Good Gringos and Bad Gringos

Most Americans believe that being referred to as a "gringo" is meant strictly as a derogatory term. This isn't necessarily true. There can be "good" gringos and "bad" gringos to a Mexican (or other Latin American - be aware that Mexicans think of themselves as Norte Americanos). The term gringo dates back nearly two hundred years, to the Mexican-American war - there a number of theories for the origin of gringo, from the color of the jackets worn by US troops, to Irish-Catholic deserters who joined forces with the Mexicans and sang a song called "Green Grow the Lillacs" and to one about a US railroad builder urging the Mexican engine drivers to "Green-Go" at signals. All are discussed in depth in Wikipedia.

Whatever the origin, there is also much debate as to how pejorative or derogatory the word is - with context obviously making the strongest case for how its meaning should be interpreted. A recent article (Spring 2009) in a local Los Cabos magazine called Destinos (www.destinomagazines.com) discussed just that concept posited above - the "good" gringo. Here I've paraphrased some of the 23 aspects of being a "good" gringo that author J. Michael Sullivan made in the article entitled "Good Gringo? Si or No".

• Learn some Spanish - then use it.
• Don’t insist America is the best and/or the center of the universe.
• Know that Mexicans are also North Americans.
• Don't lose your cool when dealing when things don't go like you'd expect them to in the states (government, customer service).
• Be friendly, warm, sincere - always.
• Know that it's an honor to be introduced and meet the members of a Mexican family and be invited into their homes.
• Give your tips to your workers with the phrases “por cerveza” or “por sus ninos,” or for beer or for your children.
• Acknowledge that you tell Mexicans to arrive at 6 PM but be cool when they arrive at 7 PM.
• Realize that, for Mexicans, it’s considered rude to say no to an invitation even if they have no intention of showing up. Later you say that they were missed.
• Go with the flow when driving, knowing that, somehow, it all works.
• Understand how helpful Mexicans are, even if it takes a half dozen eight guys a half hour before the action plan hatches.
• Figure out that Mexicans see their history going back several thousand years.
• Be entertained, not annoyed, that all documents have to have three official stamps. Wap, wap, wap.
• Be alert to, and respectful of, the status and power issues among Mexican social classes, even if you don’t agree with them.
• And one my favorites: adopt a Zen-like attitude when you hear “manana".

All that said, one hopes that there many more good gingos (or gringas) out there than bad ones.