MEXICO LIVING - How Mexicans See Us

When I was setting up an interview with a Mexican friend, he asked what I wanted to discuss. When I told him I wanted to ask him what Mexicans tend to think most often about Gringos, he had an immediate reaction.

He said he thought Americans come to Mexico expecting it to be just like America. They come as tourists (and, I would add, as expatriates) expecting every single thing to function as it does back home in the good ole U.S.A. When it doesn't, the cultural shock hits the fan in a big way.

Mind you, this is the very first thing that came out of my friend's mouth. Interesting, eh?

When I wrote my first book on expat issues, I used one phrase, "Mexico is not America," in almost every chapter. I did this laboring under the conviction that if Americans came to Mexico and understood that this country, so close yet so different, perhaps this would stick in their minds. From the reactions I received from some readers, you would have thought I had suggested that all Mexicans are serial axe-murders!

One lady from New York (which helps to account for a great deal, actually) had the gall to make a "Reader's Comment" about my book on my Amazon.com page. She told me she should come to Guanajuato, find me, and hurt me. Others recorded comments on Amazon and sent emails suggesting I made one of the most unintelligent comments that bordered on being retarded when I said, "Mexico is not America." The consensus was that the statement was "self evident" and therefore unnecessary to state, much less think.

A familiarization with American Hispanic Culture does not make you an authority on Mexican Culture.

Massive exposure to American Hispanic culture is not exposure to Mexican culture.

The result of that thinking can be disastrous when Americans move here with a "Concept" of Mexico in mind and virtually none of the reality. Yet, I am met with threatening hostility for suggesting in my book, articles, and columns what my friend told me this morning,

"Americans come to Mexico expecting it to be just like America."

This is not the first Mexican to tell me this.