Prejudice against mexicans?

[cocos]

I read some spaniard people in a flight Madrid-Barcelona refused to travel if a mexican family was also traveling at that flight. As the mexicans were healthy the crew insisted they couldn't prohibit them to stay at the plane. Then the spaniards went down the plane.

This made me think it's so unfair people are discriminated because of their nationality being as unfair as racial or religious discrimination (and you know there have been 942 infected in a country of 100'000,000 people, a very, very, very small sample).

I have some mexican friends who will be on a cruise next month and they're worried they could be discriminated or people could refuse to be near them!

Do you think they have reason to be concerned? Would you have some kind of prejudice against people from Mexico?

[ddavis539]

I read some spaniard people in a flight Madrid-Barcelona refused to travel if a mexican family was also traveling at that flight. As the mexicans were healthy the crew insisted they couldn't prohibit them to stay at the plane. Then the spaniards went down the plane.

This made me think it's so unfair people are discriminated because of their nationality being as unfair as racial or religious discrimination (and you know there have been 942 infected in a country of 100'000,000 people, a very, very, very small sample).

I have some mexican friends who will be on a cruise next month and they're worried they could be discriminated or people could refuse to be near them!

Do you think they have reason to be concerned? Would you have some kind of prejudice against people from Mexico?

 

I don't think this has anything to do with racial/national prejudice, after all Most Mexicans descended from Spaniars, so they share a common Hispanic race. The way the media is covering this story (including in Spain), it makes it sound like anyone who has been in Mexico lately is carrying the flu. This is probably an overreaction on the part of these individuals not wanting to expose themselves to the flu. At least it wasn't China, were al Mexicans are quaranteened at the airport and not allowed to leave, unless they fly back home.

[penetangjudy]

A little bit of hysteria :rolleyes:

 

Me, personally, no.

[DFD1]

This is a media generated bias; unfortunate, but part of the "global community", whatever that is.

 

There is likely to be more of it against Mexican nationals before this is finished. I would hope your Mexican friends will "suck it up" and go about their business, considering the situation and the source of the discrimination.

[cocos]

I think you're right but I'm still concerned if it's a good idea to go on a vacation travel suposed to be enjoyable only to be made uncomfortable by people ignorant about the nature of the H1N1 virus.

[jacketwatch]

Its not prejudice against Mexicans I think because these same people would have done the same thing if the flu was say Chinese and there Chinese people on the plane. Its an overeaction. The lady who cuts my hair is Mexican and told me about a customer who refused to sit in her chair until she found out if Martha was just back from Mexico recently. :rolleyes:

[Sillyjilly]

This is a cruise board.

[penetangjudy]

This is a cruise board.

 

I have some mexican friends who will be on a cruise next month and they're worried they could be discriminated or people could refuse to be near them!

 

....and this IS cruise related :)

[cocos]

This is a cruise board.

 

In a cruise board you ask everything you think can make your travel more pleasant, and I think wondering if you're going to be made uncomfortable is very important for that matter.

You know, when you're planing a travel not everything is happy thoughts.

[Himself]

As I understand it this "swine flu" broke out in a place near a place in Mexico where pigs are slaughtered. It is an American Company that does the slaughtering there and it is not the cleanest place in the world. I do not think it is prejudice against Mexican people. My experience with Mexican people has always been positive. They are hard working, friendly people.

[Hflors]

I have some mexican friends who will be on a cruise next month and they're worried they could be discriminated or people could refuse to be near them!

 

....and this IS cruise related :)

 

I'm sorry that your friends even need to think of this! That is pretty sad :( But really how will people know they are from Mexico? Its not like they need to go around the ship with a labels on them that say "I'm from Mexico." I know its a worry, but I would tell them to take a deep breath, try to forget about this, and go and have a good time.

 

Just remember most people have a very short memory by next month this flu could be a very dim memory in many people's minds. If you doubt this, just check out these boards for "fuel charges" and see how many current threads there on this subject!!!

 

I'm sending good thoughts to your friends that they will have a wonderful cruise!

 

Helen

[Sow There]

Given that there are a number of Americans who have the flu, and given that the disease is not particularly virulent, I don't think this should be any problem at all.

[sail7seas]

Lots of folks were upset the ships didn't take them to their port calls in Mexico so judging from that, loads of cruisers wanted to be in Mexico with Mexican people.

 

Certainly can't speak for everyone.

 

[cusyl]

That just had to be of their ignorance about the Swine Flu virus, I have many person friends in Mexico that I have kept up with for years and years.

