BajaNomad - Gringo go home! Why Mexico is turning against US immigrants

Racism. Did I do that right?

Different ism. It’s called classism.

USA citizens that have never had the good fortune to live in California react similarly when they see wealthy Californians move into their state…

pauldavidmena - 3-13-2026 at 05:49 AM

Lee - When you posted the hat earlier, I thought it was funny, but also that it captured the complicated attitude of locals toward visitors and expats (a.k.a. visitors who stayed) in Todos Santos and El Pescadero. I suspect there's an element of truth behind the hat's humor, and although I've never directly encountered hostility, I'm sure it's out there. Even recent retirees like me couldn't afford to buy in El Gavilán; so I can only imagine the situation for an average worker earning Mexican wages.

[Edited on 3-13-2026 by pauldavidmena]

Terry28 - 3-13-2026 at 08:39 AM

I actually agree with Goat,,,IF you are from california just try moving to Oregon and experience their attitude......

JZ - 3-13-2026 at 08:52 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Terry28

I actually agree with Goat,,,IF you are from california just try moving to Oregon and experience their attitude......

This video is fantastic. It is done by a guy who lived most of his life in Portland, Oregon. It explains how people moving from the Bay Area ultimately destroyed a once great city.

It goes year by year over 25 years showing the slow decay and why it happened. A must watch and a cautionary tale.

[Edited on 3-13-2026 by JZ]

chippy - 3-13-2026 at 09:39 AM

JZ it's probably how they feel about you in Colorado :light:

JZ - 3-13-2026 at 10:54 AM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy

JZ it's probably how they feel about you in Colorado :light:

Not where my house is. We are all 100% on the same page. Plus I've had the house for about 20 years.

[Edited on 3-13-2026 by JZ]

David K - 3-13-2026 at 11:08 AM

Listened to the full episode... very good, JZ!

chippy - 3-13-2026 at 11:46 AM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy

JZ it's probably how they feel about you in Colorado :light:

Not where my house is. We are all 100% on the same page. Plus I've had the house for about 20 years.

I only mentioned that because I spend alot of time in Az,Ut and Colo. and they all seem to feel the same way about the kalifornicators.

[Edited on 3-13-2026 by JZ]

JZ - 3-13-2026 at 01:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy

I only mentioned that because I spend alot of time in Az,Ut and Colo. and they all seem to feel the same way about the kalifornicators.

Understood. Thankfully, we aren't part of the nut job kalifornicators. We were raised right. :light:

[Edited on 3-13-2026 by JZ]

surabi - 3-13-2026 at 01:28 PM

That's highly debatable.

Lee - 3-13-2026 at 01:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Terry28

I actually agree with Goat,,,IF you are from california just try moving to Oregon and experience their attitude......

Unclear what Portland's demise has to do with Baja or this thread. Briggs blames the Bay Area and LA for Portland's problems. Briggs doesn't know California. I know Portland and it's in a slump. After watching the Brigg's vid, I thought: SO WHAT!

For those who dislike Mexicans, I say it's not for you. For those who don't have time or interest in seeing Portland turn around, I say leave. It's not for you!

Anyone who thinks Todos Santos lost it's ''vibe'' long ago, I say it's not for you anymore.

I told my wife recently I miss San Francisco. Esp. the beach and the culture. I love LA and know it's not for everyone.

Brigg's bias, generally, stems from finances which I think he has little of. Taxes, cost of living, boo hoo.

Many leaving California can't or don't want to afford it. Understood. Things change in Baja, prices are going up and more crowds. Might be time for you to leave.

Jimmy Briggs doesn't discuss any solutions to homelessness in Portland, or, generally, how to guide drug addicts to making better choices. He likes to lay blame. What an a$$hole.

surabi - 3-13-2026 at 02:05 PM

Briggs' whole website is dedicated to talking about all the negative aspects, in his view, of various cities. That's his shtick, not presenting any balanced viewpoint.

And as far as that hat's message is concerned, to me its message isn't about gringoes not being welcome, it's directed at the type of gringo who thinks everyone is interested in the fact that they just moved to Mexico, with zero awareness of the cultural, financial, and infrastructure issues that concern locals when it comes to their towns being overrun with tourists and expats.

I have lived in Mexico for over 20 years and have never experienced negativity or resentment from Mexicans, aside from a small few who would be considered a-holes no matter where they lived.

mtgoat666 - 3-13-2026 at 02:38 PM

You know you are an old f@rt when you complain about today, remarking that it was better in the old days…

Y’all suffer from nostalgia, loss aversion and rose-tinted memories.

