Kyle Hepp

28 Comments

1. 

   They have cocina americana here too and although the idea of it being “open” sounds good in theory, it normally means there is no space for a kitchen and they´ve shoved it in the corner of the lounge room. In OZ we have spanish onion, which is the purple onion. Its not spanish and spanish people don´t know that we think it is. I think OZ just made it up cause purple onion was soooo exotic.

   Comment by Kristy — November 28, 2007 @ 9:41 am

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2. 

   What is the difference between American salsa and Chilean? Is it really like what you remember here? Kind of like out whole Americanized concept of “Mexican” food – super-cheesed up and greasy.

   Comment by Maurey Pierce — November 28, 2007 @ 9:44 am

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3. 

   I want to throw a spin on this just to confuse you more.

   But here in Mexico when you say “America” or “I’m American” it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are talking about the U.S. or are from the “United States of America”. It can often mean that your talking about somewhere within the Americas, whether it’s North America, or South America.

   Sooooooooo. My guess is that saying that something is Salsa Americana doesn’t mean it’s from the US, but rather it’s from the continents of North & South America. However, I’m sure everyone makes the assumption that it must of course be from the U.S. which is actually incorrect.

   So there you go. The name is right, but perhaps the thought process behind it all is all wrong.

   Comment by Mexico Way — November 28, 2007 @ 10:37 am

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4. 

   Mexico Way, what is your real name? I hate just calling people by their blogger identity!

   In Chile Americana is almost always referring to the U.S. unless you’re talking to really p.c. folks.

   This annoys the crap out of me (more when people from the U.S. say I’m American thinking they’re referring only to the U.S. and not realizing, HELLO, everybody in Central and South America is American). I actually did a whole post on the subject once but I’m too lazy to look for it I prefer the the term USA’ian rather than American.

   Comment by Mamacita Chilena — November 28, 2007 @ 10:42 am

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5. 

   Well not enough people are going to history class then are they!

   My name is Elizabeth but you can call me Liz (easier to type). “Mexico Way” really isn’t a name now is it? And frankly it’s just a joke because “Mexico Guey” was already taken on blogger!

   Comment by Mexico Way — November 28, 2007 @ 10:52 am

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6. 

   Es difícil de creer
   creo que nunca lo podré saber
   sólo así yo te veré
   a través de mi persiana americana.

   Venetian blinds. Maybe just an Argentinean thing.

   Comment by Chileno — November 28, 2007 @ 12:07 pm

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7. 

   hahaha, Kristy, that’s funny about the Spanish onion…now I’m wondering what things we think are from other countries in the U.S. when they’re really not. I’m sure there are loads of things but I can’t think of any on the spot!

   Maurey, the American salsa was sort of like sour kraut (I don’t even know if that’s how you spell that). It was like sourish mayonnaise and pretty much as disgusting as it sounds.

   Chileno, I’ve never heard of persiana americana but that might be because we don’t have any of those kinds of blinds in my house. Or maybe you’re right and it’s just an Argentine thing.

   Liz, I like your blog name, I had thought it might be a play on words

   Comment by Mamacita Chilena — November 28, 2007 @ 12:11 pm

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8. 

   That’s funny about the onion! In the U.S. “Spanish” onions are the yellow skinned ones that REALLY make you cry. The purple ones are called, oddly enough, red onions.

   Not that this has anything to do with Americana, but I used to read this blog by an Aussie living in Argentina (then she stopped updating it, like, ever) but she blended in and people assumed she was Argentinean. One of the things I’m not looking forward to about Mexico is being Whitey McWhitenstein with the blonde-ish hair and blue eyes. Add to that that I don’t tan well. Yeah- no one is going to think I’m Mexican. I even died my hair brown to see if I got less attention the last time I was there. Didn’t work.

   Comment by mexpat — November 28, 2007 @ 1:37 pm

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9. 

   Persiana are blinds here in Mexico, haven’t heard the ‘venetian’ type called americano though. Quite a mixture of countries in both languages to describe something so mundane, no?

