I will add a whole lot more later, and will probably eventually publish an eBook here, but for now, the 3 big-bucket aspects of being a “good gringo” are:
I. Be Mexican Polite
In Mexico, it is RUDE AS FUCK to walk into a store or restaurant or bakery or ticket counter or ANYWHERE and just get right to the business at hand, as it feels to Mexicans less “efficient” and more “dehumanzing”. Here, we greet people politely first, as one might an old friend, and then we ask for the cheeseburger (or whatever), because in Mexico, we treat people as human being to be respected, not as servants who exist solely to do our bidding.
The other main aspect of being Mexican Polite involves understanding that in Mexico patience isn’t just a virtue, but a cultural way of life, which renders the outward expression of impatience incomprehensible and offputting to an everyday Mexican. Having living down here for years, I have learned that the world does not end because I sometimes must wait 3 whole extra minutes to place a sandwich order due to the previous customer and the sandwich shop employee having a brief friendly little chit chat. Just relax. You’ll be OK, too. I promise.
II. Learn Spanish
You don’t need to be an expert, least of all first starting out, but it should be obvious to any Mexican you encounter that you are least trying.
III. Limit Your “Foreigner Footprint”
Again, lots more to say here, but BY FAR the biggest harm we gringos actively cause in Mexico is related to housing costs, and there are 5 specific rules of thumb we can follow that greatly reduce the harm we cause in this critical area.
1. If you are visiting, choose a hotel, not an AirBNB, as every unit on AirBNB is a unit removed from the traditional rental market, which produces scarcity, which produces supply-and-demand-related rent increases.
2. If you are looking for a place to live, independently INFORM YOURSELF what the prices here are supposed to be (Facebook Marketplace is a good resource, but, also, Googling “departmentos en renta cdmx” will take you to all the major sites where Mexicans go to find apartments for rent) before you start the search in earnest and steadfastly refuse to pay more than what locals pay. In short, ask yourself NOT “what *would* this place cost back home?” but rather “what *should* this place cost here?” and hold that line.
3. Do not work with any real estate agents who speak English above a basic level and do not look for apartments in any English-speaking Facebook or WhatsApp groups, because if they are specifically seeking foreign clients, it is because their specialty is fucking foreigners. And, these groups not only distort rental prices, but they also create outright discrimination against locals, because the massive prevalence of selfish and stupid foreigners in these groups who are eager to pay between 200% and 500% of what the rent is supposed to be has caused shitloads of building and unit owners to literally straight-up refuse as a matter of policy to rent to locals.
4. If you are looking to live in Mexico, and are looking for a place to rent long term or buy, seek an area that is already popular with foreigners, which generally means the worst of the real estate price hikes and gentrification have already occurred, thereby mostly mitigating the direct harm you cause personally.
5. If you can not afford to live in areas that are already well established popular destinations for foreigners (such as Zona Romantica in Puerto Vallarta, the Golden Zone in Mazatlan, or “the Gringo Bubble” of Roma, Condesa, and Polanco in Mexico City) or if you would rather not be surrounded be foreigners, then choose an area that is NOT already gentrifying and that you have a good faith basis to believe will not likely be next on the gentrification chopping block. The worst course of action, the path that causes the most harm by far to locals, is the 3 part path that way too many gringos unfortunately choose to pursue, namely: A) choosing an area adjacent to the “gringo bubble” areas already well pre-gentrified, B) working with a fluent English speaking real estate agent, and C) spending most of their time and money inside the “gringo bubble” area (thereby managing to spike neighborhood rent prices without supporting neighborhood businesses).