¡Ask A Mexican! for Oct 29, 2009

Taco: A corn tortilla stuffed with goodies. Also a slur used against Mexicans.

One man's take on his culture's stereotypes

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Dear Mexican: For most of my life I was oblivious to the hate that Mexicans have for Salvadorans. Once I became engaged to my Salvi girlfriend or whenever I would tell any Mexican that I married a Salvi, I’d get responses like “Eww, a Salvi,” or “Damn, I feel sorry for you – you married a Salvi!” I’ve now since divorced and can’t stand anything associated with El Salvador. Where does the disgust for Salvis from Mexicans originate? –Former Pupusa Eater Growing up, I never noticed the difference between any Hispanic person. If you spoke Spanish, it meant to me that you were Mexican (I was little, OK?). As I grew up, I started noticing all different kinds of Latinos but in particular Salvis. It’s like this feeling that was always there – dislike and rivalry. I don’t hate them, I just dislike them. And I wasn’t the only one! I found out that many Mexicans feel this way, too, as do Salvadorans towards us. So, is this a universal feeling? Am I wrong for feeling this way? Are Mexicans and Salvadorans rivales? If so, ¿por qué? –La gordis de guadalajara

Dear Wabs: Historically, the Mexican-Salvadoran rivalry so many readers correctamente note has a strong basis. Shortly after Central America gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico tried to swallow the region into its burgeoning empire. The fiercest opposition against this annexation? El Salvador. Eventually, republic-minded Mexicans stopped their country’s ambitions and allowed El Salvador and the other Central American provinces to create the United Provinces of Central America. That lasted into the 1830s, by which time Mexico was too busy dealing with another imperial power to care much about recouping its former holdings. And if you know anything about Mexico, it’s que we don’t take thefts of our lands lightly.

But that was then – there remains no reason for the two countries and their raza to hate each other. Stateside, wabs and Salvis might compete for the same resources, but we’re both wetbacks in the eyes of the gabachos.

Correction: A couple of weeks ago, the Mexican stated St. Francis Xavier founded the Jesuits. The order’s true founder, of course, was Ignatius of Loyola. The Mexican apologizes for his error and blames the U.S. for stealing half of Mexico.