Gringo cannibals: when immigrants turn on each other

From the Facebook page of Catherine-Claire Blythe

𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠, 𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑥𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑏𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓.

Anti-American and anti-foreign sentiment in Mexico is intensifying. Rising rental prices, tourism pressures, and at least three large anti-American protests have captured both national and international attention.

At the same time, “Moto Man” and “Pee-in-the-Park Tourist” are making national news, while “The Barefoot Gringa” is blowing up on local social media. These incidents cross my desk daily as foreigners rush to share, repost, and circulate every clip of “Gringos Behaving Badly.”

But I have to ask myself—𝑤ℎ𝑦? 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡? 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑜 𝐼 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑠?

The photos, videos, or headlines aren’t what disturb me most. It’s the storm of vile, dehumanizing comments—the online dogpiling, harassment, and even calls for deportation—coming from immigrants, no less, that make me stop and think about what is happening in our community. And it’s deeply troubling.

Each time a foreigner does something unacceptable—whether it’s “Moto Man,” “Pee-in-the-Park Tourist,” or “The Barefoot Gringa”—we don’t just see criticism of the behavior. We see full-on public trials held in the court of Facebook. These posts are filled with hateful language, bullying, and xenophobic rhetoric coming from immigrants, foreigners, and Gringos themselves.

This goes beyond bad manners—it’s normalizing xenophobic scripts. It’s copying the same “kick them out” mentality that many of us have witnessed—and despised—in our own countries of origin.

Condemning bad manners while modeling something far uglier is the definition of the pot calling the kettle black.

If we’re going to condemn rudeness, we can’t respond with hate. Participating in a Facebook witch hunt should be just as embarrassing as putting dirty feet on a restaurant table.

And here’s why…

𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐗𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐬

Right now, xenophobia is rising against 𝐘𝐎𝐔—yes, you—the very foreigners living here.

When you attack other foreigners publicly, you are reinforcing the harmful narrative that foreigners are a problem population to be policed, shamed, and expelled. This behavior is shortsighted, spreads ignorance, and fuels xenophobia.

You don’t gain goodwill or immunity by joining the mob—𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐛 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤: 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

If we condemn bad manners, how can we justify responding with even worse behavior—hate speech, bullying, incivility, and vitriol? By trying to shame someone while unleashing full-blown digital lynch mobs, we prove that the pot is calling the kettle black.

This is modeling the very toxicity and disrespect we claim to oppose, while simultaneously sending the message to every other nationality that open season on Gringos is permissible. A literal invite.

Is this really the image we want—shifting from a few foreigners behaving badly to a 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧?

𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬

Every one of us has had moments we wouldn’t want blasted across social media for the world to judge. Yet, when someone posts a clip of “Moto Man” or “The Barefoot Gringa,” the comments quickly turn into digital stoning—doxxing, vulgar insults, deportation chants—as if one bad moment defines an entire person.

Have we forgotten that these are real people—human beings?

If you live in a glass house, consider putting that stone down and extending the grace you hope to receive.

Additionally, we don’t always know the facts: Was Moto Man ticketed? Was the Barefoot Gringa asked to leave? Was the Pee-in-the-Park Tourist arrested?

These public witch hunts disregard the principle of due process. 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬. On the other hand, many of the online comments violate Mexican law protecting dignity, privacy, and civil rights. You not only risk endangering someone’s safety, but you may also inadvertently be opening yourself up to legal trouble.

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬

There’s even a proposal on the table to start a local Facebook page dedicated to shaming “Entitled Expats.” But what’s next? Are we also going to launch a page for “Mexicans Behaving Badly”? Where does it end?

And does airing our dirty laundry this way truly make our community better?

We’ve already seen dangerous cries for “The Barefoot Gringa’s” name, calls for deportation, and even threats of physical violence against “Moto Man,” along with sweeping claims that “𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛” or that “𝑀𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑦.”

Of course, that’s not true.

If you doubt it, just look up the viral videos of Mexico’s own “𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒚𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔”(akin to the “Karens” in the U.S.).

Vilifying outsiders while putting insiders on a pedestal doesn’t make anyone look better. It deepens divisions, creates an “us vs. them” narrative, and fuels resentment.

Bad behavior isn’t a nationality problem—it’s a 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 problem.

Before we launch a full-blown shame campaign, consider that study after study shows that shaming rarely changes behavior. It’s ineffective, often counterproductive, and more likely to escalate anger, defensiveness, and conflict.

𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

𝐀𝐥𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐀 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐑 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

Every share, angry comment, or viral post trains social media algorithms to amplify “foreigners behaving badly” content. This creates a manufactured perception that foreigners are a problematic group, which bleeds into real-world treatment and fuels resentment.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

By spotlighting lesser acts of disrespect and wrongdoings, then amplifying them, we overshadow far graver issues that deserve our attention. In no world should these incidents dominate the narrative over tragedies like the man arrested for walking down the street with a severed head or the 82-year-old immigrant struck by a car and killed, or the massive floods devastating entire areas.

Where is the outrage for these stories? Where are the thousands of comments, the collective grief, the urgent calls to action for stories that profoundly impact our community?

By fixating on smaller slights, we dilute the urgency of addressing critical issues that shape lives and futures.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐨𝐰, 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐩

Chasing clickbait and sensationalism at the expense of someone’s health and well-being isn’t community consciousness—it’s exploitation.

Instead of amplifying the missteps of a few, ask yourself: 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒓, 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒄𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔? Because the seeds you plant today shape the harvest you face tomorrow.

𝐕𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

Joining the dogpile doesn’t make anyone the “good” expat or the voice of the people.

True leadership means educating instead of shaming. De-escalating instead of inflaming. Leading by example instead of grandstanding.

It’s easy to gain likes for outrage. It takes character to foster solutions and encourage respect across cultures.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭

It’s tempting to think that justice comes from the crowd—that if enough people pile on, the offender will feel bad enough to change. But community isn’t a gladiator ring. Real change doesn’t come from humiliation and indignity; it comes from dialogue, education, and connection.

We must resist the urge to turn our neighbors into spectacles. That urge, though natural in the age of clicks and shares, doesn’t reflect our best selves. And it certainly doesn’t reflect the community most of us came here hoping to find or build.

The online pile-ons don’t just hurt the people in the videos—they hurt all of us. They damage the social fabric we’re trying to strengthen. They make us afraid of one another. They breed suspicion instead of solidarity. And ultimately, they make it harder to have real conversations about the very real issues we do need to address—like gentrification, cultural respect, public safety, and community norms.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐁𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐞

Do we want a respectful, thriving community—or do we just want to feel morally superior?

Because the two are rarely the same.

If our true goal is a respectful and integrated Lakeside community, then we need to start acting like it. That means upholding standards of decency—for everyone. That includes how we behave online, how we talk about each other, and how we model our values, especially when things go wrong.

Call out bad behavior, yes—but do it responsibly. Report lawbreaking to the proper authorities. Set community guidelines with input from locals and immigrants alike. Organize events, offer cultural orientations, or partner with local leaders to promote shared norms and mutual respect.

But please—𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅.

There is no virtue in cruelty. No moral high ground in harassment. And no community is worth living in that thrives on mob justice.

We can create a Lakeside that’s known for kindness, accountability, and cultural humility—or we can keep throwing stones in glass houses and wonder why the community feels so fractured.

It’s up to each of us.

Source: Catherine-Claire Blythe Facebook

San Miguel Post

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