melissa_r

Wow! Where's the popcorn? Hehehe The conversation got kind of heated but it was pretty interesting to see everybody's point of view...

In Puerto Rico, a gringo is a person from the USA that speaks english. It is not a derogatory term, it is just a word. It is not a bad word or anything, but some people feel offended by it (including my husband). I believe that the only way that word could be seen as offensive is if somebody says it in a harsh or mean tone. Then again, that's just my opinion.

lauracipolla

the thing with names being offensive is the intention, of course. to give you an example that you might find strange, in my country we use the name "Negro" to address people of dark (or just darker than white) skin, and sometimes not even connected to the person's color but just developed as a nickname for them. they're never offended, of course UNLESS you say it in a harsh tone (and generally followed by more words that indicate dislike or contempt). I know well because I was once married to a dark-skinned person. I'm sure you wouldn't be able to do the same in the States... (I really don't know about other countries...)