo” is offensive in the United States, but that is not the case in Mexico. In Mexico saying gringo is equal to saying American in the United States. ChemaSAN 22:35, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

The same thing happens with Chinese people. In Mexico people think that everyone that has Asian-pacific kind of eyes are Chinese. People in Mexico cannot distinguish between a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai or whatever. I fortunately have been studying Mandarin Chinese for three years and I can make the distinction between Asian languages by how they sound. I have problems, however, to distinguish between them by their looks. Well, Chinese people dress differently than Japanese people, and most Japanese people have more hair (beard) than Chinese, but that kind of things are difficult to notice without a careful look or without having the experience of traveling around Asia. Referring to someone in Mexico as Chino is not intended to be offensive. I have curly hair and in Mexico we call people with curly hair: "chinos". People with "chinese eyes" are also said to be "chinos". ChemaSAN 22:35, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

• I´m a brazilian too and gringo not is a racist term, because gringo is associated to fenotipe of the center-north europeans and their descendents in Americas/rest of the World. Not is a offensive term in the present, because in the past was!! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 189.71.77.13 (talk) 09:04, 7 February 2009 (UTC)

Those of you that are saying this article is racist and/or biased need to get a grip. Okay, yeah, I'm from Puerto Rico,and I use the word "gringo" occasionally. It's not supposed to be any sort of racial slur or anything like that, it's just a fun, slightly insulting, but lighthearted way to refer to a foreigner. Just like anywhere else in the spanish-speaking world, i'm a "borriqua" simply because I'm Puerto Rican. I don't mind, it's all in good fun. Lighten up, will you? Nameless9123 (talk) 01:56, 7 March 2010 (UTC)

I feel like the photo of an estadounidense woman reading the Gringo Gazette goes a long way towards nullifying this bizarre argument. Something tells me that a photo of a black man reading the Nigger News (for example) would only come into existence as a tasteless joke. There's a degree of systemic bias here--one needs to take into account that Latin Americans are in the habit of addressing people based upon their appearance, calling people "fatty" or "blondie" or, yes, "whitey". Heather (talk) 17:14, 29 May 2010 (UTC)

Usage in Spain

This article notes nothing about the usage in Spain. If the term is not used in Spain, that should be noted. Casey14 02:36, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

The article doesn't say anything about the usage in China either; maybe it should note that. 190.173.18.224 (talk) 22:23, 23 August 2009 (UTC)JM

You are correct the term is not used very often in Spain at all, in fact in Argentina and Uruguay either. Thank You (XGustaX 16:18, 20 May 2007 (UTC))

Have you ever been in Argentina? The word is used to refer to White-American people corresponding to the American stereotype. 190.173.18.224 (talk) 22:23, 23 August 2009 (UTC)JM

Nowadays in Spain it feels Mexican. The usual word would be guiri. --Error (talk) 00:25, 19 June 2010 (UTC)

Notes from a mexican

Let me cut in and offer some points to consider:

• The source of the word it's unclear for us too. There's plenty of different versions about it's origin (most of them are already written in this talk page) and none is deemed more accurate than the rest.

• "Estadounidense" it's widely used, it's just that it's too proper and formal to use it all the time. It's worth noting that you're officially "Estados Unidos de America" to us, not "America", so although "americano" it's certainly used, it's not the de facto word, because it's considered inaccurate.

• Gringo it's certainly applied to US people only, at least in Mexico. There's no equivalent word for guys from New Zeland, canadians, australians, or for english people. It is a matter of nationality. Obviously, casual onlookers don't tend make sure if a tourist passing by it's actually from the states, so they just asume he is. African-american people can be asumed to be gringos as well, but they can also may be mistaken for cubans or brazilians. Clothes are what usually determines nationality for an onlooker in these cases. Asian-americans are often misktaken for actual people from Asia, unless there's clear evidence of the contrary.

• Although clearly not a complement, the word itself it's not an insult. It sure can be, but that depends on the speaker. A little judgement call is required (a rowdy group of friendly mexican party hosts are not going to use it in the same way an angry cab driver, for instance). Gringo is just an (mildly) rude affirmation that "you're not from here". There's a wide variety of much harsher words to offend visitors, so if you hear the word, know that it wasn't really ment to hurt you. In most cases, it's a neutral term, unless context makes it otherwise.

