Mexicana's should not be overlooked...

[Randy G]

... in response to I don't understand your  logic, posted by JUAN on Jul 12, 2001

Juan: Although I did know alot of wealthy girls at my university, I did not "hang out" with the elite. I lived with a middle class family, the Senora being divorced and one son living at home. I rented a casita in the backyard garden. She worked as a buyer for a small bridal shop in el Centro and drove an 8 year old Honda Civic. They did have a maid, and she was very proud of her Indian heritage, as she was bilingual, which the Senora pointed out with pride, as she had helped the maid learn Spanish by sending her to night school. The maid also went to San Blas for vacation twice a year.
My fiancee is upper middle class, as her aged father owns a Hotel in a small town in Jalisco. His family is rather extended, so they don't really live that "elitist lifestyle". My fiancee also has stayed in the "elitist" Westin Regina in Puerto Vallarta, buying package deals with airfare from GDL that are very cheap for some reason, and sharing the room with four of her sisters. Is this elitist?
I went to a high school graduation party of a niece and some fifteen of her beautiful, fun loving friends in a small town in Jalisco. This was the most glamourous party I have ever been too. 2000 invitations, great food, free tequila, band playing the latest hits (USA & Mexican) with a great Mariachi band to wind things down with later. Every boy and man had the latest, smartest suits on and every woman seemed to look like she stepped out of a fashion mag. Elitist? Not...the party was payed for by the fifteen girls that were graduating (all best friends) together by fundraisers (car washes, etc.) over the course of the senior year. My fiancees nieces dad (brother in law) works as an Athletic club manager and they live in a rented two bedroom apartment. Their older daughter attends ITESO (antoher elitist tool of the rich) in GDL, but only because of a scholarship because she is brilliant. Elitist, I think not. Lots of hard work and planning, I think so. Your post had political implications, and I never brought any up. I know there is alot of abject poverty in Mexico, but I wasn't there rubbing elbows with the elitists. I was in the solid, burgeoning middle class, like it or not...

[buzzy]

... in response to I don't understand your  logic, posted by JUAN on Jul 12, 2001

I remember one time several years ago in Miraflores, Peru walking down the street when I noticed a young Peruvian man wearing a t-shirt that read "FXXK YOU!" in really really large letters! It was on the front and back of his t-shirt. LOL.  All I could do was laugh after I was shocked!  Ha..Ha..It was rather bizarre because amidst all the Peruvian people in the street... and Miraflores is famous for socializing there..no one knew what it meant and no one noticed except me. I remember another event in Mexico City many years ago while visiting a pen pal in her home...her family approched me to say that their mother wanted my red jacket as a gift.  Well for whatever reason this struck me as odd and I refused to relinquish my jacket.  They cajoled me and cajoled me but I refused to budge.  This was my jacket and if I wanted to give it as a gift to someone I would do it but on my own accord.  Well of course this didn't sit well with their mother.  And it might have beem the final straw that ended things between us. But I was stubborn and she was stubborn.  Two stubborn mules!  LOL. In retrospect I see it as a clash of cultures.  It was not unusual for them but for me and my poor Irish background it would never happen.  LOL.  But live and learn.  I still have the red jacket because I'm a rat-packer but if I saw her again I'd give it to her!  So Juan all of us foreigners make mistakes....on both sides of the border.

[Randy G]

... in response to I don't understand your  logic, posted by JUAN on Jul 12, 2001

Juan: You mis-understood my attempt to describe what I percieve as the new mainstream middle and upper class Mexican culture. This was said in the attempt to dispel the old stereotypes that seem to linger in the American conscience about Mexico (Burros, whitewashed pueblitos, tequila drinking lazy mexican next to a cactus, etc.). I didn't say anything about wanting a high maintenance woman. I said these women look like a million bucks and most still maintain thier core values. My fiancee looks like a million bucks and is frugal, preferring to buy her high fashion in the sale racks or at Ross Dress for Less. I used the Telenovela referance to note what the mainstream Mexican culture is like now. The middle class is growing, and I used that reference for you to see also that alot of Mexicans don't look like the Chicano's here. I also used the word Indian as a descriptive term, sorry if I wasn't politically correct, but most Mexican's don't appear to be that bothered by the word, as it is used quite often in a descriptive sense.  Randy G

[chao]

... in response to Mexicana's should not be overlooked..., posted by Randy G on Jul 12, 2001

I agree, but.......

1.  There is not nearly the agency infrastructure in Mexico as there is in Colombia.

2.  Colombianas are motivated by the civil war and poor economic conditions to leave their country.  The political and economic situation in Mexico is not nearly as bad as it is in Colombia.  Hence, less motivation for the Mexicana to leave.

3.  More Americans visit Mexico than those who visit Colombia.  The Mexican ladies, generally speaking, have a better opportunity to meet Gringos than Colombian ladies, and therefore, more Gringos for the Mexican lady to choose from.  Thus, the advantage for Gringos to visit Colombia over Mexico, because of the Gringo/Latina ratio.

4.  There is much more of a history between the U.S. and Mexico than there is of the U.S. and Colombia.  This legacy has created a certain level of animosity among Mexicans, generally speaking, towards the U.S. because of wars, immigration policy, economic exploitation, etc.

5.  There has been a longer history of American men going down to Mexico to find love, sex, etc., than there has been of American men going to Colombia.  This has led to a higher level of caution and suspicion among Mexicans who encounter Gringos in their country "looking for a bride".

chao