Gringo Invasion: The Americanization of Mexican Towns

Gringos, when they come to Mexico, are buying up all the prime property, forcing the price of real estate to spiral, and forcing the locals to the outskirts of town.

That's exactly what has happened in San Miguel de Allende. The locals sell to the gringos and then cannot remain in the neighborhoods where their families have lived for generations because they can no longer afford to rent or buy a house or apartment in those areas. They are being forced further and further from the town's center.

By the way, rumor has it the gringo community in San Miguel de Allende is lobbying to turn the downtown area into a Mexican-free zone! Can you imagine?

Now that real estate prices in San Miguel de Allende are spiraling out of sight, some gringos are looking outside San Miguel for affordable property. Unfortunately, some are looking in my adopted hometown, Guanajuato.

Guanajuato, the capital of the state of Guanajuato, is still a traditional Mexican city. Few locals speak more than a few words of English. It is a city that exists for its own sake not for the sake of tourists, though tourists do visit. To live here, residents need to speak Spanish (though we heard of a woman who has lived here for 30 years and doesn't speak a word of Spanish!).

Many expats in San Miguel de Allende do not bother to learn Spanish. They have told us they require anyone who works for them to learn English. Many of San Miguel's restaurants and shops are owned by expats, so the diners and shoppers don't need to speak Spanish. To cater to the expat community, many Mexican residents have learned English.

However, this has changed the complexion of San Miguel. It is no longer a "real" Mexican town.
Whenever we visit, my husband and I feel the tension between the Mexicans and the expat community. Mexicans have asked us why the expats hate them so much and why the expats refuse to be friendly toward them. We think it is because the expats are unable to communicate
with the Mexicans or understand the culture since they don't speak Spanish (yet residents of the USA scream about immigrants not learning English when they come to the USA).

The expats have improved the economy of the town and have worked to improve the infrastructure. However, many have the attitude that the Mexicans should be
grateful and kiss the feet of the expats because of all the money the expats throw at them.
One Guanajuato expat summed it up by saying of her group's charity work, "We raise money to help the little brown people. They should be thankful."

We are afraid what happened in San Miguel de Allende will happen here in Guanajuato; though our Mexican friends say it's not possible since Guanajuato is the state capital.

Thanks again for your article.