---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagine Americans who go to Paris. Why…"
description: "\"Imagine Americans who go to Paris. Why would you want to go where someone's going to disparage you? Why would you go anywhere where they treat you bad?..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/sandra-cisneros-862_class_imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-wo_242322.jpg"
---

#  Imagine Americans who go to Paris. Why would you want to…

![“Imagine Americans who go to Paris. Why would you want to go where someone's going to disparage you? Why would you go anywhere where they treat you bad? Well, that's how it is for us to go to Mexico. You have to be on your guard, because I think the Mexicans are harder on the Mexicans, the…” quote by Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/sandra-cisneros-862_class_imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-wo_242322.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/sandra-cisneros-862_class_imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-wo_242322.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/sandra-cisneros-862_class_imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-wo_242322.jpg)

> “Imagine Americans who go to Paris. Why would you want to go where someone's going to disparage you? Why would you go anywhere where they treat you bad? Well, that's how it is for us to go to Mexico. You have to be on your guard, because I think the Mexicans are harder on the Mexicans, the Mexican-Americans. They don't see us as Mexican. I think part of it's a class issue and a color issue. We're more connected to their servants, so what are we doing staying at a nice hotel? There's a kind of shame.”

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote highlights the feeling of alienation and discrimination faced by Mexican-Americans when traveling or staying in places that seem to reject their identity, emphasizing class and color dynamics.

**In simple terms:** Feeling rejected and judged because of race and class.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and confront internalized shame.

Themes

identity discrimination class race belonging

Mood

reflective critical empathetic

Type

personal social cultural

When to use this quote

- travel experiences
- hotel stays
- social gatherings
- community events

Key Concepts

intersectionality social hierarchy cultural alienation

Questions to Reflect On

- How does class affect your sense of belonging?
- What steps can you take to feel respected?

A Different Perspective

It may overlook the agency of individuals to reshape narratives.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Hotel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hotel/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Mexican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexican/) [Mexican american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexican-american/) [Mexico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mexico/) [Paris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paris/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [I can tell you what I believe, particularly about Mexican-Americans: they are a community that has contributed greatly to this country, they work extremely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-can-tell-you-what-i-believe-particularly-about-mexican-americans/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [ \[ Donald Trump\] is a man who ran on building a wall. And I know it was about legal immigration, but he did say… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/donald-trump-is-a-man-who-ran-on-building-a-wall-and-i-know-it-was/)

[Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/)

> [Cinco de Mayo has come to represent a celebration of the contributions that Mexican Americans and all Hispanics have made to America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-baca/cinco-de-mayo-has-come-to-represent-a-celebration-of-the/)

[Joe Baca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-baca/)

> [I happen to have a tremendous feeling for Mexican-Americans, not only in terms of friendships but in terms of the tremendous numbers that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-happen-to-have-a-tremendous-feeling-for-mexican-americans-not-only/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [“Now, just to understand better what's going on, let's imagine the shoe on the other foot. Let's imagine that hundreds of thousands of badly-educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-taylor/now-just-to-understand-better-what-s-going-on-let-s-imagine-the-shoe/)

[Jared Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-taylor/)

> [I usually say Latina, Mexican-American or American Mexican, and in certain contexts, Chicana, depending on whether my audience understands the term or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-usually-say-latina-mexican-american-or-american-mexican-and-in/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [I think that Mexican-American kids live in a global world. It's not even bi-, it's multi-. You know, for those of us who grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-think-that-mexican-american-kids-live-in-a-global-world-it-s-not/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [Friends started saying, "Oh, don't come. No vengas. It's dangerous for us, and we live here." Then there's also the issue, if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/friends-started-saying-oh-don-t-come-no-vengas-it-s-dangerous-for-us/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [I'm just blessed because I'm Mexican. Mexican Americans have amazing hair!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-longoria/i-m-just-blessed-because-i-m-mexican-mexican-americans-have-amazing/)

[Eva Longoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-longoria/)

> [“Where are we going? We're going to try and fulfill Dr. Martin Luther King's dream, and if we Mexican Americans march to Washington, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodolfo-gonzalez-lebrero/where-are-we-going-we-re-going-to-try-and-fulfill-dr-martin-luther/)

