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When I go buy a fresh pressed juice in the streets of CDMX, I am often referred to as güero, even though I have brown hair. Güero is sometimes translated as "blonde", which doesn't seem accurate in that context. Would it be more accurate to simply say that anyone who isn't moreno is güero? I imagine that the interpretation of these words differ between dialects of Spanish, is that true? Or does güero just mean "caucasian", i.e. people of European, Middle Eastern, or North African ancestry?

Regarding moreno, I see it translated as brown-haired. That can't be accurate, since then I would qualify as a moreno, which can't be the case, since they call me güero. Can I be both güero and moreno? My intuition tells me that the truest moreno are amerindians, but that could be too restrictive since I think many Mexicans don't consider themselves amerindians any more. Are people of African descent considered moreno? Is it about hair color, culture or race (as seen in the US Census)?

Does moreno just mean "Mexican"? That would make sense, since I don't understand how the ruling party can claim allegiance to any particular race. It would make more sense to say that the Moreno party is just the "Mexican" party.

Would be very interested in any literary references on this.

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Muchas cuestiones.

Many questions.

Güero normalmente se refiere a una persona que es rubia o que tiene la piel blanca, es decir, su significado se extiende también para aquellos que su piel es más clara, aunque el diccionario solo haga referencia al pelo rubio. Si tu tienes el pelo castaño pero la piel más clara o blanca, igualmente te llamarán "güero" o "güera".

Güero normally refers to a person who is blonde or has white skin, that is, its meaning also extends to those whose skin is lighter, although the dictionary only refers to blonde hair. If you have brown hair but lighter or whiter skin, they will still call you "güero" o"güera".

Me imagino que la interpretación de estas palabras difiere entre dialectos del español, ¿es eso cierto?

I imagine that the interpretation of these words differ between dialects of Spanish, is that true?

No, al ser una voz indígena procedente de América, el significado es el mismo.

No, being an indigenous voice from America, the meaning is the same.

Güero

  • güero 1, ra
  1. adj. desus. huero1.
  • güero 2, ra

También huero.

Voz indígena.

  1. adj. Méx. Dicho de una persona: Que tiene los cabellos rubios.

Indigenous voice.

  1. adj. Mex. Said of a person: Who has blonde hair.

RAE

https://dle.rae.es/g%C3%BCero

  • Dicho también en otras partes de Iberoamérica.

Also said in other parts of Iberoamerica.

  • Una persona "güero o güera" no necesariamente ha de ser una persona extranjera.

A "güero or güera" person does not necessarily have to be a foreign person.

Héctor Luis «El Güero» Palma Salazar es un narcotraficante mexicano.

Héctor Luis "El Güero" Palma Salazar is a Mexican drug trafficker.

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A9ctor_Luis_Palma_Salazar

El concepto de moreno es más variado y depende del contexto y del país, pues siendo la base la misma las acepciones y su uso particular en un sentido u otro puede ser distinto.

The concept of moreno is more varied and depends on the context and the country, since the basis is the same, the meanings and their particular use in one sense or another may be different.

Moreno

De moro y -eno.

  1. adj. Dicho de un color: Oscuro que tira a negro. U. t. c. s. m.
  1. adj. Said of a color: Dark that pulls to black
  1. adj. De color moreno. Tiene la piel morena por el sol.
  1. adj. Brown in colour. His skin is brown from the sun.
  1. adj. Dicho de una persona: Que tiene el pelo negro o castaño. U. t. c. s. Sale con una morena guapísima.
  1. adj. Said of a person: who has black or brown hair. Ejem. He goes out with a gorgeous brunette.
  1. adj. Dicho de una cosa: Que tiene un tono más oscuro que otras de su género. Pan moreno.
  1. adj. Said of one thing: That it has a darker tone than others of its kind. Brown bread
  1. adj. coloq. Dicho de una persona: De raza negra. U. m. c. s.
  1. adj. colloq. Said of a person: Black.
  1. adj. Cuba. mulato (‖ nacido de negro y blanca, o de blanco y negra). U. t. c. s.
  1. adj. Cuba. mulatto (‖ born black and white, or white and black).
  1. m. morenillo.
  1. m. brown.
  1. f. Gresca, pendencia.
  1. f. brawl.
  1. f. Hogaza o pan moreno.
  1. f. Loaf or brown bread.

RAE

https://dle.rae.es/moreno?m=form

¿ Moreno solo significa "mexicano"?

Does moreno just mean "Mexican"?

No, vease las acepciones anteriores.

No, see the previous meanings.

el partido gobernante puede reclamar lealtad a una raza en particular

the ruling party can claim allegiance to any particular race.

Quizás la raza más desfavorecida del país sea la que es más morena, es simplemente una forma de decir que el gobierno se siente más proclive a estar con los más necesitados que son los que representan una base amplia o tienen una gran mayoría de la nación.

Perhaps the most disadvantaged race in the country is the one that is the darkest, it is simply a way of saying that the government feels more inclined to be with the most needy who are those who represent a broad base or have a large majority of the nation.

P.D

Existen expresiones coloquiales que incluyen la palabra moreno tales como "azúcar moreno-na", "ganado moreno", "trigo moreno"... y otras entradas en el diccionario que contienen la forma morena. Igualmente "Moreno" es utilizado como apellido.

There are colloquial expressions that include the word brown such as "brown sugar-na", "brown cattle", "brown wheat"... and other dictionary entries that contain the brown form. Also "Moreno" is used as a surname.

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