Lee - 3-14-2026 at 11:32 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Ateo

Terry.........I have nothing but love for ya!! It's just a shame this site has deteriorated further. But that's reality. All good bro!

I've always liked you Ateo. We communicated long ago. Don't recall how crazy nomads can get but, to me, borderline OT stuff belongs over there, and not here. Its got to be difficult for some to separate Forum and OT.

Goat referenced CA people, Terry added to that, JZ probably thought hey Oregon is next door and he thinks Briggs trashing Portland is an honest opinion and wants to share that. Wow.

Re this thread, and MX activists in the City, lots of those activists feel short changed and some probably envy those involved with gentrification. I"m guessing the ''gringoes'' they are targeting are white. That's racism I think.

Hard for me to see anything negative like this happening in Baja. Guess anything is possible.

surabi - 3-14-2026 at 12:54 PM

Re this thread, and MX activists in the City, lots of those activists feel short changed and some probably envy those involved with gentrification. I"m guessing the ''gringoes'' they are targeting are white. That's racism I think.

Strange and illogical conclusion. The vast majority of gringoes who relocate to Mexico happen to be white, but that doesn't mean gringoes are targeted because of their race.

From what I have read, in Mexico City, the objections to gringoes relocating there is that the majority of them are young digital nomads, who do not integrate into Mexican society, do not bother to learn Spanish, drive up the price of housing, take over bars and clubs that used to be places young Mexicans hung out, are arrogant and insular. Those are all legitimate concerns for the local population, and have zero to do with racism.

Americans happen to have the worst reputation as tourists all over the world, as being unadaptable, loud, entitled and demanding, and clueless and disrespectful of other cultures. This has nothing to do with racism, as they are criticized as such by people in countries which are predominately white as well as those which are not. (Of course not all Americans are like this, but enough are to have earned this reputation as a general demographic.)

There are tons of Mexicans whose skin is whiter than that of many gringoes. And tons whose skin is so dark you could easily assume they were Black. If you just saw a photo of them, you could easily think they were American or African or whatever. So no, this has nothing to do with race, but with behavior.

[Edited on 3-14-2026 by surabi]

[Edited on 3-14-2026 by surabi]

Lee - 3-14-2026 at 01:19 PM

Strange and illogical conclusion. The vast majority of gringoes who relocate to Mexico happen to be white, but that doesn't mean gringoes are targeted because of their race.

White gringoes are targeted because they are white. They are profiled because they are perceived to have ''money.'' Think this is true everywhere in the World.

From what I have read, in Mexico City, the objections to gringoes relocating there is that the majority of them are young digital nomads, who do not integrate into Mexican society, do not bother to learn Spanish, drive up the price of housing, take over bars and clubs that used to be placrs young Mexicans hung out, are arrogant and insular. Those are all legitimate concerns for the local population, and have zero to do with racism.

There's more to the text if you read between the lines.

There are tons of Mexicans whose skin is whiter than that of many gringoes. And tons whose skin is so dark you could easily assume they were Black. If you just saw a photo of them, you could easily think they were American or African or whatever.

White skin Mexicans could be ID'd as gringo. Black gringoes, and people with darker skin, are not perceived as gringoes. White people have privileges that Blacks, and non-white people do not have. If you are white, you may not know this. If you are ''other'', you're in denial or a ''special'' case.

The MX activists in MX City? Many reasons for demonstrating in the streets. You probably think none of them are racists. I believe many are racist and xenophobic too.

Last opinion, my experience is gringoes who've been living South for awhile are out of touch and only have 2nd hand info and what they've read online. Out of touch.

ligui - 3-14-2026 at 02:45 PM

It isn't because your American. It's because you are acting like a big as hole.

Go back to the States. :bounce:

I could name a few on this forum. Not worth the time.

surabi - 3-14-2026 at 04:01 PM

Yes, as I said, it's behavior, not race.
I have more than once been in a store lineup behind American tourists who speak to the store employee in English, as if they expect all Mexicans who happen to work where there are tourists, to speak English. When the salesgirl smiles sweetly, but obviously doesn't understand what they are asking, they say it again SLOWER and LOUDER, as if she is deaf or mentally defective. It never occurs to them to use a translation app on the phone they carry everywhere in their hand when in a country whose official language isn't English.

One also cannot discount the quite understandable backlash to the current US administration characterizing non-white immigrants as rapists, murderers, mental patients and terrorists "poisoning the blood of our country" and the brutal treatment and targetting of brown people by govt. law enforcement.

ligui - 3-14-2026 at 04:39 PM

Well said surabi !