It's ludicrous to think of it as a racial slur. In a worst-case scenario, it can be xenophobic, but racist? Note that the idea of "politically correct terms" it's something of a foreign concept in Mexico (and most Latin America also), because we mexicans don't normally think of ourselves (and therefore others) as a "race". If we discuss italians, we don't talk about the "italian race", we discuss them as a nation. Same thing with gringos. In Mexico, the race issue it's rarely, if ever, brought up in non-intellectual conversations among natives. It's just not that sensitive of an issue here, so we can be a lot more casual about it.

just because you don't know you are being racists, doesn't mean you are not. If you called me a gringo I would be offended and probably just say 'what you call me, you retarded twat?' - just say hello or call people by their names or politely reference their nationality if you really need to. 62.254.79.111 (talk) 01:10, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

- Seconding the comments by the mexican guy (from another mexican), gringo, in my experience, is no longer considered an insult. It is used rather as a descriptive term, i.e. "he is a gringo" has the same function as "he is a mexican". This is how, through context, it could be given a derogatory connotation, the equivalent of, for example, saying "filthy mexicans".

This is also why generally you do not say "gringo" to an american in their face, it would be the same as addressing someone as "you mexican", not quite an insult but definitely disrespectful.

I use the word gringo, with purely a descriptive function, the same as saying italian, greek, etc. Me and my friends do this because of the conundrum of properly naming a united states citizen, since "american" or "north american" are technically incorrect as they also encompass Canada and Mexico. "Estadounidense" is quite cumbersome, but more importantly it is also vague, the official name of Mexico is "Estados Unidos Mexicanos", making mexicans "estadounidenses" (of mexico) as well.

Something that might be influencing this is that (to my knowledge) the american english vocabulary does not use (generally neutral) "nicknames" for people from other areas, whereas it is common in mexico. For example, people from mexico city are often referred to as "chilangos". This word has almost identical properties with "gringo", it can definitely be used as an insult or as a racial term (shops in northern mexico often display a sign of "serve the country, kill a chilango" and "no admittance to dogs or chilangos") but when outside of mexico city, I describe myself as a chilango, there's even a magazine called "chilango", listing events in mexico city. I admit it's a rather complex use of a word, but then again context should make it clear whether it's meant as an insult or not.

Right on about everything, but chilangos are people not born in Mexico City that live in Mexico City. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.219.196.254 (talk) 18:24, 13 February 2010 (UTC)

Pakal 23:22, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

"Race" in Latin America

I think the misunderstanding of "gringo" fits in a pattern similar to terms like "raza" or "negro" as used in Spanish. Latin American societies are clearly pigmentocracies for the most part, yet the idea of "race" as a fixed, immutable concept is not widespread. In Latin America, one can change in racial status to some degree; "Indians" move to cities and become "Ladinos" or "Mestizos." Mestizos and Mulatos can acquire "white" status by moving into the middle class, marrying lighter skinned people, and adopting European modes (see fresa). Gringo is in the same spirit - a person may be labelled a "gringo" due to external appearance, economic or social factors, but it isn't intended to be a "racial" descriptor in the same sense that "spic" or "nigger" are. In Mexico, a "gringo" can be an African-American, or even an assimilated Hispanic-American (though in Mexico, "pocho" is a more specific label). Some Americans hear a term like gringo, and may assume it is a slur that is akin to racial slurs in English, while to Mexicans it is more a social stereotype. Social stereotypes may be unwelcome and offensive in some contexts, but are not the same thing as racial slurs. 70.117.165.77