   I mostly hear americano o americana used to refer to USA-ians, although I also hear estadounidense pretty often. I think the problem is that when you are speaking english, there is no other good word for people from that country. It’s not a problem in spanish although they still use it.

   My feeling is that if you can call people from the Estados Unidos de Mexico, Mexican, then you can call people from the United States of America, Americans. The PC thing was an interesting point that has been driven into the ground in my mind.

   I’m enjoying your blog. It is interesting the similarities and the differences between Mexico and Chile. Very different countries but some of the bones of Spain show through in both.

   Comment by Jonna — November 28, 2007 @ 2:54 pm

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10. 

    How about americans thinking that corn beef and cabbage are Irish. I’m mexican american and I always have people asking me if my family cooks chalupas or sopapillas. I’ve never even heard of that stuff until taco bell and then it never fails because I “look” latin and they’ll ask do you speak spanish and when I say no their eyes about pop out of their head so I can imagine the looks when I go to Chile in January.

    Comment by Anonymous — November 28, 2007 @ 3:13 pm

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11. 

    Yes! They have English Sauce! Never heard of it or seen it before in my life! And it’s FOUL!

    Comment by Raybelles/Bella — November 28, 2007 @ 3:36 pm

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12. 

    And on the American/South American point, I don’t know any country in the world outside this sub-continent (and I only know a few so that’s not saying much really) that calls South Americans Americans. Americans are USA’ians (probably?) the world over (?) apart from for some (and it’s definitely only some) South Americans. And South American Americans are South Americans the world over too. I mean geographically yes it is one continent…. but as we chatted about before – in school America is always (?) taught as North and South sub-continents with Americans from the north and South Americans from the South. To begin calling both north and south americans Americans would be soooo pc and we’d have to change all the text books in Europe (and probably in all those other countries that we don’t know just for the sake of pc-ness) and it would also lead to unnecessarily lengthy explanations. Just like this one…

    Comment by Raybelles/Bella — November 28, 2007 @ 3:50 pm

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13. 

    I was particularly referring to calling things “Americana”.

    Although some (not all) Mexicans get edgy when they ask, “De donde eres?”, and the response is, “America”.

    There is a sensitivity about North America and the fact that Mexico is usually left out of the equation. Many, many people, don’t realize that Mexico is ALSO part of North America. So when someone says they are from America, it’s almost like a claim to the entire Northern Hemisphere of the Americas. Thus…the sensitivity.

    Hey Mexpat,

    Sometimes it’s not about the color of your hair, or the color of your eyes, but the way you carry yourself. Try to feel comfortable in your surroundings because if you don’t, you will stick out on “foreigner radar”. Of course hair color, eye color, skin color and height(being tall makes you stick out, at least in the Yucatan) make a difference in how you are perceived, but the rest goes with it just as well.

    Liz

    Comment by Mexico Way — November 28, 2007 @ 4:24 pm

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14. 

    Well, if someone asks ¿de donde eres? then it’s spanish and I would say soy estadounidense but if they asked in english, ?? I usually avoid it by saying I am from the US, just wording the answer differently. It does depend though on how formal the situation is. Where I tend to use American is always in english and when I’m talking about someone else or some object like where a car is made. ie. the truck is american and it is hard to find parts It’s confusing to talk about but if communication is your main goal then it is pretty easy.

    Here, salsa inglesa is worcestershire sauce, which I happen to love! They also have an imported garlic sauce here made by the same company that makes that famous paper-wrapped bottle of worcestershire. It’s pretty darn good but I’ve never seen it in the US. In fact, I took some north for a friend last summer.

    Comment by Jonna — November 28, 2007 @ 5:54 pm

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15. 

    ohh I think it is funny to hear some people in the town say I want some mexican food want to go to taco bell!! HA HA… And boy to i wish that last sentence was right… all american a rich rolling in money…man that would be nice!

    Comment by Tiffany — November 28, 2007 @ 7:18 pm

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16. 