LancairDriver - 3-14-2026 at 05:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Terry28

I actually agree with Goat,,,IF you are from california just try moving to Oregon and experience their attitude......

Oregon has recently had the honor of being the worst state in the US. People are fleeing mostly to the upper NW because of the worst State government in the US. There is currently a big movement to unseat the present Governor and her wife who is also her advisor. Billions are missing from the State finances with no accounting in sight.

JZ - 3-14-2026 at 07:35 PM

We had a house in San Carlos, Sonora for about 10 years.

Most of my friends there were Mexicans. Zero cultural issues. You just have to treat people right.

Lee - 3-15-2026 at 08:46 AM

Yes, as I said, it's behavior, not race.

When a car in Tecate gets pulled over, it's probably a white person.

During a demonstration in MX City, an activist throws a rock at a restaurant window, because they see a white person inside.

I'm writing about gentrification in Mainland MX and areas by gringoes and their lack of assimilation. Not friends of JZ in Sonora.

Anyone with solutions for homeless campers in Portland, the Bay Area, and LA, bring it on. Most gringoes whine and complain because they're as clueless as the f'ing govt in these places.

mtgoat666 - 3-15-2026 at 09:07 AM

Yes, as I said, it's behavior, not race.

When a car in Tecate gets pulled over, it's probably a white person.

During a demonstration in MX City, an activist throws a rock at a restaurant window, because they see a white person inside.

It seems a bit racist to think mexicans are not white people…
Mexico is a melting pot of european, native american, asian and african ancestry.

SFandH - 3-15-2026 at 10:13 AM

I read one of the issues in Mexico City is the conversion of residential property in desirable areas into short-term rentals, essentially commercial property, ala Airbnb. It's causing real estate prices to skyrocket as more and more relatively affluent Americans get into the game, buying and then short-term renting houses/condos to American tourists.

[Edited on 3-15-2026 by SFandH]

surabi - 3-15-2026 at 10:21 AM

When a car in Tecate gets pulled over, it's probably a white person.

The reason for that is not racism. Racism means one hates others of a certain race and considers them to be inferior. When Mexican cops pull over a white person, it's because they think they will be able to shake them down for money, not because they hate white people.

And I can tell you that every time I make the 1 hr. drive to Puerto Vallarta and back, I always see cars pulled over by cops and the vast majority of the drivers are Mexican.

[Edited on 3-15-2026 by surabi]

Lee - 3-15-2026 at 10:58 AM

When a car in Tecate gets pulled over, it's probably a white person.

Partly true. Some cops are racist and hate gringoes and some are just scammers. Nothing personal.

Every time I drive through Tecate, I see a white person pulled over. Maybe they were tired and didn't know the speed limit.

Some of the activists in MX City definitely hate white gringoes. Generalization here as not all activists hate.

The cops are "plateist"

AKgringo - 3-15-2026 at 11:08 AM

I am pretty sure that the plates on the car are more of a deciding factor than who is driving it.

surabi - 3-15-2026 at 11:32 AM

Some of the activists in MX City definitely hate white gringoes. Generalization here as not all activists hate.

There are xenophobes and racists and a-holes of every nationality in every country. Moreso in some places than others.

chippy - 3-15-2026 at 11:57 AM

Fear not gringitos. I just witnessed a Guinness world record for the largest soccer class at the Zocalo and I'm happy to report there were no gringo hating demonstrators to be seen. Just alot of happy Mexican families and tourists enjoying life. Ps. The plaza mayor museum is pretty cool!

surfhat - 3-15-2026 at 12:08 PM

I have almost always chosen to cross north at the Tecate border station.

A little less than two weeks ago, I was the second car in line before the border guard with at most a five minute wait on a late Tuesday afternoon, 5:15pm to be exact.

Five minutes! It reminded me of decades ago when there was a single guard shack.

I am always more than careful to observe the posted speed limits in Tecate while every other car on the road passes me by.

I have never been pulled over in Tecate. Being the slowest might have something to do with that. The more others pass me by, the better for me.

This represents fifty plus years of avoiding TJ on the way home. That 60 mile drive has always been worth the wait at the border.

I know our Ca. or wherever license plates are an attraction to provide some additional income to those who are not paid what they should be paid for the jobs they do.

Every stop sign in Tecate deserves a few extra seconds before moving forward in case the 'man' is watching.

It costs us so little time in the end game. This 'game' is kept in mind every time I drive as safely as possible through Tecate.

