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Gringo

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A woman reading the English-language Gringo Gazette in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Gringo is a Spanish and Portuguese term used mostly in Latin America to denote foreigners, specially people from the United States, Canada, and UK.

In Brazil, the term is used to refer to any foreigner, regardless of their ethnicity or nationality, even when it comes to other Latin-Americans.

Etymology

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The most supported theory is that the term originates from the word griego ('Greek'), used in the same way as the English phrase it's all Greek to me. Some theories assert that the term originated in the Mexican-American War, when American troops sang a song which began with "Green grows..." such as "Green Grow the Rushes, O", "Green Grow the Lilacs", among others.

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