Since when is "Mexican" derogatory?

Milestone

cornnifer wrote:

Maybe, thats all your boss was getting at... or maybe, he has something up his ass.

I think he has something up his ass.

Abuskedti

Milestone wrote:

I work at a call center. We have a group of Spanish speaking employees, known as the "Spanish Team".

Every single person in this group of 10 people is from Mexico. I know them all and they are great folks.

In a meeting, I referred to them as the "Mexican Team" and was promptly ushered into my boss's office to be written up. He says that was a derragatory statement to call the "Spanish Team". I informed him that they are ALL Mexican, and it is a nationality, not an insult.

By the way, I've spoken to these employees and none of them are insulted. In fact, they find it insulting that my boss considers the term "Mexican" to be derogatory.

Your thoughts?

Thats funny.. my son, when a think a high school sophomore, was telling a story. One of the people in the story was Mexican.. when he said said, "The Mexican" he quickly added, "no offense".

I found that funny. I told him Mexican was not a bad word, but it was probably wise of him not to refer to people by their nationality.

caifan82

I surf a lot of boards with a majority of US posters, and I've seen how 90% of the time the word Mexican is used, it is used in a derogatory sentence: "Dirty Mexican wetbacks", "Damn Mexicans stole my job", "Damn Mexicans ate my baby", etc... It's pretty obvious that for a big part of the US population when someone says the word Mexican, the first thing that pops in their mind is an illegal immigrant. That's just how it is.
This was clearly not the case. And yes, your boss was overreacting. I promess if you call me Mexican, I won't be offended

ballbag

just don't do it again, honky.

CaterinaA

It's very interesting how much more PC developed nations are. Here in South America is perfectly normal to consider as a person's trait his/her nationality. Of course some people will use it in a derogative manner (specially in soccer games), but other than that, it is a non-issue

Off topic, just for the very curious people , we Latin Americans don't actually speak Spanish, we speak Castellano, which comes from the Castile region in Spain (where Queen Isabella the Catholic was from, you know the one that funded Columbus trip).

Peace
Caterina

gabers

CaterinaA wrote:

It's very interesting how much more PC developed nations are. Here in South America is perfectly normal to consider as a person's trait his/her nationality. Of course some people will use it in a derogative manner (specially in soccer games), but other than that, it is a non-issue

Off topic, just for the very curious people , we Latin Americans don't actually speak Spanish, we speak Castellano, which comes from the Castile region in Spain (where Queen Isabella the Catholic was from, you know the one that funded Columbus trip).

Peace
Caterina

I'm so glad that was brought up! My wife is from Peru, and when they ask someone "do you speak spanish?" they don't ask "habla espaniol?" but "habla castellano?" since, after all, what they are really speaking is Castillian, right? There are what, five official languages in Spain?!

my2hands

"i smell cracker"

Pacomc79

CaterinaA wrote:

It's very interesting how much more PC developed nations are. Here in South America is perfectly normal to consider as a person's trait his/her nationality. Of course some people will use it in a derogative manner (specially in soccer games), but other than that, it is a non-issue

Off topic, just for the very curious people , we Latin Americans don't actually speak Spanish, we speak Castellano, which comes from the Castile region in Spain (where Queen Isabella the Catholic was from, you know the one that funded Columbus trip).

Peace
Caterina

Hi Caterina, does that mean you also use different verb conjugations?

CaterinaA

Pacomc79 wrote:

Hi Caterina, does that mean you also use different verb conjugations?

Yes, actually we do. We also use different words to say the same things. How familiar are you with Spanish? Anyway, regarding the verbs I'll post a simple example with the verb ir (To go), simple future tense.

Spaniards conjugate the 2nd person plural the following way:
Vosotros ireis (You will go)

While, most Latin Americans say:
Ustedes irán (You will go)

I'm not sure if you can tell the difference, but hopefully this will give you an (tiny) idea. Any help with Spanish or Castellano, just ask

Caterina

Pacomc79

CaterinaA wrote:

Yes, actually we do. We also use different words to say the same things. How familiar are you with Spanish? Anyway, regarding the verbs I'll post a simple example with the verb ir (To go), simple future tense.

Spaniards conjugate the 2nd person plural the following way:
Vosotros ireis (You will go)

While, most Latin Americans say:
Ustedes irán (You will go)

I'm not sure if you can tell the difference, but hopefully this will give you an (tiny) idea. Any help with Spanish or Castellano, just ask

Caterina

Thanks!

