Alright, I'll admit it. Sometimes I drink about half a bottle of wine and start writing down whatever random thought is in my head - hopefully it doesn't show too much. The scary part is this method sometimes produces interesting posts. I think all those big guys like Hemingway and Henry Miller used to booze it up a lot, right? Have to justify it somehow.. At least tonight I'm sampling a Ribera del Duero purchased from the Whole Foods Market in L.A.... Gotta love globalization.
Tonight my random thoughts are still tuned to race. I always kinda wondered why the Spanish are prejudiced against the South Americans (Peruvians, Ecuadorians, et al, etc.) in Madrid ... The so-called "Sudacas". This is interesting to me because the Spanish CREATED the South Americans. They are their children so to speak. The South Americans in Madrid speak Spanish, are Catholic, share ALL religious holidays, have a shared history, they are like cousins. There should be some sense of , "Alright we royally screwed these guys so let's give a little back.."
But there really isn't that sense. It seems like they see them as foreigners equal to say, the Chinese - that's strange to me. I like the South Americans in Madrid. To me they bring a little more interest to the stew.. It was getting a little bland if you know what I mean. And let's be honest, the Spanish have to get over this "No spicy food" thing. It's almost like a badge of honor to them! I know that Mexicans are scarce, but maybe some day we'll even get decent Mexican food in Madrid - although I won't hold my breath.
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9 comments:
Just letting you know some one is reading ...
Just had conversation not long ago with several people about their experiences traveling working in Spain ...
Everyone in the profetional group was from or speaks castellano or spanish with a Latin American accent and felt looked down apon ... constant pronunciationcorrections at inopportune times etc .....
I find it curious On the flip side often have heard sarcastic mocking is often done in the form of the lispy th ... I thought it was just a Peru thing untill I encountered again the same from Mexican & other friends from Central America recently
Oh crikey, this is the rule and not the exception everywhere...Americans and Australians are frowned upon in England, french-canadians are mocked in France and brazilians are found to be a bit 'country' to the Portuguese. The Spanish are europeans, all europeans look down on Americans (south, north what-have-you). I know several Americans (U.S.) who think people from the south (U.S.) are idiots. My uncles work for NASA, they are both from Selma. Bloody wicked drawls...dumb? uh, no..."That just may be their insecurity talking" (in reference to those who look down on others)...(yes, that is a direct quote from my mother!)
I think your mother was on to something there Anonymous.
Agree with the booze thing!
As for the Spanish prejudice against South Americans... hmmm... Strange how we can't draw the same conclusion with the British and the U.S. With Spain and South America there has to be I think, a little bit of the poor neighbour syndrome going on, whereas you never really want anything to do with them because they're well... not as good as us and they seem a little rough around the edges and they'll do our jobs better for half the pay. It's a sad fact but here in Spain they're viewed as second class citizens. Not all children grow up to be want you wanted them to be...
That's enough rambling from me, now where did I put that other bottle of wine??? :)
Cheers fellow boozer!
Umm, I'm Spanish, I live in Madrid, and I don't think there's a specific prejudice against Latin-Americans.
We, the Spaniards, are a tribal society imo, and yes, sometimes we are a bit closed to other cultures or points of view. But, if we are xenophobic, we are equally xenophobic towards anyone not belonging to "our tribe", and that also includes Spaniards from other regions.
I don't really buy into the "madre patria" (Spain being the mother or step-mother, of the LatinAmerican countries) thing, nor I believe the LatinAmericans see us as their "parents". Why should they?
If we are talking about cultural affinities, I personally feel more connected to Italy, for instance, than I feel connected to Mexico. To me Mexico looks more than a Spanish-speaking and poorer version of the USA than a version of Spain in the Americas.
Un saludo y sigue con tu blog, que es muy interesante.
I think you "Americans" should stop looking down on us "Europeans" and start to really get over our common history for good and forever.
We screwed who, Carl? They screwed themselves, because, you know what, my ancestors stayed in Europe, starving, while "theirs" went to America, you know, basically to steal, rape and murder, which is what the Spanish Empire did in the Americas.
I'm yet to find a Spaniard who blames present day Italians for all the bad things the Roman Empire did in Hispania, None of us believe us, the "Hispanus", have a right to go to Italy claiming the gold they stole from Hispania.
Perhaps 200 years is not long enough.
I have to figure out how to give you "Anonymous guys" a number or something..
You really don't think there are prejudices against the, say Equatorianos? I seem to notice it a lot.
I thought it was kind of obvious why Spain is the Madre Patria of South America - Hell, I'm Catholic because of Spain and France!
Hi Next Anonymous Guy,
Keep in mind that I was drinking while writing this post ...
But seriously, I'm not looking down on Europeans but I do enjoy pointing out a fact when I see it. Remember Americans are perceived as being racists by the Spanish - I believe unfairly - I heard it all the time.
In regards to "who screwed whom" I was talking about the Spanish who went to the Americas to colonize. Of course, many countries from those times (and later) committed the same kinds of sins. I know, I know, including the US.
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