—Former Pupusa Eater
Growing up, I never noticed the difference between any Hispanic person. Yo pensaba if you spoke Spanish, it meant to me that you were Mexican (I was little, OK?). Of course, as I grew up, I started noticing all different kinds of Latinos but one in particular were Salvis. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like this feeling that was always there, but I didn’t know about it. It was dislike and rivalry towards them. I mean, don’t get me wrong: I don’t hate them, I just dislike them. And I wasn’t the only one! I found out that many Mexicans feel this way, too, as do Salvadorans towards us. So, is this a universal feeling? Am I wrong for feeling this way? Are Mexicans and Salvadorans rivales? If so, por qué?
— La gordis de guadalajara
Dear Wabs: Historically, the Mexican- Salvadoran rivalry that so many readers correctamente note has a strong basis. Shortly after Central America gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico tried to swallow the region into its burgeoning empire. The fiercest opposition? El Salvador. Eventually, republic-minded Mexicans stopped their country’s ambitions and allowed El Salvador and the other Central American provinces to create the United Provinces of Central America. That lasted into the 1830s, by which time Mexico was too busy dealing with another imperial power to care much about recouping its former holdings. And if you know anything about Mexico, it’s que we don’t take thefts of our lands lightly.
But that was then—this is ahorita, and there remains no reason for the two countries and their raza to hate each other. Presidents Felipe Calderón and Mauricio Funes met this summer and reached quite a few accords and bilateral agreements. Stateside, wabs and Salvis might compete for the same resources like other recent immigrants, but we’re both wetbacks in the eyes of the gabachos (and in the case of Salvis, to echo the legendary Los Tigres del Norte song, tres veces mojado). Let’s make peace, Salvadorans—our rivalry is pointless, and the fruits of a union much richer. Besides, hatred between nosotros merely blinds us to the menace between our ancestral lands: Guatemala.
CORRECTION: A couple of weeks ago, in explaining the discrepancies between English and Spanish in pronouncing the letter x, the Mexican stated St. Francis Xavier founded the Jesuits. The order’s true founder, of course, was Ignatius of Loyola. The Mexican apologizes for his error and blames the United States for stealing half of Mexico.
Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net, myspace.com/ocwab, facebook.com/garellano, find him on, Twitter, or write via snail mail at: Gustavo Arellano, P.O. Box 1433, Anaheim, CA 92815-1433!
partner to marry you, a mexican. It is pretty foolish to get a divorce
just because your mexican pals felt a inferior complex, and decided
lashed out to your Salvi partner that way. You can really see their
primitive behavior and cowardliness. Sadly it affects you too, because
instead of defending your partner, you turned and gave a stab in the
back. But i understand, my Salvi friends always try to not associated
themselves with mexican things also, their disgust towards mexicans is
pretty raw. While there are mexicans like your self who are clueless and
dislike Salvis for reason which you dont even know, which sounds
pathetic and childish ; )
Mexicans for pass reason…when the European (Spaniards) came to conquer
the Americas, the mexican indians in the Aztec capitol foolishly saw the
white settler as gods, while the indigenous peoples of Cuzcatlan in
today’s El Salvador Central America saw the Europeans as barbarian and
invaders. When the Spanish finally defeated the Aztecs, they proceeded
to conquer the Civilizations in Central America Guatemala, Honduras, and
El Salvador. The Spanish took mexican indians the (Tlaxcala indians in
particular) as auxiliaries, to help them conquer the indigenous in El
Salvador. Thus the indigenous people in El Salvador saw the mexican
indians as traitors to their own kind, that is were El Salvador’s hate
towards mexicans started. The indigenous people in El Salvador were able
to drive the Spanish and the mexican allies away for a while. Later,
when mexico and Central America freed themselves from Spain, the mexican
empire tried to swallow all of Central America, but El Salvador was the
first one to object and reject mexico for some reason. that is the
second reason why Salvadorian hated mexicans. After when the Salvadorian
Civil war had begun, the Salvadorians crossed mexico to the USA as they
do today, while crossing mexico, the Salvadorians face with violations
and abuse. When the Salvadorians reached the USA they carried that rage
and hatred with them, this laso happens to other Central Americans. That
is the third reason why Salvadorians hate mexicans. When living in the
USA the Salvadorians face abuse by mexican gangs and thus the
Salvadorians with their military experience grouped themselves like
hornet wasps and created their own gang and drove the mexicans away liek
bubble bees from their hives, this was is Los Angeles. fourth reason
why Salvadorians hate mexicans. Where as mexicans have no reason to hate
Salvadorians. Once I asked a Salvadorian if he was mexicans, and he
gave me a horrid look as if he thought mexicans were some kind of
insignificant insects. I didn’t understand it, until i did some
research. I found it funny when you said about the eww Salvi, because
this is only said by mexicans. While the ((ewww mexican)) is said by
other and most Latin Americans and Americas as well. I saw a Tyra show
where a white American dated a mexican and the her friends bother her
constantly saying horrible things about mexicans. I agree that the past
is the past and Salvadorians and mexicans should just get along..