Have I been lucky not to be targeted over the decades? Could my driving habits have anything to do with never being pulled over in Tecate?

Don't make yourself a target has worked for me. So far. haha

A couple of years ago I mistakenly gave TJ a try when the road from highway 1 to Tecate was closed due to some fuel truck blowing up.

A TJ moto cop pulled me over for signaling a simple lane change. For the amount he demanded, I should have been escorted to the front of the line. That was a painful $50 I paid. I should have gotten his badge number at the time.

Live and learn, what not to do! Never will TJ be my border crossing north again, unless I get a fast pass before then.

Tecate with a five minute wait to cross? Who can better that waiting time these days at any crossing?

Tuesday at 5:15pm is worth considering for next time if at all possible. I know my next crossing north will keep this in mind.

JDCanuck - 3-15-2026 at 02:30 PM

Yes, as I said, it's behavior, not race.

Anyone with solutions for homeless campers in Portland, the Bay Area, and LA, bring it on. Most gringoes whine and complain because they're as clueless as the f'ing govt in these places.

Lee: Some time back I posted to this site of a local church organization in Eugene Oregon that has been slowly and effectively housing the homeless in their area. After years of overcoming initial public opposition and proving the positive results of their efforts on the area, they are increasingly expanding from that small start with growing support. It's small, it's simple and it works.

Here it s again: https://www.squareonevillages.org/villages/opportunity

Since then a similar but bit bigger privately donations funded system has taken root in Canada to house the thousands of Ex military homeless people who happen to be 2(males) or 4(females) times as likely as anyone else to be homeless. Most of these would be veterans of Kosovo, Iraq or Afghanistan and they more than deserve some consideration.

This is their site:
https://homesforheroesfoundation.ca/

[Edited on 3-15-2026 by JDCanuck]

surabi - 3-15-2026 at 03:21 PM

I have seen another video from another location where this tiny house village concept was done. The residents were so grateful, kept their little homes clean, planted flowers outside their door. It's hard to turn your life around and get off the street and apply for a job when you don't even have a place to bathe and make yourself presentable, get off drugs and alcohol when you are surrounded by other addicts in a homeless encampment. Being given an opportunity to feel yourself a worthwhile, respected, human being is all a lot of the homeless need to set themselves on a different path.

JDCanuck - 3-15-2026 at 04:34 PM

I compare this to the Ejido concept we saw in Mexico, but on a much more restricted and limited basis. But it takes reversing the thinking that the poorest deserve to be poor, and only the wealthiest should receive special consideration. One of the many differences in conceptual thinking we admired about Mexican people and Mexico.

There is no excuse in the wealthiest Country in the world that the poorest 20% would be taxed at 14% of their incomes while the wealthiest should pay less than 4% of theirs. Washington finally broke the trend and decided the wealthiest should begin paying at least a small amount of their personal income to provide some small relief from the poorest that they had supporting them. It's a beginning.

https://fortune.com/2026/03/15/washington-income-tax-bezos-s...
millionaires/

Almost immediately after the bill passed, billionaire Starbucks founder Howard Schultz announced he was swapping Seattle for Miami, where he recently paid $44 million for a penthouse. Although he has not confirmed the passage of the bill is why he chose to leave, Schultz, who is worth $6.6 billion, wrote on LinkedIn he hoped Washington would “remain a place for business and entrepreneurship to thrive.”He also isn’t the first to leave Washington. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos similarly moved to Miami in 2023, costing the state an estimated $954 million in tax revenue in 2024 alone. When Bezos sold 50 million Amazon shares that year from Florida, he saved an estimated $610 million in state taxes by no longer being a Washington resident.

[Edited on 3-16-2026 by JDCanuck]

Tioloco - 3-15-2026 at 05:21 PM

I compare this to the Ejido concept we saw in Mexico, but on a much more restricted and limited basis. But it takes reversing the thinking that the poorest deserve to be poor, and only the wealthiest should receive special consideration. One of the many differences in conceptual thinking we admired about Mexican people and Mexico.

