Are racist and inflamatory signatures really allowed here. Once I exchanged all the greek letters for real letters and translated through an online translator it reads "The gringos aren't worth mother". Seems racist and inflamatory to me. Even though there is a little trade mark at the end a search for this phrase as it is written doesn't turn up anything in google.
Jesus Christ. To be honest I don't care what you and your americans buddy say. IN MEXICO (let's make it very clear here, Mexico as in a different country than the us where a different language is spoken) the word gringo is NOT racist. It is a normal word you hear in elementary school, in the mouths of decent parents, on tv, on the street, in the government. That word is a racist as the word "pocho" that I see everyday written in the us forums. We use the pocho word without any meanings of insult just like with the word gringo. Hell, even tv stars including the young female girls with some american ancenstry in them call themselves gringos on tv and is taken as if they had just said the word "american" instead of gringo, coz the word gringo is NOT an insult on our side of the border. Do you know how we call the US in my hometown? We call it gringolandia (gringoland). I could phone a friend to see what he/she is up to this weekend and he/she could easily reply with "I'm going shopping to gringolandia. I'll be be back on sunday" dude. if you truly wanna fix racism in these boards, start with your own. I STILL see the words wet******, bean**, pocho (which to us is not an insult, but to you could be), etc... And YET, you come here to complain about a word that WE use as a regular word, with absolutely no intent to be rude?, a word that even elementary school students use on a daily basis at all times, whether they are in fron tof parents, or principals, or teachers, coz it doesn't have any negative connotation to us. And I have even seen legit american posters with the word "gringo" in their user name. Ban them!! seriously. I am laughing a bit here and find it illogical.
Two points: First, about a user who has "gringo" in his name. I am quite sure you are referring to GringoTex. In his case, he has a long history of intelligent posting. He can be brash, sometime, and that may irritate some people. Regardless, he is a very intelligent poster who understands when and why he upsets/insults/irritates other posters. I think you will find very few posters who will say he is a bad poster. Second, the word gringo: In and of itself, it is harmless (unless someone does not understand the word). IMO, the initial claim that was made does not hold. But I would like to understand the meaning behind "The gringos aren't worth mother." That phrasing seems like it could really give rise to some misinterpertation.
Especially if someone has a greek online translater handy! Once that person translates the text and interprets out what it really might mean, there is the potential for some seriously sore feelings.
'Gringo' is used all over Latin America to mean people of light skin, and more specifically foreigners of light skin. So, it can be said to be a racially descriptive word, but it's not particularly offensive or racially charged. White skinned people will use it to refer to themselves. In Argentina it's used mostly for white Europeans, (we are more likely to use the word Yankee specifically for Americans.) I am not sure if in Mexico they use Gringo mostly for white Americans, but if they do, it's not exclusive to Americans. One of the Mexican National team members is nicknamed 'Gringo', and he was born in Mexico. 'No valen Madre' is a Mexican expression that means basically they are worthless. Los gringos no valen madre = Gringos are worthless. It is an insult, but I would say a rather mild one, as far as insults go.
Actually - when you put it like that, that does sound problematic. Is - "gringos are worthless" okay as a sig? Probably not.
What marlborodude has under 'location' is a much stronger insult than what he has on his sig. (Missing a 'ch' in front, but it's obvious what he's saying.)
"Gringo" in Mexico can be used in multiple ways and is never used (at least not in my experience) to describe skin color or in a racial context. With regards to "Los gringos no valen madre", I'm pretty sure he is talking about the USMNT and, frankly, that is said all over these boards everyday.
I have has several students of mine - born in Mexico - call me gringo. They used it with jest and affection, but still they used it, and I took no offense.
I live in San Diego. My first cousins, across the border in Tijuana, call me "Gringo". It is no problem whatsoever.
I read this last night and decided to let others chime in before I made my comments. It is obvious that you have been less than honest. I can accept that most Spanish speaking people who use "gringo" don't use it with ill intent. That is why when I noticed "gringo" in your signature I took some time to translate it. It was what was translated that prompted me to post this thread. It is obvious that your signature is derogatory and racist in nature. I can also argue that the word "niger" is also a slang word that wasn't used by most as a derogatory word. Millions of people had to change their venacular to accomodate the opinions and wishes of the few. And I don't object to this in any manner. I do however object when I find a racist slang word offensive and my objections are belittled because it is obvious that the minority can't be prejudiced against the majority. That's all I have to say on the matter. I'm moving to soccer now.