im mexican i i dnt hate people from el salvador i think that not just becouse one did u wrong that they are all the same. there are bad mexicans bad salvadorenos bad of all color and race i just think its wrong that people think like that.
Ijole! Like that? yeah i always felt a bit out of place as i was growing up from the mejicano men, some would call me pupusa or cerote, probably learned it from thei parents, but it is nothing compared to calling you BABOSOS!!! lol, that got me into alot of trouble, specially with their parents. Of course some would be very humble and welcoming when i came over to visit, as I showed the same respect. It almost seemed as if the mexicans have there own battle with the American Chicanos as well. so the reality is, are we the Salvis there only problem? No.
I only had one Salvi girlfriend that i crashed and burned too, so I cannot really judge my own kind based on ONE reationship, because i dated many more and not all of them are alike, just like the writer did. you have to be a real man to be with a Salvi girl Gustavo, and your were not ready for a challenge like that. Thats why I only dated mexicans growing up but ended up marring a Salvi and its the Best thing ever. you probably ended up with a caucasian girl and now find yourself eating top ramen and mac and cheese like most of my mexican friends did, LOL, no of couse im just kidding, I love american women, its just an inside joke for a mexican friend I have. Caucasians love to cook. But back to pupusas, they are the best thing and many other mexicans I KNOW agree enought to want to learn how to make them. the reality is you spent too much time worring about what your family though of your Salvi X wife, that you learned to dislike them now, Salvi women dont have cooties, they just have your ballz if you let them keep them.
There is also the Soccer grudge back in the World Cup in 1982. how El Salvador made it in and mexico was not even noticed, of course El Salvador got a beating from Hungary, but they still made it in back then. As a matter of fact just last year we beat mexico 2-1 in a regular match. and mexican fans love there soccer, sometimes more than there own mothers. personally i preffer the U.S.A. soccer team because they are more civilized, and play by the rules. you can find all this in other bloggs on Mexico vs. El salvador soccer, you will clearly see the diference in attitude, and Salvis dont cry when they lose, lol.
Also you need to remember, mexicans leave Mexico to america for jobs, back in the mid 80's the majority of Salvis were leaving because of a civil war. So as a US citizen now, I can proudly say that I am Happy to be a US American and a tax payer. of couse obtaining my citizenship "the right way' was not as hard as it is for the mexican community. maybe thats another reason why Salvis are not likes by the Mexicans, jelousy.
Thank you Gustabo for writing this awful piece, now i know another reason why Mexicans dont like Salvadoreans.
This is the real origins on this rivalry. The origins of this rivalry started in Los Angeles. Since the 1800s and early 1900's most of the latinos in L.A. were made up of mostly Mexicans and Mexican Americans. As salvodorenos started to migrate to Los Angeles in the mid 1900's the Salvodorenos became the minority to the Mexicans. The Mexican people felt they were not part of the same culture and would start picking fights with the salvadorenos. As more Salvadorenos migrated to L.A. they started standing together and would not tolorate getting picked on by anyone especially Mexicans. They fought back and forth and for generations this has still not been forgotten by some Mexican and Salvodorean families as thier hatred of one another is being passed on to thier children. So its pretty much just a case of pride and people still being nieve. AND THIS IS THE REAL ORIGINS.