Language Learning,  Preparing

What does it mean to be a ‘Guiri’

“For being a guiri, she is not that stupid…”

Dear Hannah,

Even though you probably won’t have heard this word before coming to Spain, once you arrive, you will most likely be called a guiri. Like the Mexican word ‘gringo’, guiri is a word that Spanish people use for foreigners. In this case, it refers specifically those white, blond, German-looking people who wear socks with their sandals. Don’t worry though, they will probably include you into this group too if you don’t look Spanish and/or speak with an accent. You will most likely be asked “where are you from?” because they know you are not from around here (although African and Asian Americans will probably also get “but where are you really from?” because Spanish people don’t recognize someone as Spanish until the family has been living in Spain for three or four generations so they might not accept you are American right off the bat, but that is another conversation).

After living here for a while, we now fully accept that we can be referred to as guiris. While Claudia comes across as a guiri at first sight (her light skin, light-ish brown hair, and hazely eyes), Dani can sometimes blend in. However, even if we manage to confuse people with our mostly great accents and fluent Spanish skills, sooner or later someone figures out that we are not from around here and we can easily be called guiris.

In fact, a close friend talks about three levels of guiri-ness: guiri guiri guiri (which is probably what you are if you haven’t spend much time in Spain), guiri guiri (which could be anyone from Dani to Claudia), and just guiri (such as you cannot even tell Claudia’s brother is not Spanish). In fact, Claudia’s brother is now such an integrated guiri that when they go out together and he introduces her as his sister, people will get thrown off and say, “but she looks guiri.” The obvious reply is “duh, we both are.”

We find this term to be really difficult to explain because we are not trying to be oblivious to the fact that we are being judged (and judging) constantly based on external appearances. We are also completely aware that being lighter-skinned foreigners makes a big difference, especially in a country like Spain—more on this soon! At the same time, being a guiri has allowed us to understand at a deeper level what it means to be labeled, and it is not always nice.

In general, we try to treat this label as a positive one, which we often do as our Spanish friends will use it to speak about us affectionately and it feels like a waste of energy to get offended. On the other hand, it can provide us insight into how we may make others feel when we label them because it doesn’t always feel great to be called a guiri. And when it is in the context of people saying things when they think we cannot understand, it can sometimes really hurt.

We would recommend that you take this label as it comes to you and try to make it into a learning experience. Understand what it means when you talk about other people in a general way, and try to comprehend what it might make them feel. If you feel like an outsider, take this opportunity to become more empathetic and compassionate with those people who are in similar situations. If you are never someone who has been the “other,” let this be your chance.

Sincerely,
Spain

11 Comments

  • geoffforster@gmail.com

    Or call the racists out. 16 years I’ve been el guiri -my name is Geoff I’m a human with feelings not a label …
    It’s not okay to be okay with this, not anymore.

    • Sincerely, Spain

      Dear Geoff,
      We understand your frustration, however, in our experience the circumstances and situation make a big difference to what this word means. In most cases, we choose to not let it affect us negatively and, in some cases, it is even a positive term of endearment.
      Best of luck,
      Dani and Claudia

  • edenmgillespie@hotmail.com

    I don’t stand by this. I appreciate what you are trying to do here by bringing light to the situation but I have lived in Spain half my life. From the age of thirteen I have been called a Guiri.

    I speak Spanish fluently, I have worked here and paid my taxes like everyone else. I continue to live in Spain and I still hear the word Guiri or blanquita, or la puta inglesa. It has never been spoken with love and affection. I have dealt with people saying all of this based on them simply looking at me and judging because I am white, blue eyed and blond haired. Even the police have done it to me.

    I know you are saying take it so we know how other people feel but what have I done wrong to deserve this. What has anyone done wrong to be called such things? It doesn’t matter what your skin colour is or where you come from, we are all human and to be subjected to insults and degrading comments is wrong no matter who it comes from.

    Being called such things makes me embarrassed to be English sometimes, makes me feel like coming from a place I am proud of is wrong. That’s not ok.

    So I understand but I don’t agree with how you think people should manage it.

    • Sincerely, Spain

      Dear Eden,
      Thank you for sharing your experiences and your views on this situation. We can empathize with how it feels when these kinds of things are said negatively because we have also received this negative comments, despite being fluent and having lived in Spain for years. At the same time, feeling frustration or resentment around it won’t change the actions of everyone else in the country and probably just builds on itself over time, negatively impacting your own experience.
      And, just to clarify, we do not believe anyone has done anything wrong to be treated as an outsider. Yet we do see that people still judge others all around the world every day based on things like skin color, physical features, etc. (for example, see our article about traveling and living in Spain as a black woman for how that also impacts the experience). We would love to see this change not only in Spain but all around the world. That is why here we are trying to recommend that people lean into this discomfort of being different because we believe that it can help us empathize with how others also feel and change our own actions to being more positive.
      Sincerely,
      Dani and Claudia

  • Slavko

    Light skin? Spaniards are as light skin as other Europeans… I’m from Ukraine and live here and the average Spaniard doesn’t look different from the average dark haired Central European or Balkanite.. skin colour studies have shown that Spaniards when not tanned are lighter than some more Northern Europeans like Belgians. So what you’re saying makes no sense, a light brown person looks foreign? Where exactly in Spain do you live because where I live light brown hair is pretty common and blond shades of hair is seen in one and ten people.. people in my town in southern Ukraine are darker. There is no way a Spaniard would call someone blanquita as Spaniards themselves are white lol… Americans say the weirdest things

  • Slavko

    I just saw both Dani and Claudia’s picture… to imply either of them stick out in any part of Spain is ludicrous. The lighter haired one has a common look you find even in Andalucia, she doesn’t strike me as “Germanic” looking like certain Anglos and in fact I would’ve assumed both of them were Spaniards or French never British i.e. on the other hand I as a dark Eastern European do stick out because of my appreance, as Spaniards think I look too exotic and eastern despite having “southern colouring.” So no your looks are in no way what makes you stand out it’s most likely your mannerisms, language, and behaviour.

    • Sincerely, Spain

      Dear Slavko,
      Thank you for taking the time to comment. You obviously have your own experience with being a foreigner in Spain. Without disregarding what you have faced, we are simply sharing our own experiences living in southern Spain with the term “guiri”. We hope that by sharing our experiences, others will be able to reflect on situations they have faced.
      Sincerely,
      Spain

  • neil massey

    I lived in Spain for ten years I learnt the language integrated into the town had Spanish girlfriends and best friend who is Spanish. I was known as el guiri! It was a term of respect in my situation. I loved it!

    • Sincerely, Spain

      Dear Neil,
      We are glad to hear you have had a good experience with this term!
      Of course, everyone’s experience is always different, but we have had some good moments with friends calling us ‘guiris’ as well.
      Sincerely,
      Dani and Claudia

  • Mark

    I have 2 things to say about this:
    (1) Everyone must choose to either have a victim mindset or empowered mindset. It makes all the difference, as you have proven above. Our minds are hardwired to analyse and categorize everything for safety and to insure that our species survives. It is how you react to this that makes all of the difference.
    (2) As you stated the term itself is not derogatory, just a specific word for foreigner/tourist. How it is used is a function of the person using it, not the term.

    • Sincerely, Spain

      Thanks for sharing your perspective, Mark. Of course not everyone will have the same experience with the word “guiri,” but we have been able to take the sort of mindset you speak about and have benefited from this approach–one that can be useful in many areas of life.

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