Anti-Gringoism

I would be remiss if I did not address events that occurred here in Mexico City last week.. events that you may have seen or read about in the media north of the border.

Last Friday, on the 4th of July, there was a demonstration of several hundred people at Parque México in the Condesa neighborhood protesting the gentrification of the area, rising housing costs due to the influx of foreign tourists and residents (especially digital nomads from the United States), and a sense that Mexicans are becoming outsiders in their own neighborhoods.

(image taken from the internet)

"Real estate regulation, already!"
"Spanish is spoken here."
"Gentrification is not progress; it is dispossession."

The demonstration was largely peaceful, but a minority of the protesters then went through the neighborhood smashing windows of more than a dozen businesses and verbally harassing a number of foreigners.

I was totally unaware of what was going on just a mile and a half from where I live.  Other than a quick trip to do some grocery shopping, I was in the apartment all day.  It wasn't until that evening that Alejandro told me about the protest, and even he did know about the violent turn which the demonstration later took.

On Sunday we went down Insurgentes Avenue to do some shopping (at Woolworths), and as we walked home we did see some evidence of Friday's events.  First of all, I noticed a lot more graffiti that I had seen before.  It was all unintelligible spray-painted scribblings, and I have no idea whether or not not it was related to last Friday's events.  However, we did see two signs that were decidedly anti-gringo.

One said in Spanish, "Gringos love Mexico, but they hate Mexicans."   A little farther down Insurgentes we saw this sticker posted on a wall...

"Expel the gringo from your city before they expel you."

I find both of these to be offensive and xenophobic, the kind of demagoguery that is used in the United States against Mexican immigrants.

So let's look at the issues of the protesters.

First of all... gentrification.  The protesters are talking primarily about the neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma which have attracted the largest numbers of tourists and digital nomads.  The fact of the matter is that these neighborhoods were already gentrified.  They were developed in the early 20th century as very affluent areas.  By the second half of the century and especially after the 1985 earthquake, they fell in decline as wealthy families moved to other more exclusive areas such as Polanco or Lomas de Chapultepec.  Then, in the beginning of this century, the neighborhoods were rediscovered.  Upper middle class families as well as "artistic types" started moving in.  First Condesa and shortly afterward Roma became trendy.  By the time I met Alejandro in 2011 and started coming to Mexico City at least three times a year, the neighborhoods were already "in-spots" with lots of nice restaurants and shops.  It was precisely because they were already gentrified, areas that were pleasant and safe, that they started attracting foreign tourists and temporary immigrants.

So, the issue is not gentrification... that happened two decades ago.  The problems started with the pandemic.  People in the U.S. and other countries realized that they did not necessarily need to be in the office to do their work.  They could work online from anywhere in the world.  Mexico City become one of the most popular cities for "digital nomads", and the vibrant neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma became their favorite spots to set up residence.  The other part of the problem was the rise of platforms such as Airbnb.  More and more tourists started staying at apartments rather than a hotel room.  

It was soon a matter of supply and demand.  Landlords saw that they could make a lot more money renting out apartments as vacation rentals or as short-term residences for "digital nomads".  Rents skyrocketed, and many Mexicans who had lived in Condesa and Roma for years, even decades, found that they could no longer afford their own neighborhoods.  They looked for apartments in less desirable neighborhoods.  Increased demand led to higher prices there too.  That is where we get into the issue of gentrification.  I have seen high rise apartments going up in places like Tabacalera and Doctores, areas that were not considered very nice.  One should say, however, that although digital nomads and Airbnb are a major part of the problem, they are not the entire story.  Affordable housing is becoming more and more of a problem throughout the world including the U.S.

The protesters are also saying that the influx of foreigners, especially gringos, is so great that they feel like outsiders in their own neighborhoods.  I have to admit that when I go to a neighborhood such as Condesa, the number of English voices I hear can be jarring.  I know, I know, that is totally hypocritical on my part.  When Alejandro and I walk down the street, our conversations are an ebb and flow between Spanish and English.  But it still seems strange to hear so much English.  A more valid complaint is that in these neighborhoods, many traditional businesses have closed, only to be replaced by high priced stores and restaurants that cater to foreigners.  And then, even though they do not make up the majority of gringos, there are the "ugly Americans" that feel entitled and superior.  It makes me angry when I hear stories about gringos who complain to management if the staff can not speak English, or go to a restaurant and complain that the food is too spicy.  Jeez!

Some protesters say that the foreign residents should be paying taxes.  Well, by international agreement I pay my income taxes to Uncle Sam.  (I don't know what the rules would be if I were working and earning money here.)  However, I do pay Mexican property taxes, and I pay the 16% value added tax on every single purchase that I make.  Also, when I am shopping, whether it is for clothes, household items, or groceries, "made in Mexico" is always my first choice.

So, how has this anti-gringoism affected me.  Fingers crossed, in fifty years of traveling and now living in Mexico, I cannot think of a single incident of unpleasantness towards me.  Granted, I am not a typical gringo...

I am married to a Mexican citizen, born and raised in Mexico City.

I speak Spanish.  (Even though my accent is good, I am sure that once I open my mouth it is obvious that I am not a native.  However, there have been a number of times when locals have thought that I was from some country other than the U.S.)

I use all the polite expressions that are a part of Mexican culture (even saying "con permiso" when leaving the elevator), although Alejandro occasionally corrects me on things that I should not say.  I think my general attitude is somewhat humble.  Snobbery and arrogance have never been my style anywhere.

I love Mexico, and, according to Alejandro, I know more about the country than many Mexicans.

I never criticize Mexico to a Mexican.  (Well. I do admit that I hate Mexico City traffic, but that always elicits a laugh and agreement from native residents.)

What advice do I have for you if you plan to travel to Mexico City?

Stay at a hotel rather than a vacation rental.  Although in the past I have enjoyed staying at an Airbnb, there is no need to exacerbate the problem of high property prices.

Even if it is only a few polite expressions, learn some Spanish, and do not expect everyone here to speak English.

Don't vocally compare Mexico to the U.S. when speaking with the locals.

Remember that you are a guest in this wonderful country.