Confused: Why is Calling Someone from Mexico a Mexican Offensive?

[MizTink]

How's the Grand Wizard? Tell him hello!

guess he needs to lose the wand, and change the hood, i mean hat, to white......

 

[disneyjunkie]

guess he needs to lose the wand, and change the hood, i mean hat, to white......

 

[abdmom]

Quote:
Originally Posted by KristiKelly

On another note, when I was about 19, I asked someone DH & I were sort of friends with (at that time) if she was Chinese or Japanese - I thought she was going to bite my head off. Apparently Japanese don't like to be confused with Chinese. I don't know the reason but boy was she mad.
Interesting. Usually it goes the other way, with Chinese and Koreans having NO interest in being thought Japanese. Something about them occupying their countries and invading and whatnot really cheeses off the Chinese and Koreans!

Yes, it's more like confusing someone who is Polish with a German.

 

[hucifer]

I don't give the word the power to offend me.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Ok, I just had to Google Sicily and Italy because I could've sworn Sicily was in Italy - thank God I was right I never knew they didn't like to be called Italian, glad I know. DD is dying to go to Italy and I don't want to get my butt kicked.

Don't worry, Sicilians don't mind being called Italian at all. I've traveled extensively throughout Italy and my family is from Sicily (Dad's first generation American). We all generically refer to ourselves as Italians. If someone asks specifically, we say we're Sicilian.

 

[Planogirl]

guess he needs to lose the wand, and change the hood, i mean hat, to white......

Right or wrong, isn't this a personal attack?

As for all of these labels, I think a lot of it is silly. For example, how is anyone supposed to know that certain people from Mexico prefer to be called something besides Mexican? I can't tell by looking at someone that they're from a particular province or somewhere on some hierarchy.

Why does anyone need to be labeled anyway? For what purpose?

 

[DizBelle]

How's the Grand Wizard? Tell him hello!

What about the post indicated racism or KKK membership? I didn't see it.

 

[VickiVM]

Right or wrong, isn't this a personal attack?

As for all of these labels, I think a lot of it is silly. For example, how is anyone supposed to know that certain people from Mexico prefer to be called something besides Mexican? I can't tell by looking at someone that they're from a particular province or somewhere on some hierarchy.

Why does anyone need to be labeled anyway? For what purpose?

Exactly. You're a Texan...you get it. When you're this close to the border, labels don't mean much.

 

[Planogirl]

Exactly. You're a Texan...you get it. When you're this close to the border, labels don't mean much.

It seems to usually be the political groups that want to throw around labels. I just ignore them.

 

[Nik's Mom]

My uncle married a lady whose family has resided in Mexico for a couple of hundred years. However, they are Spaniards not Mexicans. In her words "we have NEVER intermarried with the natives and we are pure."

Oookkkaaay...

Honestly - there is a huge hierarchy in the Spanish speaking world that I had no idea existed until I met my aunt.

Oh, that is so true. I cannot believe how bad the comments can be too. And people who have light skin often are treated better than those with dark skin.
The comments can get really ugly at times. I find it so sad.

 

[OK!]

That's the first thing I thought of! And I said it in the same exact way Lucy did and then wanted to slam my Windex on the counter.

lol, same here!

 

[Vixen]

That happened to me all the time... I was born in the united states but my parents are form Chile and i was called Mexican all the time during school.. i never got offended.. now living here in Nicaragua cause of my job people assume i'm Nica just because i speak Spanish and look Latina i still don't get offended.

 

[Disneyland_Mama]

If your grandmother is a Mexican citizen she is a Mexican. She is of Spanish decent.

Actually, my grandmother is an American citizen. Her family lives in Mexico.

Don't let her hear you say that! I think she would physically assault anyone that insisted on calling her Mexican! I am not kidding. According to her and her family, because they always sent their children back to Spain when it was time to find a spouse (well until my uncle that is, lol) , they are not Mexican. In their minds, Mexican is synonymous with being a mestizo.