It is true that, in the Latin American society, the racial hostility issue so familiar to the US people it's replaced for a social one, and it's clear you made your homework. However, I got to say, I think you are trying to shoehorn the US paradigm of thought in a whole different world here. This archaic nametags you mention were used by spanish conquistadors to refer to the level of purity in a person's blood (a very important matter to them, because only "pure" spaniards born in Spain were allowed to inherit land and wield power in the colonies). The lowest form of human life were indian and black slaves (both equaly lowly). If a spaniard had a "mixed" son, that son was deemed as a somewhat more "decent" person, but all that person could aspire to was to be better than the slaves, nothing more (a foreman, a clerk, that sort of thing). There were actually levels of impurity that one could cite to claim superiority over another guy with filthier blood (thus the need for specific labels such as mulato, or sambo, or whatever). In the end, independency from Spain brought the end of nobility and "pure" bloodlines. By the turn of the 20th century, Latin America (with the possible exception of Argentina) became a continent full of mestizos. That's right: most people in Latin America are taught to be proud of our prehispanic ancestry, as well as our cultural heritage as spanish speakers (El Quijote it's a must in public school programs). We don't see ourselves (or anybody else for that matter) as a "race". We are not the original natives of our land, and we are not spanish; we're are something else, a meld. You are quite right when you say that "gringo" is more of a social profile, and it's true, a black man speaking english it's just as gringo as a blonde one, but, more than just skin colors, people south the border tend to see the whole package: The clothes, the lenguage, the behaviour... everything that makes a tourist stand out in a crowd. That's what gringo really means (philology aside): "You're not from here". 01:32, 5 May 2007 (UTC) Corrigiendo nomás

are people from South America that uneducated not to know that it is the opinion of the person you are using a word to describe that decides whether it is offensive. Gringo is offensive to many white Europeans. You are purposely using a slang word to describe our ethnicity. It re-enforces that we are not like you. Stop using the word. We don't call you spics or beaners. The most we would say is Latino or the name of your country. Think of it like Eskimo. Only children and igorant people don't use the proper terms Inuit and Yupik when talking to them - because they don't like the word Eskimo. Say what you want in your own house. Just don't ever call me a Gringo unless you want a fight. 62.254.79.111 (talk) 01:25, 28 February 2010 (UTC)

Brazil

From the article: "In Brazil the word gringo is used to refer to foreigners from any country, not only the United States."

Not exactly. I have noticed that, the better educated a Brazilian, the less the nationalities they will call "gringo", while the poorer-educated a Brazilian, the more the nationalities they will call so. For example, a high-class, well educated Brazilian, will only use the word "gringo" for Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealenders and Britishes (basically, Western people who speak English as their native language); a medium-class Brazilian will call gringo any American of any race and any foreigner who looks North-European, no matter the language spoken; and, finally, a low class, uneducated Brazilian (the bulk of the Brazilian population actually, thus the mistake on the article) will just use that word as a synonym of a "non-Brazilian" person.

Sorry, but there is no "mistake". The meaning which the bulk of the Brazilian population assigns to a word is just as valid, if not more valid as those assigned by the "educated" elites. The "lower classes" do make up the majority of speakers, after all, and the "less educated" are often the ones who preserve the original meanings of words. You speak as though there were a ONE, TRUE, OBJECTIVE meaning to "gringo", when in reality the meaning of any word is obviously just a convention. It varies with the time, the culture, and the speaker. A lot of people need to accept this fact and move on. FilipeS 18:34, 20 October 2007 (UTC)

I'm brazilian, high class and very educated (graduated from a Federal University, finishing a Master in the USA) from the South of the country. And I can assure you that the use of the word "gringo" in Brazil in any social level, including the higher classes, applies to ANY foreigner and it's no way related to people being a English speaker, being white, etc... In my close circle of friends the two persons that were most called "gringos" were a colombian and a paraguayan, both mixed-race guys. And I'm talking about Curitiba, a city were most people are white.

P.S. We brazilians consider ourselves "western" too, it's totally nonsense to think that we would single out "western people". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.236.67.166 (talk) 10:18, 5 August 2010 (UTC)

Gringolandia

While this may refer to the US proper, my understanding of it from my time in Mexico is that it refers to the special tourism zones - the hotel areas where Mexicans cannot go unless they work there or are rich enough to vacation there. There was an article on this in, I think, Harper's Magazine, back in the late '80s or early '90s, sorry I can't say which issue. The sense is "Dixneyland for Gringos", i.e. Mexico as an amusement park.Skookum1 (talk) 02:28, 6 August 2009 (UTC)

No; In latinamerica "gringolandia" means "gringoland" or "land of gringos" (tierra de "gringos") refering to USA. If you ask anybody in Latinamerica (not just in Mexico), they will tell you it, even if they dont use this word, but no one will refer to what you have said, specially because "gringo" in Mexico and many other countries in latinoamerica like: Venezuela, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador, República Dominicana, Panama and others, is a term used to refer exclusively to "americans" and not all the people who are rich enough to vacation in those tourism zones are "gringos" as the term idicates ("gringo-landia") and not all the "gringos" are rich enough to vacation in those zones... oyashirosama 03:09, 15 October 2010 (UTC)

