White people in Mex-Amer neighborhood (Brady, West: restaurant)

[LindaGrace]

Originally Posted by ChrisSA_wxatUIW

...the worst you might get called is "guero" which is not even a bad word

And honestly, is there anything sweeter than being called "mija" or "mijita"? It just warms my heart when my husband's older family members call me that.

[GWhopper]

I was born and raised in SA, but my family came here from the Ukraine, so I am a first generation American. I spent a lot of time while growing up in New Jersey with family, I was there during the BensonHurst killing and in New York during the subsequent riots. My mom always taught me to hate Jews, and look down on hispanics, she hated black people and Asians.

I am proud to say that I married an Asian woman (so westernized she knows more about current pop culture than I do, she keeps my iPod current), one of my greatest mentors in the business world was a black man who I constantly keep in touch with, and my four best friends for over a decade are all hispanic (except for one who is half German/Hispanic, and he has his own issues to deal with). And all this happened in San Antonio. This City is the most racially accepting City, and least prejudiced city in the country. And I travel everyday for my job and I still hear racial slurs my customers make against other ethnicities in their cities that I would never hear anyone say in San Antonio.

As a side note, growing up Ukrainian (which was part of the old Soviet Union) in a decidedly conservative American culture in SA, I did get picked on and called a Communist and a Red while in elementry school, even though my family fought and fled the communist in their home country. That all stopped in Middle School. Just like they said in the Italian Job movie, Don't ever F with Mother F'n Ukrainians.

[Blue Dog]

I don't know what all the fuss is about! Some of my best friends are Gringos. It not their fault they are white,just like it not my fault I'm Latino.

[Dementius88]

Its good to know that "guero" is not a bad word. I do find it hard to believe that when my wife calls me one that seems to like to pinch things!

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

And honestly, is there anything sweeter than being called "mija" or "mijita"? It just warms my heart when my husband's older family members call me that.

Depends,
that word always reminds me of my grandmother saying something like:
"Mijito!!!!!! Stop messing with that @#$#"

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Dementius88

Its good to know that "guero" is not a bad word. I do find it hard to believe that when my wife calls me one that seems to like to pinch things!

I always thought that was at least as derogatory as ''beaner,'' and even more so when ''pinche'' precedes it.

[Blue Dog]

Originally Posted by tstone

I always thought that was at least as derogatory as ''beaner,'' and even more so when ''pinche'' precedes it.

It all depends on how you say it.
Sometimes I call this buddy of mine mijo,which is short for mijo-ti-to.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

Honestly, it's just semantics at this point - no, Hispanics are not a different race than Caucasians, but there is ABSOLUTELY a cultural difference and everyone here knows that cultural difference is what we're talking about here.

Also, try being the first white-non-Hispanic person to marry into a very large, very Tex-Mex, very Spanish-speaking family. You think moving into a neighborhood is intimidating...

My dad was one (the white one marrying into a very large Hispanic family). He loved it. He immediately became the favourite amongst all my mom's old uncles.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

And honestly, is there anything sweeter than being called "mija" or "mijita"? It just warms my heart when my husband's older family members call me that.

It always reminded me of an annoying aunt and a really slimy uncle. For whatever reason,they were the only ones in my large Hispanic family to use the term.

It's taken me a long time in San Antonio to not cringe when I hear it, which is often.

[perticusrex]

Originally Posted by tstone

I always thought that was at least as derogatory as ''beaner,'' and even more so when ''pinche'' precedes it.

It probably depends in what context its being used in ..... like any other word.