Art said it better than I was going to try to say. She might have a tizzy, but she is not correct. She's a Mexican citizen, which makes her, basically Mexican. if she doesn't want that, she can look into emigrating back. That said, it's not so easy to move around countries. I've been trying to figure out how to get "back" (considering it was great grands who lived there, back has to be in quotes) to Ireland for over a decade now! Difficult!

Sorry, but she'll argue to the death with that one. Not sure how you figure someone with no Mexican blood is Mexican simply because of where they live. If I move to Ireland, and become a citizen, that makes me Irish? I think not.
Being a Mexican citizen, is not the same as being Mexican.

 

[VickiVM]

Actually, my grandmother is an American citizen. Her family lives in Mexico.



Sorry, but she'll argue to the death with that one. Not sure how you figure someone with no Mexican blood is Mexican simply because of where they live. If I move to Ireland, and become a citizen, that makes me Irish? I think not.
Being a Mexican citizen, is not the same as being Mexican.

Exactly. Citizenship status is completely different than cultural or heritage identification. We think nothing of saying we're American even though we may culturally identify ourselves as Italian or German or Mexican.

Other cultures do not necessarily view their national identities the same as we do.

 

[Planogirl]

And yet those of us who live in the U.S. are all Americans regardless of heritage. I like it like that.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Don't worry, Sicilians don't mind being called Italian at all. I've traveled extensively throughout Italy and my family is from Sicily (Dad's first generation American). We all generically refer to ourselves as Italians. If someone asks specifically, we say we're Sicilian.

My dad was from Sicily as well, but identified himself as Italian after moving to the U.S., though he did move from Sicily to Florence as a teen/young adult, before immigrating to the U.S. later in life. Sicily wasn't part of Italy until after WWI, so possibly families who immigrated before or near that time still identify more strongly as Sicilian than Italian.

Technically, my dad's heritage is probably more Albanian and Greek, but he considered himself Italian in general, Sicilian specifically.

Exactly. Citizenship status is completely different than cultural or heritage identification. We think nothing of saying we're American even though we may culturally identify ourselves as Italian or German or Mexican.

Other cultures do not necessarily view their national identities the same as we do.

True.

 

[JPN4265]

Please understand, I don't mean anything hurtful. I am genuinely curious.

Why is it considered calling someone from Mexico a Mexican considered offensive? Am I missing something here? I'm not going to be mad if someone calls me an American. I have a friend in Australia who doesn't get offended that I call her my Australian friend sometimes... well, I usually say Aussie friend... same thing.

Can someone please enlighten me?

TIA.

Please, I really don't mean to offend, I just don't get it.

ETA: How this was brought to my attention was in dealing with someone from Veracruz, Mexico. He got all offended when another person referred to him as Mexican... this person wasn't saying anything mean or in a certain tone, I can't remember what he said which I am annoyed at now... but it's not the first time I have come across this. There is a decent sized population in my area of people from Mexico... I was going to ask the guy from Veracruz but he seems so wound up.

I can understand when someone is from Nicaragua and being called Mexican and they don't like it but I don't understand still why some people freak out about it so much. I am half white half Hawaiian and I could pass off as being someone from Mexico. People try to talk to me in Spanish sometimes, or they just assume I am, or are surprised when I don't have an accent but I don't care. I don't go out of my way to correct them and I certainly don't get angry about it.

What else would you can them. They call us Americans. Seems to fit.

 

[Robinrs]

How's the Grand Wizard? Tell him hello!

I couldn't have said it better in a million years!!!

 

[VickiVM]

Bravo!

Really Clayton???? Your very first post on a Disney World forum is on the Community thread and it's a response to a controversial post?

 

[supercarrie]

We need to get rid of the terms mexican-american, african-american, chinese-american...etc. If you come to this country and want to be an american then adopt the cultures, traditions and the language of the United States of America and be an American. If you want to be recognized as Mexican, etc. the stay in that country.

Sorry, I disagree. I am an American living in the UK. I do not yet have my citzenship. I am NOT British and, even when I have my citizenship, will never deny that I am American.

I think the British people would have a lot to say if I started calling myself British.