[KathyPet]

Are your friends sailing on Holland America? Is there some specific reason that is leading you to believe that they will be discriminated against or are you just posting in order to cause controversy?

[GreenB]

Hi Everybody!

 

I am Mexican and I live in Mexico. Very soon we will go on a cruise to celebrate a family reunion. There are 14 of us, we are as healthy as we can be, we "survived" the flu crisis, just like every single person I know did, and YES, we are VERY concerned because we know we will be discriminated just because we are Mexicans.

 

VERY concerned.

 

It makes us very SAD to think it going to be this way but, at the same time, we REALLY look forward to this trip, so we are not going to cancel.

I can ASSURE you we will not be carrying the virus with us and I can also ASSURE you we are nice, decent people. I am sure you might even enjoy our lovely kids!!

 

Also, for what I've been reading in this thread, it looks like you (the people that have posted) are different and tolerant. I just wish you were our cruise mates.

 

Best Regards.

[cocos]

Thanks all of you for your comments. I think that trip will be fine.

KathyPet: my friends have already reserved the Alaska cruise on Rydam that departs Seward on July 24th. I have no "specific reason" to "believe" anybody will be discriminated, but the same can be applied to anybody that "believe" he/she will have a great trip, or anybody that "believe" that something can be wrong in any trip.

[PROCRUISE]

It is amazing, and sad, how the media has whipped everyone up over this flu.People, are you aware that worldwide,EVERY YEAR, during the flu season, 36,000 people die from the good old flu bug! Wash your hands and get real!:)

[ottergal]

Hi Everybody!

 

I am Mexican and I live in Mexico. Very soon we will go on a cruise to celebrate a family reunion. There are 14 of us, we are as healthy as we can be, we "survived" the flu crisis, just like every single person I know did, and YES, we are VERY concerned because we know we will be discriminated just because we are Mexicans.

 

VERY concerned.

 

It makes us very SAD to think it going to be this way but, at the same time, we REALLY look forward to this trip, so we are not going to cancel.

I can ASSURE you we will not be carrying the virus with us and I can also ASSURE you we are nice, decent people. I am sure you might even enjoy our lovely kids!!

 

Also, for what I've been reading in this thread, it looks like you (the people that have posted) are different and tolerant. I just wish you were our cruise mates.

 

Best Regards.

 

I hope you have a great cruise and can try to go in with the thought that most people will NOT look at you in any different way than they did before. I certainly hope you find the the only people who treat you poorly or with suspicion because of your ethnicity are small minded and obviously uneducated and are not worth a second thought. Those will be the same people who shy away from anyone wearing a turban or cross the street when they see an African American man walking towards them. If anything, you can smile a bit inside knowing that they have identified themselves as people you probably don't want to spend much time with right away!

 

You can't fix people like that, you can only take solace in the fact that most people think they are boorish idiots.

 

Have a great vacation!

[fann1sh]

Cocos, people often wrongly guess my nationality. My "accent" (and we all have one :)) is misleading.

 

Very few people have a trained linguistic ear. Ironically, those arrogant Spanish nationals will likely be mistaken for Mexican at some point in their journey....which is poetic justice.

 

If your friends on the Ryndam are confronted by some fool, perhaps they could respond, "Yes, I'm from Mexico. Where are YOU from that you'd say something like that?"

[Sillyjilly]

In a cruise board you ask everything you think can make your travel more pleasant, and I think wondering if you're going to be made uncomfortable is very important for that matter.

You know, when you're planing a travel not everything is happy thoughts.

 

Sorry!

 

I stand corrected.:)

[Boytjie]

It is amazing, and sad, how the media has whipped everyone up over this flu.People, are you aware that worldwide,EVERY YEAR, during the flu season, 36,000 people die from the good old flu bug! Wash your hands and get real!:)

 

Perhaps some blame should also be placed on the public that got themselves whipped up; the media is not the only one to blame! :rolleyes:

[cruz chic]

Perhaps some blame should also be placed on the public that got themselves whipped up; the media is not the only one to blame! :rolleyes:

I agree!

[iancal]

Just ask some Americans of Middle Eastern descent how they were treated after 9/11. Unfortunately it happens everywhere. Human nature I guess.

[DFD1]

The media, 24 hours a day now of repeated news stories, did the whipping. The public, sometimes like lemmings, did allow itself to be whipped up. No question about that, but the power of broadcast media to move the public in a given direction on almost any issue is sometimes scary.

 

IMO, and I know this is a bit far afield from cruising. I apologize.