Racism Towards People From The States?

[nlaruccia]

I usually get the "sos de EEUU? Que haces a acá?" about 90% of the time.

In Harlem, a neighborhood I love, my friend from Corrientes and I were buying something in a market on the corner. Keep in mind that Harlem is now quite diverse. There are a lot of Latinos, Muslims and Africans there. So this African American man comes up behind us muttering to himself then loudly says: "why you lettin all dem white folks take over Harlem?" I have to admit, I was trying really hard not to laugh. My Correntine friend responded: "white? We're Latinos from Argentina". The owner of the store just shook his head and explained that the man was crazy and stands on the sidewalk all night spouting out nonsense. My friend and I just laughed. It was too funny not to.

In all honesty, I think I've experienced more prejudism in the States than in Argentina. My blonde and dark-hair/ pale-skin Argentine friends experience prejudism in the States from other Latinos who don't consider them to be "Latino enough" just because they don't listen to cumbia or like spicy food.....and they pronounce the "s" in nouns that are plural. My mother was very dark; I'm very pale. We both experienced more prejudism and exclusion in the States than in Argentina.

I'm waiting for the day in a supermercado when an Argentine says: "porque permiten que esos yankees infiltren a Buenos Aires?".

 

[db887]

Some call it racism, others call it a healthy social reaction to plunder, rape and bloody murder.

 

[camberiu]

I'm very pale. We both experienced more prejudism and exclusion in the States than in Argentina.

You don't say. Pale white American experiences very little racism in Buenos Aires. Shocking.

 

[thorsten]

...and the association blonde-easter-woman = exploiter of defenseless Italian men ...

That made my day

To the topic: negative attitudes towards people because of their origin country is common all over the world. The only difference I see is that some origin countries are more 'affected' than others, but idiots who generalize like that are basically existent in all countries.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Not even in the 70s. Did the US endorse the military coup? Sure! But it was the Argentine military, with the support of a huge chunk of the national middle class and many important politicians that actually executed the take over. Yeah, once the military that they helped put into power turned on the entire nation, and the middle class realized that the pandora's box that they helped open in the first place could not be easily closed, then the "let's blame the Gringos" festival began.

The Nixon administration got it going. The Carter administration reversed their policy, but the Reaganites groveled in front of the milicos and even tried to rationalize the Falklands War until it was obvious that would have been totally over the top: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/argentina/argen1201-11.htm

 

[sleslie23]

You don't say. Pale white American experiences very little racism in Buenos Aires. Shocking.

Well, then there's that. I am generally treated well in Buenos Aires and Paris. In fact, even the Parisians generally treat me quite well. I have dark hair, but am pretty white (well, kind of reddish, actually).

However, I have numerous French friends now living in San Francisco who are of Carribean or African heritage who definitely were not treated the same way.

 

[ajoknoblauch]

Well, then there's that. I am generally treated well in Buenos Aires and Paris. In fact, even the Parisians generally treat me quite well. I have dark hair, but am pretty white (well, kind of reddish, actually).

However, I have numerous French friends now living in San Francisco who are of Carribean or African heritage who definitely were not treated the same way.

There are plenty of Francophobes in the States.

 

[camberiu]

Caribbean, African, Paraguayan, Bolivian, Chilean, Peruvian. All often get treated like crap.

Seeing Paraguayans being mistreated for me is particularly disturbing, as I am Brazilian.

 

[ElQueso]

Caribbean, African, Paraguayan, Bolivian, Chilean, Peruvian. All often get treated like crap.

Seeing Paraguayans being mistreated for me is particularly disturbing, as I am Brazilian.

I'd be interested to understand a little more about this. Why do the Paraguayans in particular affect you? Is it related to the history of the war of the Triple Alliance? BTW - not being combative - I like it when people are worried about Paraguayans and others who are mistreated, I'm truly curious for your point of view.

Brazilians that my family meet here are usually fine with them. But where they come from in Concepcion (near there, anyway), they have a deep-seated distrust of Brazilians, sometimes to fear and hate. A lot of it has to do with the Brazilians in the area who were given land by Stroessner and other politicos over the years, where poor families were thrown off their land, forcibly if necessary, and many of whom to this day have questionable land titles and treat the Paraguayan poor like dirt. Especially around Pedro Juan.

Now, that is according to my family. I must admit that I haven't seen anything so direct there, but then I don't visit the estancias and hobnob with the elite of the area, either. But I've heard enough other comments about things that have been proven to be exaggerated or just wrong to know not to believe some things.

My assumption has been that they are bad eggs, like every country has, who managed to take advantage of things in Paraguay, given my personal experiences in Brasil and what I've seen of Brazilians and Paraguayans interacting here.

 

[camberiu]

I'd be interested to understand a little more about this. Why do the Paraguayans in particular affect you? Is it related to the history of the war of the Triple Alliance? BTW - not being combative - I like it when people are worried about Paraguayans and others who are mistreated, I'm truly curious for your point of view.

Yes, the consequences of the triple alliance war for one. Although I do believe that Solano Lopez started the war, the consequences of it to Paraguay and its people were heart breaking.
But more importantly, because of all Latin American countries, Paraguay is the one most culturally similar to Brazil. Part of it is that both countries share strong Guarani cultural influences, and part of it was the decades long Brazilian military occupation of Paraguay, where they absorbed a lot of our culture.
Even the slurred way they pronounced their "Rs" is similar of how people in the countryside of Brazil speak Portuguese. So when I see a Paraguayan being mistreated in Argentina, I see ourselves, the Brazilians, and how we would be treated here if we were not the largest economy in the continent.