I thought that was the major difference with Castellano I just wanted to make sure.

I haven't studied it in quite a while at one time I was fairly familiar. I'm just a little slow. I understand most of the conversation and i can get around but I'm not very competant. I'm always incredibly impressed with the english knowlege of our english as a 2nd or 3rd language people on the board. You guys are impressive.

CaterinaA

Pacomc79 wrote:

Thanks!

I thought that was the major difference with Castellano I just wanted to make sure.

I haven't studied it in quite a while at one time I was fairly familiar. I'm just a little slow. I understand most of the conversation and i can get around but I'm not very competant. I'm always incredibly impressed with the english knowlege of our english as a 2nd or 3rd language people on the board. You guys are impressive.

Well thanks for the compliments about my english, which should be my 3rd language (Italian being the second), but it has become my 2nd since I started working for the UN two years ago.

About us South Americans being fluent in English, the reality is that most of us posting here on the Pit or travelling abroad are the privileged ones, belonging, at least, to the middle classes who were benefitted with good education. Of course there are exceptions, but if you want to learn proper English in high-school you have to attend a private facility, which are expensive (of course there's always the rare public school with great English). Also, there's plenty of English institutes where yo can take lessons and such. Another reason is that for most white collar jobs you have to have at least some basic English skills. On the other hand most Europeans, especially from Northern countries, are amazingly fluent in English...

Alex_Coe

Milestone wrote:

I work at a call center. We have a group of Spanish speaking employees, known as the "Spanish Team".

Every single person in this group of 10 people is from Mexico. I know them all and they are great folks.

In a meeting, I referred to them as the "Mexican Team" and was promptly ushered into my boss's office to be written up. He says that was a derragatory statement to call the "Spanish Team". I informed him that they are ALL Mexican, and it is a nationality, not an insult.

By the way, I've spoken to these employees and none of them are insulted. In fact, they find it insulting that my boss considers the term "Mexican" to be derogatory.

Your thoughts?

Sounds like you got a white-guilty boss.

Alex_Coe

ballbag wrote:

just don't do it again, honky.

Who the hell are you, George Jefferson?

Byrnzie

Milestone wrote:

In a meeting, I referred to them as the "Mexican Team" and was promptly ushered into my boss's office to be written up. He says that was a derragatory statement to call the "Spanish Team". I informed him that they are ALL Mexican, and it is a nationality, not an insult.

Your thoughts?

In what context did you refer to the 'Mexican team' though?
Did you say 'The Mexican team are a bunch of useless cocksuckers!'? If so, then I suspect it was because you called them useless that you were reprimanded.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

Bloody Americans....

Bloody Canadians....

Bloody Mexicans....

Bloody Australians....

I can't determine if one sounds worse than the other...

I have always wondered though in Mexican cookbooks why chicken recipes always start out with: first...steal a chicken....

Ahnimus

Since when is "Mexican" derogatory?

Since people spoke poorly of mexicans while using the term "Mexican" or treating them as sub-human whilst using the term "Mexican". How else does a word become deragatory?

It all sounds a little too sensitive to me.

Abookamongstthemany

Ahnimus wrote:

Since when is "Mexican" derogatory?

Since people spoke poorly of mexicans while using the term "Mexican" or treating them as sub-human whilst using the term "Mexican". How else does a word become deragatory?

It all sounds a little too sensitive to me.

The only way I can figure it could be considered derogatory is because it might be taken as saying all latinos look the same by calling them all Mexicans. But if they all ARE actually Mexicans then I just don't get it.

chadwick

so how do we title the restaurant we are going to
or the food we're buyin @ the store?
mexican food, chinese food, italian food, greek food, ect.
alot of american food being the worst for ya.

Milestone

chadwick wrote:

so how do we title the restaurant we are going to
or the food we're buyin @ the store?
mexican food, chinese food, italian food, greek food, ect.
alot of american food being the worst for ya.

If society ever removes Indian names from professional sports.....then I'd say it's possible that it will become more difficult to call in Mexican Food, Chinese Food, ect...

I don't know why....I just have a feeling. This country is so P.C.

chadwick

Milestone wrote:

If society ever removes Indian names from professional sports.....then I'd say it's possible that it will become more difficult to call in Mexican Food, Chinese Food, ect...

I don't know why....I just have a feeling. This country is so P.C.

what is P.C. ?