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Yes, people in Spain are very interested in Mexico, a lot of people visit Mexico. They are told apart immediately by their accent, and yes, there's a lot of Mexican students and Mexican artists.
Yes, you are right. Unfortunately there are many "pickpocketers", mostly from Colombia and Chile. There are vast numbers of Andeans, little and short people from Ecuador, Bolivia, etc, but those people are hard working. They are called "Panchitos", but I don't think it's a derogatory name.
I would say it is. It is certainly not respectful or affectionate although, of course, some few particular individuals may use it that way.
"Panchitos" is an affectionate term, not very respectful. They are also called "Machupichus". They are very short and they look like walking teddy bears. Not a name with bad intent or "mala leche". Just like the term "Paki" or "Badulaques" applied to Pakistanies.
Last edited by Nosferatu; 10-08-2009 at 06:44 AM..
It was the Spaniards who gave the world the notion that an aristocrat's blood is not red but blue. The Spanish nobility started taking shape around the ninth century in classic military fashion, occupying land as warriors on horseback. They were to continue the process for more than five hundred years, clawing back sections of the peninsula from its Moorish occupiers, and a nobleman demonstrated his pedigree by holding up his sword arm to display the filigree of blue-blooded veins beneath his pale skin—proof that his birth had not been contaminated by the dark-skinned enemy
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Poppycock.
During Middle Ages, RICH AND PRIVILEGED people were not SUN TANNED, so rich people had pale skin in which blue veins could be seen.
Another thing, you shouldn't be advising other people about Spain since your knowledge of this country is next to zero.
Race was not important during the Reconquest since most (99,99%) of Muslims were Ethnic Spanish.
It was the Spaniards who gave the world the notion that an aristocrat's blood is not red but blue. The Spanish nobility started taking shape around the ninth century in classic military fashion, occupying land as warriors on horseback. They were to continue the process for more than five hundred years, clawing back sections of the peninsula from its Moorish occupiers, and a nobleman demonstrated his pedigree by holding up his sword arm to display the filigree of blue-blooded veins beneath his pale skin—proof that his birth had not been contaminated by the dark-skinned enemy
-----
Poppycock.
During Middle Ages, RICH AND PRIVILEGED people were not SUN TANNED, so rich people had pale skin in which blue veins could be seen.
Another thing, you shouldn't be advising other people about Spain since your knowledge of this country is next to zero.
Race was not important during the Reconquest since most (99,99%) of Muslims were Ethnic Spanish.
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nosferatu
Travelling
Yes, people in Spain are very interested in Mexico, a lot of people visit Mexico. They are told apart immediately by their accent, and yes, there's a lot of Mexican students and Mexican artists.
Yes, you are right. Unfortunately there are many "pickpocketers", mostly from Colombia and Chile. There are vast numbers of Andeans, little and short people from Ecuador, Bolivia, etc, but those people are hard working and don't cause problems. They are called "Panchitos", but I don't think it's a derogatory name.
Exactly, my wallet was stolen in the subway on a busy station and also a friend of mine who studies in Spain was ripped off by a family from Colombia he was renting a room for them, when he told this to a friend he was very mad and said, I told you, it's not because I'm racist but you see now that some of these people just come to Spain to rip others off, like we say in spanish speaking countries pagan justos por pecadores (right people pays for the sinners sins) but unfortunately because of the abuses and crimes commited by some immigrants others get a bad name. Yet I found people in Spain more welcoming and accepting than people in the USA, and supposedly Spaniards have fame for being xenophobic, some are like in every country but I still believe that immigrants in Spain are treated better, after spending time in both countries that's my opinion.
Last edited by Travelling fella; 10-08-2009 at 09:45 AM..
You're entirely right. Here, in Barcelona, most South American immigrants are hard working people. Most thiefs and pickpockets are mostly Eastern European, I'd say 90 percent or more.
We also have a lot of black prostitutes that assault tourists, Romanian gypsies, Bosnian mafia, etc. No, South Americans are not a problem right now.
I am Colombian and I currently live in Europe..... I work here for an international company that transfered me here for a four year contract.
My experience in Europe as a Colombian has been not-negative, not-positive.... to be honest in Switzerland where I live, no one cares where you're from!!! Geneva has people of almost every single nationality on this planet so as a very multi-cultural society, NO ONE CARES ABOUT OTHER'S NATIONALITIES!!!
About my experiences in Spain, I went there on holiday twice and I found it ok, people treated me nice, however I look white and people didn't assume I was some poor colored immigrant trying to take the very few jobs available they have over there.... it was very clear to them that I was a tourist!
About Spain itself, to be honest I went twice and felt it's enough.... I wasn't particularly impressed with the country, not because it's ugly or anything, on the contrary is very pretty, but I was never too interested in Spain culturally..... I always really liked India and Britain as countries, so I must admit I enjoyed going to the UK a lot more.
Most of my friends in Switzerland are middle class mexican students, white americans working here on contracts and British expats living here..... I've met a few spaniards but must admit it wasn't interesting to me to be friends with them.... I don't know why but I feel besides the language I don't have much in common with them, maybe it's a cultural thing, I do not know!!! With colombians I don't connect easy as well.... so who knows!
Give me a cool laid back British or Irish anytime of the day!
About racism in Spain and Europe.... there is A LOT of racism in Europe, not only in Spain....
In Europe they have a huge economic crisis, lots of unemployed young people and because of the whole socialist fabric of the European society a lot of lazy European people live off the governments without giving anything in return; add to that a collapsing society due to very low birth rates and a tidal wave of North Africans and black Africans having children like there is no tomorrow and coming here everyday and you have the racism that they have here!
I'm Hispanic (Mexican-American) with fairly distinct "Latino" features, and never had a problem durning my time in Spain. Though my features are not enough to be mistaken as indigenous, so I guess that was to my advantage. I have to say though I was treated more as an American, rather than a Latin American or Mexican. You will find most of the cities very cosmopolitan.
I think the issue of race in Spain is very much similar to much of Latin America. The more stock you have attached to the "mother land" (Spain) the more well off you tend to be. Though of course that is not always the case. Mestizos just by sheer numbers also hold the majority of the power along with whites. Indigenous cultures are admired in art and for it's history, but the people themselves tend to be amongst the poorest and treated badly in some parts. And then there is blacks, well....to put it frankly are at the bottom of the barrel.
How would you say Argentinians are treated in Spain?? I know a LOT of people that went there with the Argentinian crisis (2002 big crisis) and never came back. And i mean young people in their early twentys, some of them graduated proffesionals. Do u know if they discriminate argentinians too? I would like to have an answer that comes from a spanish native living there, cause they are the ones that know best.
(for example, despite my personal experience -i dont discriminate for their nationality, race, or anything, actually- i can say that the most discriminate nationalities here in argentina are, sadly, bolivians and peruvians,)
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and also a friend of mine who studies in Spain was ripped off by a family from Colombia he was renting a room for them, when he told this to a friend he was very mad and said, I told you, it's not because I'm racist but you see now that some of these people just come to Spain to rip others off, like we say in spanish speaking countries pagan justos por pecadores (right people pays for the sinners sins) but unfortunately because of the abuses and crimes commited by some immigrants others get a bad name. Yet I found people in Spain more welcoming and accepting than people in the USA, and supposedly Spaniards have fame for being xenophobic, some are like in every country but I still believe that immigrants in Spain are treated better, after spending time in both countries that's my opinion.
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