Gringo offensive?

[Revenant_Threshold]

@Quint

Anyone intimating that the word is as loaded as “nigger”, “kike”, “wetback”, or even “cracker” or “honky” must be looking for reasons to be offended.

So far, I don’t think anyone’s intimating that. Most if not all people that aren’t CB are saying that-

1. It is not an innately offensive word at the level of “nigger” or other racist terms.
2. It can be, at times, used offensively - still not at the offense level of some other terms, but still offensive.
3. It can be used as just a descriptive term - along the lines of American, for example.
   And here’s the clincher:
4. CB used the term in order to cause offense - in his words, it felt it was a “dismissive” remark.

No, it was not offensive along the lines of some other much harsher terms. However, CB used it to dismiss an ethnic group based purely on them being members of that ethnic group - Thus it seems clear to me he was being racist.

[Revenant_Threshold]

Sorry, CB - “it felt” should be “he felt”.

[DrDeth]

@CBEscapee

Tends to be disparaging in Mexico? I’d like to know how you came to that conclusion, Colibri.

It is used here much in the same way you describe it’s use in Panama. As an adjective as well as a noun. I don’t agree that it tends to be disparaging. Dismissive perhaps.

I have quite a bit of expereince with Mexican nationals- worked for a few years with the bracero community here. I can even speak a bad pidgin Spanish.

I agree with Colibri. Now, yes- it can be said with a smile by someone who knows you, then it’s cool. Like some dudes can get away with calling a black man “nigger”. True, I freely admit that “gringo” isn’t nearly as strong as “nigger”, but I’d say it’s a bit milder than “Wetback”, and about the same as “beaner”. I agree with FinnAgain and others who says “it’s context”.