Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > World Forums > World
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 10-24-2019, 03:26 AM
 
290 posts, read 176,198 times
Reputation: 329

Advertisements

This is my biggest impression when travelling around Latin America.

I noted that in Central America and Mexico, the United States is a very important component to the society, but as soon as you enter south America you realise The image of the United States or Gringo is rather negative Especially when compared to the image WesternEuropeans have in the region.

In South America especially Amongst the rich, Americans are seen as gringos, meaning They are very loud and Have no culture, Go to south America assuming they will find Mexico, Or Mexican people, And have a hard time understanding the local culture.

Western European on the other hand are seen as educated open-minded and cultured.

I have also noticed that the south Americans Dislike when they are associated with Mexico.

Being European this is interesting for me because I am not familiar with the reasons why.

Last edited by backpaker; 10-24-2019 at 03:36 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 10-24-2019, 03:34 AM
 
290 posts, read 176,198 times
Reputation: 329
You can even see it on the type of urban development That goes on in the region.

while South American cities like São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Medellin adopt European policies for urban development.

Central American places like Panama or in Mexico adopt American-style Urband development.

The regional settings of the Tv Also reflect that, South American countries follow the same setting as European countries do, while settings in Mexico and Central America are that of the United States.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-24-2019, 06:21 AM
 
126 posts, read 93,983 times
Reputation: 171
I think it is a gross generalization but looking into it, it goes down to history and exposure.

The sour history South America has had with the US meddling in local affairs and trying to intervene in the region politically, economically, militarily etc. has created a certain tiredness towards American anything in many.

It also goes down to income, let us not forget South America has the widest gaps between rich and poor in the world. (So you have your Switzerlands and your Nigerias all in one society.)

- Upper class Western European values are more liked by the South American rich.

- Eco-awareness becoming big in south America, and modern humans realizing consumerism does not make you happy, are also marking the middle classes who associate American with mass consumption and capitalism.

- American values allure more to the working masses, the idea of having a lot of money, a giant house, a shinny BWM, consumerism, giant AC'ed shopping mall like the ones in Miami but in your hometown, shinny skyscrapers everywhere. That is vastly due to the working class being more economically deprived.

Mexico:
No one likes to be continuously lumped with something you are not. This idea that there is a latino culture, and that it is all Mexican-Central American based, and that speaking Spanish makes everyone look, act, think like Mexicans and Central Americans do, stems from the US and the obsession with race and categorizing people into races and labels.

South Americans feel very invisible in the US which is understandable. The vast majority of the so called latinos in the US come from Central America and Mexico! So naturally Americans (the simple minded ones) assume that anything south is all an ocean of Mexicos and El Salvadors.


I edited to say:
Central Americans, most people in South America do not know much of Central America, the average Brazilian probably knows more about Japan than about El Salvador.

However, do not get the wrong idea. Its the 21st century, no one in South America will be impressed with you because you are from Europe. The regular, give respect and you will receive respect applies to 21st century south America.

Last edited by xiloponeums; 10-24-2019 at 07:03 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-24-2019, 08:05 AM
 
Location: Canada
7,363 posts, read 8,304,109 times
Reputation: 5259
I am pretty sure the above posters are the same person but here it goes anyway...

1. To say Mexicans love Americans is false. Some do some don't. There are plenty of Mexicans that also admire Europeans. If South Americas upper class really liked western European values, the way they run their countries does not reflect this. They are jus as unequal as Mexico is. South Americans don't like viewed as Mexicans because they view Mexicans as poor indigenous people. South Americans are very classist and racist. Aside from the all press about gangs and illegals, Central Americans are also pretty invisible. We are not all the same. There are jsut as many Caribbean Latinos in the US as Central Americans. South Americans dont mind the salsa dancing promiscous stereotypes though.

I agree with the above poster. We should stop using the term Latino. The quicker we can stop lumping each other with image obsessed, superficial and insecure South Americans the better.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-24-2019, 08:42 AM
 
869 posts, read 900,476 times
Reputation: 486
Some polls from recent years:



Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-24-2019, 08:46 AM
 
126 posts, read 93,983 times
Reputation: 171
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanLuis View Post
I am pretty sure the above posters are the same person but here it goes anyway...

1. To say Mexicans love Americans is false. Some do some don't. There are plenty of Mexicans that also admire Europeans. If South Americas upper class really liked western European values, the way they run their countries does not reflect this. They are jus as unequal as Mexico is. South Americans don't like viewed as Mexicans because they view Mexicans as poor indigenous people. South Americans are very classist and racist. Aside from the all press about gangs and illegals, Central Americans are also pretty invisible. We are not all the same. There are jsut as many Caribbean Latinos in the US as Central Americans. South Americans dont mind the salsa dancing promiscous stereotypes though.

I agree with the above poster. We should stop using the term Latino. The quicker we can stop lumping each other with image obsessed, superficial and insecure South Americans the better.
I am going to filter through what seems to be misconceptions you have.

1. Upper class South Americans cannot just change a system that evolved out of European colonialism and racial castes overnight, it is not like one day a rich person in Bogota wakes up and decides it all should equal from now on. It is generational social change, it takes decades.

2. South Americans don't like to be viewed as Mexicans by some clueless Americans, because they are NOT Mexicans. It is not about racism, it is about no one liking to be misidentified.

3. Latin america is too diverse and unequal. Many are oppressed as we speak, you are not doing anything to hear their plight if you insist they are just latinos.

Last edited by xiloponeums; 10-24-2019 at 10:08 AM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-24-2019, 08:56 AM
 
4,357 posts, read 4,195,139 times
Reputation: 3855
Quote:
Originally Posted by joacocanal View Post
Some polls from recent years:


Man Turkey really hates us.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-24-2019, 09:46 AM
 
Location: Seoul
11,561 posts, read 9,265,606 times
Reputation: 4655
Southern Cone countries tend to look more at Western European values compared to American. You can see it in their architecture and urban planning. This is probably for historical reasons, as the elite in the 19th and early 20th centuries came from Italy, Germany, France, etc
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-24-2019, 09:59 AM
 
Location: East Coast of the United States
27,262 posts, read 28,317,220 times
Reputation: 24772
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turnerbro View Post
Man Turkey really hates us.
Look at the religion.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-24-2019, 10:06 AM
 
Location: Seoul
11,561 posts, read 9,265,606 times
Reputation: 4655
Turkey hates both the United States AND Russia. They have both of my nationalities covered lol
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > World Forums > World

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top