What does it mean when a hispanic person calls a white person a gringo?

Question

Is it an insult or are they simply calling you white?

Answer 1

In Latin America the word gringo is an offensive term for a foreigner, particularly an American or English person. But the word existed in Spanish before this particular sense came into being. In fact, gringo may be an alteration of the word griego, the Spanish development of Latin Graecus, “Greek.” Griego first meant “Greek, Grecian,” as an adjective and “Greek, Greek language,” as a noun. The saying “It's Greek to me” exists in Spanish, as it does in English, and helps us understand why griego came to mean “unintelligible language” and perhaps, by further extension of this idea, “stranger, that is, one who speaks a foreign language.” The altered form gringo lost touch with Greek but has the senses “unintelligible language,” “foreigner, especially an English person,” and in Latin America, “North American or Britisher.” Its first recorded English use (1849) is in John Woodhouse Audubon's Western Journal: “We were hooted and shouted at as we passed through, and called ‘Gringoes.’”

Answer 2

Years ago, a Mexican guy in Puerto Vallarta told me that the locals called white tourists gringos, but that they also called tourists from other parts of Mexico the same thing, especially if they didn't look like they spent any time in the sun.

Answer 3

Gringo is a term in the spanish and portuguese languages used in some countries of latin america to refer to foreigners from different cultures, particularly english speakers and especially from the united states

it's not a insult. it's often regarded as a insult to white people but most native people that use it doesn't use it as a insult.

Answer 4

"Gringo (feminine, gringa) is a term in the Spanish and Portuguese languages used in some countries of Latin America to refer to foreigners from different cultures, particularly English-speakers, and especially from the United States, although too from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries, including in some cases other countries of Latin America itself.

Some disagreement exists among English speakers regarding whether gringo is a derogatory term. The American Heritage Dictionary and other English dictionaries classify the term as "offensive slang", "usually disparaging" or "often disparaging".The term gringo does lend itself to derogatory, paternalistic or endearing connotations sometimes, depending on the context and the intent of the user.
However, many native speakers who use it do not do so pejoratively, as is also the case with some English speakers. The enunciation of the word can often give away whether it was meant in a derogatory manner or not. There is furthermore some variation in the connotation of this word from country to country within Latin America, and between Latin America and the Anglosphere.

Much like many otherwise derogatory terms, the term has also been embraced."

Personal note: I live in Texas. I resent being called a "gringa".

Answer 5

Gingo is slang for americans, not necessarily a Caucasian.

The word came from back in the day when USA invaded Mexico to take over California, New Mexic, Arizona and Texas. the Mexicans didn't speak english and only knew a few words. All they wanted was peace and the US soldiers wearing green uniforms to leave so they would tell them : Green, Go. After the years it became slang for gringo.

Answer 6

It has NOTHING to do with race and its not an insult! It is stating that you are an American who is not Hispanic! If they called you a "Pinche Gringo" then they are insulting you by calling you "****** American"

Answer 7

Used as a disparaging term for a foreigner in Latin America, especially an American or English person. basically an insult.

Answer 8

Most people who are not familiar with the term tend to think it is negative...but not necessarily...it just means White boy or White girl (gringa)...it depends how well you know the person...it may be considered term of endearment (yea, go figure!)...or if the one saying it is pissed off at you or cussing you out, then of course they mean it in an offensive way.

Answer 9

its not an insult its just how you say it in spanish i have white friends and i call them gringo all the time and they don't take it offensively

Answer 10

Outside of jokes, I've never heard it used once in a friendly manner. Therefore, I usually take it as an insult or slur until I know the user's intentions better.