I'm sorry but.....excuse me? There is no way on this green earth that you are going to equate the "n" word ,that you so cleverly got around the auto-censor, with "Gringo". As a matter of fact, had you posted this in my forum you would have definitely received an infraction from me. If you want to take offense to it, fine, that is your prerogative but every single Spanish-Speaking Mod that has posted here has told you otherwise and yet you still insist that it is racist. Not sure what else to say here....speechless is probably the only thing
it is obvious that you are pretty dumb, sensitive and gets offended rather quick and tends to always seek out help of older people to make you feel better. The word Gringo has NO RACIAL CONNECTION in Mexico. Idiot (with all due respect). It's obvious that you don't know anything about how we use words in my country. Gringo means = citizen of the united states of america for Mexicans in Mexico. You could be brown, asian, mixed, hispanic, and you'd still be called a gringo in Mexico. I call some friends gringos. and they don't care coz they shouldn't. I have gringo cousins of mixed races. and they are gringos to me. Hell I even a couple of cousins that went to uni in the states as international students and now they are working as residents and I call them gringos. I even remember once when I was like 10 that some Americans (white) came from detroit for some meeting at th car company my dad was working for and my dad invited them for dinner. They themselves used the word "gringos" in their jokes and to refer to themselves. And we don't know how other people from other countries might use the word, coz that's their problem. It'd be like censuring the word "gansito", which means "little duck" or something like that, just coz some people in an island use it to describes homosexuals. BTW "Gansito" is also a very popular chocolate cake with a delicious strawberry filling (i urge you to try it. Try frozen! it's so good!) The fact that the word gringos is used in my sig refering the usmnt, does not make it worse, as I could have gone with "the nice teddy bears of the ya ya sisterhood no valen madre" and it'd mean the same thing. Gringo there, could be replaced with anything. You clearly have some confusion problems, since you really shouldn't feel insulted by the word gringo…you should be insulted by the second part which translates to "are nothing/are not good", even though it is not really insulting. Dude I urge you to travel, get out of your country, get to know foreigners and understand customs and idioms and embrace cultural differences. Come to mexico. You as a "gringo" will get a big handshake from the people of my country and sure, you might get mugged by some idiot that embarrases my people, but you'd be respected and called a gringo. Don't be surprised if at a restaurant you hear the waitress say "hey, 3 coronas for the gringos there". And don't attempt to start reasoning with anyone coz of it, coz you'll only get awkward looks from the people. And it seems to me that you decided on the last line to give up your pointless cause as it was obvious that you had nothing in your basket.
Let me get this right.... you think that word was/is not derogatory? You consider it an inconvenience that good folk had to stop using it?
Oh shit! did you just compare the N word to the beautifully-crafted, useful, g-rated and common word "gringo"??? oh god. I didn't bother reading your post initially. but after catching that N word, I just went like "WOW"
One more thing This is really good and creative Mexican band. They are called Molotov. The 2nd guy from left to right goes by the name of "Gringo Loco" (crazy gringo) check them out
First of all I am more traveled then the vast majority of people on this board. Challenge that and I will spend time justifying that statement. So if your signature is so above board why bother using all of the greak letters and sticking a TM at the end. I think it is obvious it is meant as a private joke between you and other spanish speakers. If you wanted to be open and not subversive you would simply put "Los USMNT no valen madre" or however the correct translation would be without making it difficult to translate by imbedding greek letter. You've made your point and I have made mine that is why I wanted to just leave it, but obviously I can't. It is obvious that I am not offered the same playing field as you. You made the point very elequintly that "gringo" is just a word and used by many with no ill intent. I can make the very same arguement for the word "n****" because there are very large communities that use that word for themselves and others with absolutely no ill intent and it is socially allowed. I however because it is assumed that I am white can't even use the word even though the context in which it was used did not have any racial relation. It was just a word and used as such.
Just because Gringo isn't racist doesn't mean a statement using gringo can't be racist. Just like white people by itself isn't racist. 1. His sig has hardly been disguised by a few greek letters. 2. It's possible to travel the world and still be a fool. I'm deferring to the spanish speaking mods that this doesn't rise to an offensive level - this thread is closed.