Living In Mexico: San Miguel De Allende

Americans living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico either do not understand, do not want to understand, or are in simple denial regarding the effect they've had on this Central Mexican Colonial Town. I find their constant shock and surprise at the observations made by the rest of the world about the effect they have on the city too incredible to believe. They walk around with blinders on, do not want to see it, or do not want to admit it.

My wife and I were in San Miguel this weekend for a craft fair. We witnessed three screaming incidents in which Americans screeched like raging wolves, in English of course, at local Mexican artisans trying to sell their wares. After witnessing these events, I spoke in Spanish with each victim of this American expat cordiality and asked each person what he or she thought.

Without exception, these were people from an area of Mexico where currently, because of some political unrest, they are unable to sell their crafts. These vendors were in San Miguel de Allende for the first time in their lives. They were not only unable to speak English, but were in virtual shock at these American expats who acted like a troop of baboons.

The overwhelming presence of Americans (and there at least 10,000-12,000 living there) in San Miguel de Allende is not what shocked them. It was rather the arrogant condescension with which these rich, country club, we-are-better-than-you-because-of-our-money Americans treated them. They yelled, made sharp, pointing gestures in the vendors' faces, and all but frothed at the mouth like mad dogs. It did not take long after our arrival to see the behavior we have grown accustomed to in the San Miguel de Allende American expat community.

It was everywhere! I've written multiple articles about this atrocity. I have also mentioned it in two of my books. I've been trying to draw the world's attention to this since we moved here over three years ago. For reasons I cannot begin to fathom, I cannot explain why no one seems to notice or care. And yet, there they were, the San Miguelian Expats, abusing the vendors as though the vendors were dogs to be swatted on the head with rolled-up newspapers.

I can barely stand it. The very thing about which Americans complain?immigrants to America not learning the language and assimilating into American life?Americans who move to Mexico, by and large, DO THE VERY SAME THING!

San Miguel de Allende is a case in point. Americans have invaded this small, historically significant Colonial Mexican town and refused to do the hard work of learning the language so they can assimilate into the culture. That which they expect of Mexicans coming to America to live, they do not expect of themselves.

The effect of this linguistic deprivation is social isolation and hostility. There are some American expats who actually boast that they will never learn Spanish. They expect all those who work for them to speak English. Rather than try to learn Spanish, many of them send their hired help to school for English lessons.

You cannot assimilate that which you cannot understand. You cannot have meaningful association with someone with whom you cannot communicate. Lack of communication breeds hostility and contempt. Am I wrong?

While doing research for our first book, the locals in San Miguel asked us:

"Why won't they learn our language?"

"Why won't they associate with us?"

This seemed to sum up the Mexicans' feelings in San Miguel de Allende.

The Americans to whom I've told this deny that there's a problem. The Americans do not get it. The Mexicans most certainly do.

In fact, I've had an American lunge at me over this issue. I live in a town an hour away from San Miguel. The San Miguelian American expats make frequent excursions to the capital city where I live. When they come to Guanajuato, they will act out often just as they do in San Miguel.

I once had one of these visitors inform me the citizens of the city to which I've expatriated all speak English but they are pretending that they don't. Nice, huh?

As we chatted, I told her that for the most part, the Mexicans do not like the fact that the American expats will not associate with them. Her response was,

"So, you are telling me that they do not appreciate all the money we throw at them?"

Is this not so American?

Let's buy their love and respect with our money.

I replied, "You will never have their love and I can tell you that you certainly do not have their respect."

That is when she went for my eyes. Her husband pulled her off me.

Acts of violence, which seem to be the American way of life, are not isolated incidents among American expats. I've personally witnessed violence twice. Recently, people have begun to come forward and report that Americans have attacked them in fits of I-am-certainly-better-than-you rage.

Here is a quote from another expat: "My money and my lawyers always win."

To see this, My-money-and-I-are-entitled-to-do-whatever-we-desire attitude, all you have to do is spend an hour, maybe two, in a crowd of Americans trying to interact with Mexicans. You won't have to go far since this arrogant, self-entitlement behavior wreaks havoc everywhere and stinks like a rotting carcass. It is unavoidable. Inescapable.

The Mexicans in San Miguel de Allende know the Americans have bought their town. The Mexicans in Guanajuato, and I suspect in the rest of central Mexico, know this too. The American expat community owns San Miguel de Allende.

The only honest American expat in San Miguel to admit this told me,

"The Americans own this town. What the Americans want, the Americans can get. What they want, they march into the mayor's office and get."

I bet that's where they throw all that money?Don't you?

Doug Bower is the author of nine books about expat issues in Mexico. GUANAJUATO,MEXICO - Your Expat and Retirement Manual