Expat Community > Ecuador

livefreebstrong
Joined 2014
Posts: 1022

Cuenca and Cuencano Attitude

10 years ago

In Ecuador you have the Selva, the Highlands, the Lowlands, The Beachy lands, and then,....there is Cuenca.

I read the article on how one Cuencano (and probably this person's circle of friends) feel about the influx of Gringos In Cuenca. How on the outside they are polite, but on the inside they want the Gringos to go.

That is probably true for some of the Mestizos who've run the city and benefited from the social, governmental, and material structure of things. But, I would wager to say it's most definitely not an opinion shared by the indigenous who have not been on the receiving end of this tightly run society. Or even for other Mestizos who are profiting from increased rents, property values or biz revenue.

And guess what? They would feel absolutely the same if a large group of Guayacos came to settle. Actually, they are probably cutting the Gringo Expats more slack in comparison to what would happen if the other scenario were to occur. Anyone who shakes the apple tree besides them.... They have pride. They have history. They have attitude.

Lots of attitude.

How do other Ecuadorians feel about Cuencanos? Well, people always lower their voice when expressing the reputation of Cuencanos as if they sense some guilt about admitting it. But, Cuencanos are known for being "tercos" and "tacanos" and possess a barely disguised stance that they are somewhat better than Ecuadorians from other provinces. The author of this article, in so many words, called himself/herself, a two face. And this person is right. That's another word that's used to describe the Cuencanos. I'm utilizing huge generalizations at the moment, so one must take that into consideration.

Okay. Now feel bad for writing it. My purpose is presenting this is to demonstrate where such a biased veiwpoint of Gringos in Cuenca might come from and to help expats in Cuenca understand that it's not entirely their actions or even their own personal origin that is causing this prejudice.

Cuenca is more than just another Texas. For me, it's easy to see why the Cuencanos have so much pride. They have the best part of the Highlands, their colonial architecture is striking and consistent, their pottery rules, there is less poverty, less crime, and even the dress of the indigenous is fancier-- with women wearing those heavy pleated skirts and their black healed shoes- even while working in the fields. Cuencanos even have their own special accent. I tease those that have expressed their feelings about Cuencanos to me that they are simply jealous of their accomplishments.

Still, as all the Cuencapats have stated on this forum, many times, people need to integrate, keep English conversations in public soft, learn basic Spanish (at the very least), use Ecuadorian businesses as well as Gringo businesses, and be as polite as the Cuencanos .... which would include greetings when appropriate.

The beach does not have this long established history by a large population. Most locals have migrated here over the past 60 years. They are accustomed to seeing foreigners and tourists from all over the world. There isn't that same prejudice for Expats to conquer, and come on, let's be honest, Gringos can be very entertaining. We're not monkeys, but we're close.

PS. I'm in so much trouble by Cuancanos who might read this.

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