Gringo description

I think it is generally safe to say that "gringo" is pretty offensive and derogatory term for an "outsider" or "foreigner" to the people, and since the foreigners and outsiders are mostly white people throughout the latin american history, it is naturally assumet to be white people. It can also include other people like outsiders, since most of the outsiders were white, it naturally took a tone to mean white people with a slight twist. For instance, Latin american brown person born and raised in the US just like any other american, won't more likely be called gringo than the same white american person, because it is easier to differentiate whites from browns. So I think you can't simply ignore the fact that this can largely be race based terms. I think it means "foreigner" and it takes particular emphasis on whiteness, and since it is pointed at white people it took another turn to mean racial or ethnic term, but it can be just any foreigner. I also think blacks, asians, or brown people won't more likely be called "gringos" in latin america than whites. In other words, whites probably will more likely be thought of as gringo than brown, black or asians because of some way. My first natural inclination/understanding when I heard of this word was 1) it was defintely not a positive and delightful word to reference anyone 2) it basically means different and outsider. 97.124.255.168 (talk) 04:34, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

Damn right. There is no such thing as a "non-pejorative" use of this disgusting term. Calling a white person a "gringo" is the same as calling a black person a "nigger" or a latino a "spic, greaser or pepper belly" or calling an Asian person a "gook". They all have the same connotation. Anyone who tells you that "gringo" is not a racist term, each and every time it is used, is a bald faced liar. I've been in more than one fight when this term was used, and made damn sure no one called me that again within my hearing or to my knowledge.

Check this out from dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gringo):

"grin·go (grĭng'gō) n. pl. grin·gos Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a foreigner in Latin America, especially an American or English person.

"Word History: In Latin America the word gringo is an offensive term for a foreigner, particularly an American or English person..."

BTW, there is no such word as "Britisher", it is Briton. The idea that a Mexican word was derived from Greek, as if they would know anything about the Greek language, is total b.s. as well.

It depends on the country I think, but at least in Spain, its not a racist term, Barack Obama is a gringo the same as Denzel Washington or Morgan Freeman. It was a term for people who speak foreign language, but has become a term to describe people from the united states and canada. Because in spain we dont use it very much to refer to people from britain. Or if we use it, its refering to a person of USA. The official definition of the term by the Spanish dictionary is: Extranjero, especialmente de habla inglesa, y en general hablante de una lengua que no sea la española (Foreigner, specially of english language, and in general speaker of some language other than spanish). Fireinthegol (talk) 20:55, 24 February 2010 (UTC)

I wonder when (if ever) people will finnaly get the fact that the meaning of gringo varies very widely depending on the context, country, region and so and so on.There is no single, sole, or true meaning.In fact i think it would be much more proper to separate the article into multiples which encompasses a region and/or country.I am a brazilian and i can definitely say that atleast around here it is a very widely used term as a synonim of foreigner and has no relation to race, skin color, social class or anything of the sort..If you or someone else gets offended and/or think it is a term like spic or nigger then that is entirely your problem, not wikipedia's or the person's fault.

Usage examples beyond dic def

In response to the AFD, i found a few relevant links/references that could be added to the article: Gringo: A Coming of Age in Latin America by Chesa Boudin, Gringo: the making of a rebel by Emil Willimetz, El gringo: New Mexico and her people, William Watts H. Davis. all are well received from legitimate presses. I may add them myself, but i wanted to help the article avoid deletion.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 05:01, 30 May 2010 (UTC)

Not always is offensive

In Latin American not always saying the word "gringo" is offensive, sometimes we used becaused the natiolaty for somebody from the U.S is "American" but in Spanish saying "Americano" is used to the whole continent not only people from the U.S, so not many people knows how to call Americans, because the term Norteamericano (North American) would also include Canadians and Mexicans, the most correct term would be Estadounidense because United States in Spanish is Estados Unidos, but also the offial name of Mexico is Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United States of Mexico) so, the Mexicans would be Estadounidenses too?, so, since it seems there are not a correct term to describe Americans people usually used the word gringo as you see is not necesary despective. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.75.115.249 (talk) 20:21, 11 September 2010 (UTC)