[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]I also noticed the ease with which my presence was accepted and with no false attempts to make me feel “welcome”. The sense of being welcome was genuine and unforced.[/quote]
My wife has taught me much, but one thing that has stuck out the most is that Mexicans are about as racist as they come. She informed me that when a new baby arrives in the family, the first question asked is how dark the skin and eyes are. If it’s light — yay! If it’s dark — awwww, poor kid. In most of Latin America, the darker your skin is, the closer your ancestors were to the ‘inferior’ natives. The whiter your skin, the closer your ancestors were to the ‘superior’ Spaniards and Europeans. In many Latin American countries, skin color still defines your social status. This has been weaved in to the societal fabric of Latin America for centuries. Ironically, it’s not seen as much of an issue — it is generally accepted as just the way it is.
Probably one of the reasons you were always so welcomed by your Mexican girlfriends’ families is because you offered her a chance to ‘improve’ her family’s social status by having children whose skin was lighter than their own. White partners are seen as an ‘upgrade’ by many Latin Americans, and it’s not just for immigration reasons.
It is also interesting that when it comes to immigration, Mexicans generally are the first to call for the closing of the door behind them once they’ve legally made it in themselves.