    It’s all greek to me at this point I think. LOL.

    Comment by Mexico Way — November 28, 2007 @ 7:29 pm

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17. 

    Well, this is a little off topic but, have you ever heard people say that a person was speaking Mexican? Yeah, and we speak American!

    On another slightly off topic topic, what does it mean to be Latin? For instance, I’ve heard people differentiate and distinguish between Mexico and Latin America, indicating that Mexico is not part of Latin America. But aren’t Mexicans considered Latinos?? I fell very ethnocentric not knowing this but I haven’t ever taken the time or made the effort to sort that one out. Anyone care to educate me? Thanks.

    Comment by Mamacita Americana — November 28, 2007 @ 7:56 pm

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18. 

    Thanks for the link to US, US, baby. It looks like an interesting read.. as if I need more to read.

    I’m sure our labeling of foreign is terrible in the US as bad as we are with knowing foreign. That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of people that have lived in foreign countries or experienced foreign cultures, but they’re probably not the ones coming up with names for pop culture.

    Comment by ordinary girl — November 28, 2007 @ 8:26 pm

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19. 

    whoa this is a popular topic…I never knew there so so much sensitivity about being “american” its all very informative!

    Comment by Kristy — November 29, 2007 @ 2:45 am

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20. 

    I probably should be working instead of posting (I’m sooooooo behind at the office) but I can’t help it…. this topic is too damn interesing!

    1st: I agree that the cliché-s you sometimes hear regarding foreign countries can leave you open mouthed… the things I’ve heard people say!

    - “mexcicans still travel by donkey” –WTF?!!!
    - All Americans (yes, US citizens are called americans in France) are obese — WHATever!
    - The french don’t shower and the women don’t shave under their arms — yeah right!
    - All mexicans are indian-looking and there’s no blonds — and what am I? Quetzalcoatl’s great-great-great grandaughter???
    - The americans whant to take over the world (said by a mexican)
    - The americans saved the world (said by a roumanian)
    - The amercians ruined the world (said by a French)
    - The french are all impolite (said by an american)
    - The french are all charming (said by a mexican)
    - The french are all misunderstood (said by a french)
    - The mexicans are stealing US jobs (said by an american)
    - The mexicans are sustaining the US economy (said by a french and an american)
    - The mexicans work? (said by a french, an american and a mexican)

    … an so on…..

    What I’m trying to say is that clichés are soooooo easy to come across and no matter how many times we repeat that: yes, in Mexico people do have the internet, and no, in the US not everyone eats at McDonald’s on a daily basis and yes in France people do drink diet coke … well the message doesn’t always get through…

    That’s why I prescribe travelling. Long, intensive, grab-you-back-pack-kiss-ur-momma-good-by-walk-till-you-drop travelling. And even better, live in a place a year or two before moving again. That’s the best way to avoid idiot statements like the ones above coming out of your mouth!

    Mexico guey: I agree with you that in Mexico we were taught in school that we were “americanos” since we live in the “continente americano”. It’s pretty stupid really, but I think it all boils down to the mexicans not wanting to be considered “south americans” so we’re either americanos (or in some cases even americanos del norte!) or at the very worst: centro americanos…

    Mexpat: I’m blond and blue-eyed and believe me, it’s tolerable. I mean, if you go an live in a little town like like Cholula or Valladolid or teohtihuacán, yeah you’ll stick… but in a big city (Puebla, Mérida, Guadalajara..) or a turistic city (Sn Miguel de Allende, Playa del Carmen, etc)… people are used to seeing blonds… sure, you’ll get stared a lot but I advise you learn slang words as soon as possible and use them w/o moderation (guey, pinche, chingaos, ni madres, etc) and you’ll see, soon they’ll see past the yellow hair…

    And last but not least: MEXICAN FOOD IS NOT TACO BELL!!!!!! You can’t find no chilaquiles rojos or mole de panza or chiles en nogada or pambazos or panuchos or tlayudas or molotes or arracheras or even decent chalupas in a TB menu!!! And please people: once and for all: CHILLI is not MEXICAN FOOD… it’s TEX MEX!!!

