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I have talked to a number of Mexicans on the Tijuana Trolley over the years and a number of them I talked to are scared to death to cross the border, as the police love to harrass them, either in their cars or on foot.
I once took my Mexican roommate to TJ at Christmas time. We were walking around the Zona Norte area, I got ahead of him, and when I looked back there were three female police officers shaking him down. Thank God, I could speak enough Spanish, where I ended up disarming them before he was arrested. And for what? He did nothing wrong. It was cold that night, and I lent him my jacket. Perhaps that was it, the fancy jacket, that perhaps tipped off these police officers that he wasn't living in TJ.
I have talked to Philipinos who have gone home to their home countries, and they can suffer harrassment there as well. They tell me that people there have an instinct, perhaps a keen eye, that tells them they're immigrants to another country, even though they look exactly like the natives. One Philipino I work with says that even dressing down on these trips does not help them. Some way, or another, their keen eye or instinct tells them differently.
So even if a Mexican immigrant or a legal Mexican American visited Mexico, and they dressed shabbily perhaps, how do they recognize these people?
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
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They do because of the vibe and the attitude are different, one with a good intuition can spot an immigrant, the accent changes also, and if they suspect of one they usually approach them and they recognize them for the accent, or they can ask them to sing the national anthem or things like that.
You can spot them by their fashion, use of language, licence plates, accent, shopping choices (buying tourist items) and accesories.
One of my biggest pet peeves is Mexican immigrants speaking English in Mexico. There are thing that you can't help, like accents but it's more that just "giving yourself up" as a visitor. It's about respect.
I am grateful that no one can tell I'm a visitor. I have no accent, my vocabulary in Spanish is ample ( or at least I think) and try to blend in in terms of fashion. This last time I went to Mexico, only once my grandma stopped me from wearing some Baby Phat jeans because she thought people would recognize I was visiting from the US. It serves well when shopping, as I get charged as a local rather than a tourist immigrant.
Hmmmm..... but then is it okay for it to be a big pet peeve of Americans when the Mexican immigrants speak Spanish in the USA?
Please dont try to twist my words. The OP was refering to Mexicans immigrants, not Americans in Mexico. There is a big difference. I have met wonderful, down to earth Americans in Mexico, whom I have had conversations with in English. I dont have a problem with that.
When Mexicans like my parents or myself returning to Mexico speaking English, is what bothers me. If the child does not understand Spanish, its sad and I blame the parents for not teaching the child to learn Spanish. Unlike most Americans who think that Mexicans dont assimilate, Mexicans living in Mexico will tell you their share of stories of Mexicans and their children whom while visiting Mexico, speak a lot of English. If the child is trying to make himself or herself be understood in Spanish its fine. There are things that you cant help. My problem is with those that speak only English, in my opinion is a lack of respect for the culture. Our culture and language is beautiful. Prefering to speak English seems to me that they are sending a message that the English language and culture is superior and you can see it in their attitudes with their melodramatic body language and facial expressions.
This last time I went to Mexico, I got on a bus going to a village in Zacatecas. In the "combi" there were mostly females except for two young males sitting in the back whom btw, wore cowboy hats and boots. No one knew or could tell that I understood English even when I was also having a conversation with them. While the two young men exchanged words in English, talking very disrespectfully about us women, the women began to wonder what they were saying and why they were laughing so hard. They men turned red when I told them "que caballeros son".
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