G****s

Guiris. 

I don’t like this word.

It has nearly the same meaning as gringa (a word I love for many reasons) but here in Madrid I don’t understand why it exists.

Luckily in Spain I’ve never been called a guiri. But recently I’ve heard and read it more used to describe foreign tourists. A common phrase I have found in reviews for restaurants is “Esta llena de guiris,” or “It is full of tourists.” And from what I can gather it is not derogatory per say but demeaning. (A quick google image search will give you an idea of the meaning behind it.)

When I get called a gringa in Latin America its because I stand out. I stand out because I stand a head over everyone, I have blue eyes, speak english and have fair skin. I am from a  completely different socio-economic class, eat different foods, and our cultures are vastly different. 

Here in Spain, I wouldn’t have to look hard to find someone very similar to myself. So why is there a specific word for me? Blue eyes aren’t common but exist, I’ve seen women taller than myself, hamburgers aren’t that hard to find, we listen to the same music and we shop and the same stores. Many people speak English at the same level I speak Spanish. 

I try really hard to not be a tourist. I don’t get sucked in by free this or that and I try to stay out of places that are non-authentic. But I have come to realize that some tourist zones or streets are full of amazing food or shopping. So why aren’t there Spainards there and why am I told to avoid them? Because of the tourists. Some tourists, like myself, do our research. 

I know that Madrid is always full of foreigners but why is that something to dislike? In reality, tourism is one of the biggest if not the biggest industry in Madrid. (Money for healthcare comes from somewhere after all).

Fort Lauderdale has lots of tourists, but I don’t think I’ve ever avoided an area because I might encounter a Canadian. 

Every Spaniard I have met has been incredibly incredibly nice. I have been asked the question more than once if I find Spaniards or Americans to be more friendly, and I have answered every time that ”Los Espanoles son mas amables." From these experiences I know that Spaniards don’t honestly dislike tourists, especially young American chicas (just kidding, people were nice to my parents too,) but this term guiris really rubs me the wrong way. 

*EDIT* 

I asked Señora and Angel about the meaning behind guiris during la comida today, right after I wrote this. Of course the first thing they said was that “Oh, but you don’t look like one.” They explained it to me as someone who is obviously foreign, knows nothing of Spain, is despistada (lost, absent minded). Señora said like the Japanese tourists and Angel says he thinks of English people. It’s not an insult but claro, what it means is not a compliment either. And just because I’m not one doesn’t mean it doesn’t still bother me. Señora said much worse is Yankee.