    (sorry for my outburst, but don’t mess w/Mexican food in front of a hungry mexican! )

    Peace to all,
    Fned.

    Comment by Fned — November 29, 2007 @ 7:02 am

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21. 

    P.S. I posted too quick: When I meant “idiot statements like the ones above” I mean the ones above in MY OWN post!

    And Mexico Way (sorry: forgot to write in little *LOL* after the “Guey”…. it’s funny how a little icon can make all the difference! )

    Fned.

    Comment by Fned — November 29, 2007 @ 7:07 am

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22. 

    Look I think its amazing how everyone has these stereo types. For instance My husband is Chilean and when he introduces me to his friends and right after I respond they get that puzzled look and say “she doesn’t speak spanish” and he’ll then say no she’s an “American” and then I get testy cause my grandparents raise to me to say I was “Mexican American” and then I get corrected by everyone in the room “No your not you don’t speak spanish” And then I’ll have to explain for about an hour that yes I am look my great grandparents came from Mexico and yes my grandparents are full blooded and they are the only one in our family who speak spanish, no, my mom does not speak a lick of it, and neither do I cause believe it or not the US wasn’t to friendly with immigrants a long time ago (or now for that matter) and required immigrants children to learn english otherwise you could not go to school. But it does’nt sink in to any of them and then I get looked at if I am the most stupidist person in the room. Fned I believe you are right people need to explore the world a little more. Oh and about the food at taco bell when I told my co-workers I’d take them for some mexican food I took them to a restaurant that served tacos de lengua. They were appalled except for one kind lady. Later they went to another americanized Tex-Mex place and was joking about the tongue tacos and the waiter looked at them as was like I love those tacos their the best and the table was silent (it was a beautiful moment)

    Comment by Anonymous — November 29, 2007 @ 7:46 am

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23. 

    The comment about how children learn continents in school made me think of an experience I had when I was teaching English in Ecuador. When I asked my students, who were learning quantity expressions, how many continents there were, they all answered 5.

    I–who had always been told there were 7–asked them to list them off. Either Australia or Antarctica (I can’t remember which) was excluded from the mix, but what I found most interesting was the fact that all of my students identified America as a single continent with no division between North and South. They explained that that was how everyone learned it in school.

    It wasn’t just my students: At my bank in Ecuador, the charge for an international money transfer depended on whether or not the money was being sent somewhere on “el continente americano.” This included all countries in what U.S. students learn as North and South America.

    As someone who has been bouncing back and forth between “North” and “South” America for the past few years, I personally like to think of it all as one big continent. I guess it just goes to show how much the way we learn or categorize things can alter our view of the world!

    I like reading your blog, Kyle! I also live in Chile and can definitely relate to many of the experiences you write about. =)

    Comment by Leigh — November 29, 2007 @ 10:33 am

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24. 

    hola!
    “chileno” cito un clasico tema de Soda Stereo, banda argentina. La persiana americana es esa que esta formada por unas varillas finitas y que se abren o cierran tirando de un piolin.
    Es terrible como muchos paises latinoamericanos se “americanizan”, y la verdad a mi personalmente me entristece. Se que en Chile es mayor que en mi pais (argentina).
    Igualmente no llegue a entender bien si tu postura era positiva, o si era una critica…. :S
    Besote!
    te sigo leyendo

    Comment by Clarita — November 29, 2007 @ 3:26 pm

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25. 

    I guess it’s kind of like French fries and French bread…neither of which are French at all! Hehehe

    Jayna

    Comment by Anonymous — November 29, 2007 @ 9:15 pm

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26. 

    Clarita: I LOVE Soda Stereo! Too bad that they stopped playing music!

    “Musica Ligera” is in my Top 5 all time favorite songs !

    Fned.

    Comment by Fned — November 30, 2007 @ 2:11 am

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