There is no excuse in the wealthiest Country in the world that the poorest 20% would be taxed at 14% of their incomes while the wealthiest should pay less than 4% of theirs. Washington finally broke the trend and decided the wealthiest should begin paying at least a small amount of their personal income to provide some small relief from the poorest that they had supporting them. It's a beginning.

https://fortune.com/2026/03/15/washington-income-tax-bezos-s...
millionaires/

Almost immediately after the bill passed, billionaire Starbucks founder Howard Schultz announced he was swapping Seattle for Miami, where he recently paid $44 million for a penthouse. Although he has not confirmed the passage of the bill is why he chose to leave, Schultz, who is worth $6.6 billion, wrote on LinkedIn he hoped Washington would “remain a place for business and entrepreneurship to thrive.”He also isn’t the first to leave Washington. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos similarly moved to Miami in 2023, costing the state an estimated $954 million in tax revenue in 2024 alone. When Bezos sold 50 million Amazon shares that year from Florida, he saved an estimated $610 million in state taxes by no longer being a Washington resident.

[Edited on 3-16-2026 by JDCanuck]

JD- socialism never works. Oh and your idea is based on a false pretense.
In 2022, the top 1% of earners paid 40.4% of federal income taxes.
The bottom 50% paid ONLY 3% of federal income taxes.

DOGE needs to be expanded to keep the politicians from stealing and wasting the money. FULL STOP, eh?

JZ - 3-15-2026 at 05:30 PM

I wonder how friendly they would be now if they saw your ICE-cheering "Deport every damn 'illegal' " posts.

A little more than a year ago I helped one of them get visas for his entire family of 5 to come to the US. I paid for them to get passports and other stuff.

They understand the importance of doing things the right way.

JDCanuck - 3-15-2026 at 07:02 PM

Having a progressive tax system is hardly Socialism Tioloco. But what do you call a regressive tax system such as Washington State has had for 93 years? We are talking State tax revenues here, not Federal tax revenues, you seem to be confusing the two and perhaps should take the time to read the article quoted.

surabi - 3-15-2026 at 07:07 PM

I wonder how friendly they would be now if they saw your ICE-cheering "Deport every damn 'illegal' " posts.

Nice great white savior story. Has nothing to do with my comment or this thread topic.

[Edited on 3-16-2026 by surabi]

[Edited on 3-16-2026 by surabi]

Tioloco - 3-15-2026 at 08:07 PM

Having a progressive tax system is hardly Socialism Tioloco. But what do you call a regressive tax system such as Washington State has had for 93 years? We are talking State tax revenues here, not Federal tax revenues, you seem to be confusing the two and perhaps should take the time to read the article quoted.

Socialists always defend government spending for the good of the masses until it is them who are the ones overtaxed.

Washington state and regressive taxation- Taxing consumption still results in high earners paying more. The real problem is that you aren’t even asking WHY the state government can’t tighten their belt instead of always expanding spending on nonessential programs?

Smart people will always look for ways to keep their money in their pocket. Leaving Washington and California is a no brainer.

JDCanuck - 3-15-2026 at 09:52 PM

Tioloco: I think you are describing Communist and Dictatorships not Progressive Democracies using progressive taxation to fund the economy. The ones that claim they are doing all this for the common people while as rapidly as possible transferring the wealth of the country to their own pockets, creating more impoverished people while they themselves live in their Dachas or foreign Palaces. Of course they won't want to yield any of that wealth and will be the first to escape when the inevitable social upheaval and crime begins to show.

JDCanuck - 3-15-2026 at 10:17 PM

But to get back to the original topic: This is what a friend in La Paz shared with me when I first met him. He had no respect for people who came to Baja to obtain and sell drugs back in the US for profit and then complain about how he was demanding too much for the menial services he provided to them. At the same time they were excluding him from access to the beach areas he had always frequented by putting up fences to keep him out and drawing what little water was left in the local aquifers to keep their swimming pools filled while they were back in the US. I figured he had a valid complaint

lencho - 3-16-2026 at 06:42 AM

...people who came to Baja to obtain and sell drugs back in the US for profit...

Huh? Who does that? :?:

Terry28 - 3-16-2026 at 08:51 AM

All you guys need to go get a room!! please knock this crap off...
I don't think this is what this site was created for.....

JDCanuck - 3-16-2026 at 06:52 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

...people who came to Baja to obtain and sell drugs back in the US for profit...

Huh? Who does that? :?:

Lencho...my suspicion is he was talking about pot not the modern ones. But since I learned his feelings and noticed an increasing local animosity, I attempted to consider what he was telling me as a guide on how to live more compatibly among the locals that were sharing their home with me. Since then, other than the growing number of signs saying "Go Home Gringoes" I have found the Mexican people to be exceedingly
hospitable, the first to offer help when they see a need. I'd like to see more of what i saw in their culture in my own country

[Edited on 3-17-2026 by JDCanuck]

Lee - 3-17-2026 at 01:57 PM