Then and Now
Submitted by zapotegator on Thu, 2008/09/04 - 15:31.
I have a cultural question about the interaction and view of Nicaraguans toward people from the US living in Nicaragua and specifically those who are intentionally trying to integrate themselves into Nicaraguan's lives, living among Nicaraguans and not in separate enclaves of foreigners. I'm asking mostly because I want to sound out others opinions which will help me determine if my analysis is off base or not. My wife is Oaxacan and during the course of our 10 year relationship we've spent a good deal of it traveling throughout Mexico and usually down to Oaxaca. Over the years I have commented to her that I feel an undercurrent of anger directed toward me when I'm in Mexico. Many of the people I've met in Mexico don't usually distinguish the difference between a US citizen and US policies, which is very much at odds with my experience when I lived in El Salvador in the late 1980s and early 90s. Obviously and logically they are angry with the treatment of immigrants in the US and I sympathize and agree with that perspective. It just doesn't seem to register with them how brutal their own government's treatment of immigrants is on the border with Guatemala and on up, which matches or exceeds the US homeland security treatment. Anyway, thats going a little far afield. The point is that my (emphasis on *my*) experience in Mexico and Mexican's attitudes toward foreigners and particularly those from the US is really, really different than what I experienced in Central America when I lived there. My wife counters that those were different times, in the midst of a civil war, and that a person or maybe any foreigner in Nicaragua or ElSalvador would be resented in 2008. She wonders what Nicaraguans will think of a Mexican indigenous living among them (and like the US, the indigenous in Mexico have been the recipients of extreme repression and ongoing racism and deprivation.) I'm not boisterous or rude. My spanish isn't bad, and my wife's family is working class so we don't spend our time in Mexico apart from the lives of Mexicans, so my experiences of feeling alienated in Mexico aren't rooted in those problems. I told my wife and a few family members sitting around the table last time we were there that it feels to me as though Mexican culture has developed an ingrained sense of "frustrated empire", that it had and lost so much...probably how people in the US will feel in 50 or 100 years when it ceases to be the world's empire and is overtaken by China or India or another rival for power. So how does this topic that has so much to do with Mexico come around to deal with Nicaragua?! That is the question at last: was the welcoming and openness that I experienced in Salvador and I understand it was also true then in Nicaragua--was it specific to that point in time, or does that still exist if a person makes the effort to live like a Nica, as Phil says? In spite of its physical proximity, there are lots of significant differences between Mexico and Central America and I am hoping that this is one of them and that it still hold true now as it did for me then. If anyone has some insight about my question I'll look forward to hearing it.
People are not stupid
First of all, what an interesting topic of discussion. Detailed, insightful and even generous. I read your past post FYI, and that was good as well.
I am a world traveller. When I was in the Phillipines in the early 1980s I did not blame the common person on the street for Ferdnand Marcos as I knew they were all just victims. I do not consider myself anymore more sophisticated than the average man on the street, so I have to ask how in the world could a man on a different street feel that I had anything to do with the USA's national policy. Generally, fist impressions that one has on another is never correct. It is not until you really talk to someone that you understand their support or lack thereof for their governments policy. Soon after the invasion of Iraq I seen a girl wearing a Hardrock Cafe Shirt for Baghdad stating that it was under new management. I thougt it was a funny shirt at the time, but realized that she was wearing a shirt with her political opinion for all to see. That isn't always that easy. And even if I did wear a shirt or a bumper sticker that said that I supported politician X, it really does not mean that I support every breath he takes. Many times one is forced for voting for someone that is the least of two evils, and in my case it is financially motivated. I will say now, that I generally hate politicians, and could never personally do that. They are all sell-outs, I do not care what they say. The message from me developed from all of my travelling is that most of the world is moderate. The ones that go to the fringes on either side are that much closer to insanity. If I represent myself in a moderate tone I seem to make more friends than enemies. So I guess in that sense I am a politician myself. But my message is moderation, sensitivity, and patients. I say even patients when someone wrongfully accuses me of something that my government has done. Many Europeans say that Bush is like Hitler. I do not like hearing that from a Frenchman, who if you all rememeber would be under a Nazi regime if it has not been for the USA getting the Nazi's out of there. Many American boys died in another country doing that, so their hate for us and Bush sort of hits a sour note. However, patients. So for a visitor to Nicaragua that gets a unwelcome face from a stranger he should not be upset. The fnact that you leave your own country to live someplace else speaks for you and in time you will be understood. Do not overreact to anti-American (or Mexican or whatever) political dogma and smooth over the edges when dealing with someone that is living from hand to mouth under any political regime. Remember that they too are just victims of their government, and perhaps bitter
"The ones that go to the
"The ones that go to the fringes on either side are that much closer to insanity."
Try telling that to those who have benifited from thier "insanity."
Pura Nica, Bobby
Nica/Me Today.
I can’t stand foreigners who want to seperate themselves from Nicaraguans when they’re in Nicaragua and I respect those who enjoy sharing themselves with Nicaraguans while in Nicaragua. As for Mexican indigenous – to me indigenous is indigenous, wherever they come from. Unless ofcourse they too attempt to separate themselves from the indigenous, which quite logically would make them something other/fake if they’re not comfortable around “their own kind”.
Nicaragua and Mexico
Central americans trying to reach el norte through Mexico are often subjected to considerable abuse . . . don't know how this will affect attitudes towards your wife.
My views
I am a nicaraguan who has lived in the US for 25 years, but visit Nicararagua every year, and plan, eventually, to return.
I think that, most Nicaraguans see US people, or any foreigner, in Nicaragua as a source of badly needed hard currency as a bottom line.
True, in Nicaragua as in Mexico, people are not as informed as in more developed country, and some have prejudices from what they heard. For instance, most mexican(I lived in Mexico for 10 years) were taught that the US took from Mexico what today is all US southwest and Texas, therefore there is some resentment there. The illegal inmigration issue does not help there as most mexican don't distinguish between legal and ilegal. We Nicaraguans were told that the US was responsible for supporting the Somoza regime for 40 years, even before the Sandinistas started crowing about.
My brother in law is US, have visited Nicaragua many times, and does not feel as an outcast. I think he feels that the locals cater to him, and most try to practice their "english" on him. I think most would do that. Of course, If you go around by yourself, though, petty thief will try to rob you, and vendors might give you higher prices, because they think you are loaded with $USD and don't know prices around.
Others like myself are concerned that US influx, willing to pay more, are, inevitably driving prices up on things like real state. This is a concern about US influence, and not on the individuals.
insightful
Thank you hugojose for your insightful and articulate comments. I agree with all your points. I am also impressed that you did not refer to foreigners with the “g” word.
The most difficult issue I deal with in Nicaragua is determining intentions of the many people I meet. While I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience there, it is very necessary to be selective in personal and business relationships.
My experience
My first "how this works" experience is documented at http://www.nicaliving.com/node/174 I have since found this "government vs. people" distinction to be pretty typical. I really can't contrast this with Mexico as my only Mexico experiences have been business-related staying in "tourist areas" where they humor you no matter who you are or what they really think of you.
Most Nicas are friendly and
feel removed from the halls of power and know they are not the same as their government and subsequently can under stand that I have only one vote in the USA and don't set policy..