To Write or Not to Write: Is that Really the Question?

As a writer, when you notice something exceedingly strange in the town you've chosen to move to as an American expatriate, should you report what you see? When what you thought you knew, discovered from your pre-expat research, suddenly doesn't jive with what you see and experience, should you begin writing about it? Some readers tell me I am bigoted and mean-spirited. One or two have called me mentally ill for doing so.

I disagree. I think if you see a significant event in the culture and are able to verify it with Mexican nationals as to what it means, you should write about it.

First of all, the fact that some Mexican nationals in this town in which I live, Guanajuato, have explanations for what I've witnessed is an astounding event. When I shared what I noticed with my Mexican friends, some who are bilingual and some who are not -- representatives from both sides of the linguistic and economic spectrum - and they confirmed the events were not unusual or isolated occurrences, I found that significant and newsworthy. Especially noteworthy was the view Mexican nationals who were not Guanajuato natives had of Guanajuato.

Those Mexican nationals from other states in the country had explanations of Guanajuato natives' behavior that, frankly, no one anywhere writes about. A second part or aspect of the culture began emerging.

Secondly, none of the expat guides and articles you find on the web presents the entire expatriation adventure picture. When what you read in books and articles gives you only one half of the picture, then is it not incumbent upon you to report what you find to be the other half of the picture? Gringos who plan to come to Guanajuato to study, vacation, or live are left with incomplete research. There is another side of the story that could possibly affect a decision to come here. And, that is not a bad thing.

What I've been reporting has not been of the nature that would affect someone coming as a tourist. What I have been reporting could possibly affect the decisions of potential expatriates.

Thirdly, would not a potential gringo expat want to know the complete story of what life in Guanajuato is really like? Is it not unfair, maybe even dishonest, not to report the entire picture so someone's decision could be as informed and accurate as possible? To get only one side of what is actually at stake in living in this town is unfair to the potential expat. To let them come here and discover for themselves sounds romantic but is it really?

I wish someone had written about the pros and cons, the ups and downs, the good and the bad, so that I could have formed a more accurate picture of the city and made a more informed decision before I moved.

The complete picture of the town of Guanajuato, or any city in Mexico, needs to include not only the local nationals and all the possible foibles you will encounter but should also include any gringo expat community that is in that town and how the locals view it. Or, for that matter, how the gringos view and treat the locals.

There is a social reality that seems to accompany gringos when they settle in a foreign environment. It should also be presented to form the complete and accurate picture of what it's like to live in a particular city.

Here is an example of what I mean.

There is the social reality in this city that not all of its inhabitants are thrilled that Americans gringos are moving here. Some will like you. Some will not care about you one bit. Some do not like that you are here at all. I have reported this with appropriate examples of our personal experiences as well as those of other gringos who have communicated to me their experiences.

For this I am told, after being called vile names, I should leave Mexico and go live in Iraq by these gringos who claim to have cornered the market in Gringo/Mexican relationships.

I have an American friend who had a business in one of the plazas here who saw this first-hand. There was resentment toward her since she, an American, was trying to run a business. She had the experience of being refused service in a small restaurant when she tried ordering a quesadilla and coke.

The owner of the business would not wait on my friend. Though my friend knew enough Spanish to order these two items, the owner kept saying, "No entiendo," or "I don't understand." As my friend told me, "I understood quickly this woman didn't want to wait on me..."

She encountered this same sort of thing when the city tried to impose extraneous requirements on her...requirements they did not impose on the Mexican storeowners.

Potential expats, whether from America or elsewhere, need the complete expat story and not a watered-down version. While books and articles that offer lots and lots of feel-good and ego-stroking information are nice, it is not the whole story. They don't present the whole reality.

So, I will continue reporting what I see and I will continue to allow the Mexican nationals in the places where events happen to offer me their spin.

It's the only honest thing to do.