Statement from Betsy Perry regarding the piece below:
One of the challenges for any blogger is to write fast, write short, and get people to find your way of thinking sharp and funny. No question that my post today was written too fast, wasn't short enough, and turned out to be neither sharp nor funny. I see now that it crossed the line between cute and offensive. For that, I really do apologize, and I have asked that the post be taken down.
Original post:
Used to be the worst thing about visiting Mexico was drinking the water or tickling an ice cube in your margarita; it was guaranteed regardless of safety measures that within hours you would be physically attached to the "commode." Warned against eating anything that might have been touched by the Mexican help with hands washed in parasite infested tap water, you'd live on guacamole and Doritos even at the finest hotels.
Nowadays the best PR Mexico has is the movie "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." Between the guns, drugs, kidnappings and swine flu, this poor country can't catch a break and, maybe it shouldn't. Getting Montezuma's Revenge seems the least of Mexico's headaches for now.
Years ago going to Acapulco was only for the very rich who swam in private pools at the pink bungalows of Las Brisas. And the late DK Ludwig invested zillions to fly in movie stars and press for 24 hours to cover his hotel openings. Nowadays, you couldn't pay me to go.
Just yesterday I flew back from Miami and at the first sound of a hacking cough coming from a passenger I searched for anything to cover my nose and mouth — I do think masks are an excellent idea for commercial plane travel anyway (I guess if you have your own G5 you can pick your germs). I maintain that people travel way too much anyway when they're sick and now that the CDC has told them to stay home, I think anyone with germs should feel free to not share them. Arrest the coughers, I say!
(And as long as I'm on my travel rant, how about not bringing on Big Macs or ribs when the flight is less than three hours? Can you really not make it without onions and barbecue sauce on a flight from NYC to Fort Lauderdale at 8 AM? And we wonder why certain fliers may have to buy an extra seat or perhaps the person next to you is reaching for the airsick bag?)
I really don't want to get into the immigration issue because I do believe everyone has a right to work but if this country doesn't get a grip on its banditos and blast the heck out of the corrupt police forces, Mexico is going to get a big time out and spend years on the naughty chair list (Miami is now seeing the tourists once booked at Cancun and Cozumel and of course, a Rod Stewart sighting may mean Hollywood will be cha cha-ing to the east coast rather than south of the border).
Listening to the news this morning made me realize that others are thinking along the same lines — can it be we have been looking for just this swine flu excuse to close our borders to Mexico?
If I were in charge and looking for a little positive PR, I'd make sure "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2" was rushed into production mucho pronto. Viva los 'huahuas!!
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Mexico has a lot to offer and for those who have no idea of the history of Mexico, I suggest a book or simply google "Mexico's history".
I am a US citizen born in Mexico City. I have a college degree from the University of Utah. None of my relatives in Mexico are bandidos, ignorant, drug dealers.
Please stop spreading hatred because no one benefits from this.
How can I prove you that I'm a mexican and that NOT all mexicans are angry about this?
What I'm trying to say by this is that your article is based on ignorance and xenophobia
You fail to be a good example for students such as myself that are trying to rpove themselves to this world.
I'm 18 and I'm a mexican student living in México. I've lived all my life here, I speak spanish and english, and I'm learning italian and portuguese
But then I read this article, and everything I read here seems to be based in ignorant and xenofobic remarks than in true facts. For example "Nowadays the best PR Mexico has is the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua.
I was looking at this and couldn't believe what I was reading. How can anyone express this way about a whole nation? Even if you're not fond of Mexico and its people, doesn't gives you the right to publish such a poor, uninformed and let me add sad post. I know: Freedom of Speech... but you actually crossed the line between writing a mere, simple point of view, and writing what it seems the work of a very troubled woman who hates an entire country and that without even knowing all the facts, adventures into writing this piece of work, which I really found very hard to digest, even after reading it a few times. You're saying that Mexico deserves the Swine Flu? That Mexico's already damaged economy and millions of citizens deserve this? Like if it were a God's punishment
Mexican help? Seriously?
FYI: Swine Flu is not from Mexico. According to WHO, it all started in California
Poor woman, you really need to get to know the world a little bit better, travel, learn languages, study and please stop writing!
I'm a MEXICAN and I'm proud to be one, I eat ice, I drink water, I speak 3 languages, I have a college degree and if I had a gun I would probably use it against people like you!
I hope you rot in that racist, self-cente
Enjoy your lack of education and culture.
Were you trying to display ignorance artificial
Even people with strong interests (hence emotionall
However, the fact that Social Problems do exist in both countries, can not be confused (honestly or dishonestl
Betsy may have not realized that she arrogantly CROSSED all HUMAN RESPECT and DIGNITY boundaries by verbally abusing Mexico, its people and by extension offending 580 million Latin Americans, another 40 million American Latinos including one third (about 3 million) of the NYC population which she supposedly represente
As a Colombian American, I feel deeply offended and outraged. I am glad her hypocrisy is not serving our diverse city any longer and hope she won't be offered any posts in public life.
Betsy clearly has doomed her career in public life, but this was a ploy of her own making...
---Out of the crooked tree of humanity, nothing entirely straight can be built. (Inmanuel Kant)
For who in this WORLD??
Come to Mexico and know the culture before thinking about closing borders. There is more than TV shows on life, Betsy.
Come and get a delicious Margarita prepared for Native American living in Puerto Vallarta with MEXICAN water and ice cubes. Yes, those native american are still alive living in Mexico.
This is a delicate thing to do, I agree, absolutely
Mexico will be better off.
The drug war will be over because there will be no consumers for its product!!!
American economy will be affected because there will be no more cheap labor.
The springbrea
The American diseases, like the swine flu that started in Texas, will stay there
Now, I do not want to judge Betsy Perry, I do not know her nor does she know me. I would just like to know why she would write this. Does she really believe that 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' was filmed in Mexico? Does she really believe that 'Banditos' are Mexican? Does she really consider the people who serve food at hotels there are, in a way, 'Mexican help'? It all raises a lot of questions.
Now I understand that people have the right to Freedom of Speech, it's a right everyone should take advantage of, but when it offends another, I don't really think it is 'Freedom of Speech' anymore, more like 'Insulting with Speech'.
I am an American born male, both parents are immigrants from Guatemala. I have also been to Mexico, and never did I use or hear the word 'Bandito', never did I think that those who work in hotels should be considered 'Mexican help' and I thought 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' was filmed in the United States. I have always had fond memories of Mexico and would definitely go back again.
So to conclude, I feel bad for Betsy Perry, I really do. She is going to receive a lot of criticism for what she wrote. But maybe she should understand what she is writing, the ramificati