Do you see red if someone refers to you as a gringo or gringa? First of all, listen carefully to the way the word is said and the intention behind it. Maybe the person is not being hostile but only trying to be friendly.
Even in an age when national barriers are crumbling fast and free trade is the watchword, derogatory terms for foreign peoples are still part and parcel of language. In most cases, the existence of such language reflects decades of pent-up resentment and historical differences with close neighbors, plus the desire not to be burdened with an inferiority complex.
Usually in Mexico the word gringo is used without any connotation of contempt or dislike. Few Mexican citizens today are openly hostile to individual U.S. citizens and many admire their honesty, work ethics and efficiency. When they use the word gringo in your presence most don’t really feel they are insulting you. In fact, young American women are often flattered to be called gringuita, an accepted term of “bilateral” endearment. The diminutive -ita in this case does not refer to size.
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