Why does everyone think that Latin people living in the U.S. are poor and dirty?

Question

I'm Venezuelan/Argentine and so are my parents and we live in the nicest neighborhood in the city... everything takes me the wrong way and my friends parents wont let my friends come to my house cause they think I'm poor and dirty just because my family is latino.. whats up with this??

Answer 1

Not everyone thinks that, just the ignorant ones. I am sorry that your friend's parents are like that. I hope that they come around.

Answer 2

I DON'T THINK SO. THERE ARE A LOT OF latinos in my neghborhood which is a gated community. No offense,but majority are messed up and so few are professionals,have good paying jobs,have less than five kids and are not on welfare and it tends to rub off on every latino.You know the bad egg saying? The ones I know and hang out with come from upscale families:parents are doctors,lawyers and maybe just maybe that's why I hang out with them since the parents are my parents' associates and colleagues.

My point is this: It all depends on the way some people were brought up. Being a minority, I was taught to love everyone and accept them until they act or behave otherwise,whether red,yellow or green...

I have a question for you too and it's more out of curiosity than meanness,but why do most latinos speak Spanish when they are around other people and do so blatantly and insensitively when majority of people speak english? I speak three languages besides english,but once I get out of the house and into the social world, I switch to English to make it easier on people and on myself too especially when I need customer service. It's just something to think about,NO OFFENSE!

Answer 3

Look from the way how I view it..it seems to me that this is just another biased stereotype that Latinos are up against. Every ethnic group of people and race of people have mostly gone through some rough prejudices at some point being in this country. It's just one predictable thing about this unpredictable nation so my suggestion to you is to just ignore and forget it. Once Latinos make a name for themselves and are in the spotlight more than ever, they'll get more respect and will not be "poor and dirty".

Answer 4

I don't think that at all. I love Hispanics no matter where they are from. I may be a bit biased since I am a Spanish teacher...but at a very young age I have always been fascinated by Latino culture(s) in the U.S. I think people often assume that because of the way media portrays latinos. Also, many people may not have a frined who is Hispanic and so they have no experience with them. For me, I have a best friend that is from Puerto Rico and she is absoluetly the best person I've ever met.

Answer 5

My grandfather made disparaging remarks about dirty portagees and I later found out I was part Portuguese. But I haven't heard a negative comment like that in years.

One thing that may have refueled the notion of Latin or hispanic people as dirty is the immigration debate. One of the main political arguements in favor of open borders, etc. is that people south of the border come here and do the (dirty) jobs we won't do. Believe it or not, this is propaganda, since I've applied for every one of those jobs. I know plenty of poor Americans that would do those jobs but they are reserved for "Mexicans". They used to be done by poor Americans but we've been replaced by illegals.
This is not the fault of the poor Americans or the foreign workers. It is the fault of rich people who want to avoid obeying labor laws. They exert alot of influence over politics.
So maybe that's where it comes from. Hispanics (and other foreign workers) have been portrayed as the only ones that will do the dirty jobs for cheap and it not only negatively affects American workers, but also the image of Latin people in general.

Answer 6

american judge peopleb because they are ignorant, as everyone else is. Ppl thikn because I'm jamaican, I sould be darkskinnned w/ dreds, and dirty. It's funny becasuse many Jamaicans are biracial and affluent in business. don't let it bother you. If they say anything like that to you, serve it back. If a white person says why are you Mexicans so dirty? (b/c every latino to everyone is Mexican,) ask the ma question with the same prejudice intent.

Answer 7

I understand how that feels. My family and I are Portugese immigrants and we have been discriminated against in those ways. It's such a shame because my family embodies none of those things, and people fail to see past the fact that we are Latin sometimes. I now know that prejudice is everywhere.

Answer 8

Please stop generalizing!

Everyone does not believe that!

Cultivate some real friends and educated associates outside the brood of ignorant and angry people you have been listening to!

Love yourself and your family and let your true
self shine!

There are many people out here and there who just take one person at a time and get to know them as an individual and evaluate them from there...
Be patient and Don't... become hostile!
When you love and care and are truly happy in yourself, others that are sensitive and aware will be attracted to that!


Love you!
Lil

Answer 9

It all goes back to image. How do you present yourself to the neighbors. Do you mow your yard, or do you have a goat tied out front? Is there a car in the yard that doesn't run? Or do you have a clean yard, clean clothes? Do you wave and say hi when you see your neighbors? Or do you scuttle back in your house pretending you never saw them? it's not about race. it is about what you put fourth. Don't show up at prom in a bathing suit. And don't wear a prom dress to the pool.

Answer 10

Not everyone thinks so. Your statement is as incorrect as the people who think all Latinos are poor and dirty. I call that propogating myths and muddled thinking.Other people call it Discrimination and that is a subject alltogether different.