Rodolfo Gonzalez Lebrero

> [I grew up in East Los Angeles, which is the biggest population of Mexican-Americans in America. I was born and raised there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cabral/i-grew-up-in-east-los-angeles-which-is-the-biggest-population-of/)

[Richard Cabral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cabral/)

> [We have a lot of Mexican-Americans with a lot of talent. I'm sure we're going to have another Rey Mysterio in the future; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-del-rio/we-have-a-lot-of-mexican-americans-with-a-lot-of-talent-i-m-sure-we/)

[Alberto Del Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-del-rio/)

> [“Regardless of what others may tell you, you only need two Mexican-Americans for a Mexican standoff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandra-diaz-mattoni/regardless-of-what-others-may-tell-you-you-only-need-two-mexican/)

Alejandra Diaz Mattoni

> [“My dad will win, I silently countered, even as I smiled sweetly. I couldn’t wait to spike the ball right through her block, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lane/my-dad-will-win-i-silently-countered-even-as-i-smiled-sweetly-i/)

[Jennifer Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lane/)

> [I'm Mexican-American, but I grew up with a normal American life. I don't have a low rider. I drive a Honda. I guess I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snow-tha-product/i-m-mexican-american-but-i-grew-up-with-a-normal-american-life-i-don/)

[Snow Tha Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snow-tha-product/)

## More by Sandra Cisneros

> [We tend to think of orphans as being the protagonist of stories we read when we're kids, and yet here you are: you're an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/we-tend-to-think-of-orphans-as-being-the-protagonist-of-stories-we/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [I'm learning a lot by reading teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron. They teach me because I feel like I have a responsibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-m-learning-a-lot-by-reading-teachers-like-thich-nhat-hanh-pema/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [I never know what something is going to be until it emerges from the womb and you see the crown of its head and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-never-know-what-something-is-going-to-be-until-it-emerges-from-the/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [Believe it or not, Mexican cooking, for those of you who have not gone farther south than Taco Bell, uses a lot of vegetables.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/believe-it-or-not-mexican-cooking-for-those-of-you-who-have-not-gone/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [I feel that I can teach my listener about a new word they can use too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-feel-that-i-can-teach-my-listener-about-a-new-word-they-can-use-too/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [Now I feel life is really short and I have to take care of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/now-i-feel-life-is-really-short-and-i-have-to-take-care-of-things/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [To this day, on my cheat days from my diet, which are New Year's Eve and my birthday, I buy luxury foods that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/to-this-day-on-my-cheat-days-from-my-diet-which-are-new-year-s-eve/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [You can never have too much sky . You can fall asleep and wake up drunk on sky, and sky can keep you safe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/you-can-never-have-too-much-sky-you-can-fall-asleep-and-wake-up-drunk/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [ \[Jorge Luis Borges\] had short stories, and I was trying to learn how to write short stories, and then he had these things in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/jorge-luis-borges-had-short-stories-and-i-was-trying-to-learn-how-to/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [I want to thank you, especially those people who are agnostic or atheist. I don't mean any offense by the things I said of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-want-to-thank-you-especially-those-people-who-are-agnostic-or/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [ We changed it to emocionó, the way you say in Spanish, "to emotion me" \[to be moved\]. That, as opposed to "haunt." We wanted… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/we-changed-it-to-emocion-the-way-you-say-in-spanish-to-emotion-me-to/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [When I'm starting to feel, "How many more people are there?" I go slower. I ask questions, and that person engaging with me gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/when-i-m-starting-to-feel-how-many-more-people-are-there-i-go-slower/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [I've put up with too much, too long, and now I'm just too intelligent, too powerful, too beautiful, too sure of who I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-ve-put-up-with-too-much-too-long-and-now-i-m-just-too-intelligent/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [If we got an educational program going, we could tell people, "Instead of butter, use avocado." That's something we eat, it has the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/if-we-got-an-educational-program-going-we-could-tell-people-instead/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [I always have to have sweet and salty. I know some of you are going to say, "Oh, I tried dates. I hate them."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/i-always-have-to-have-sweet-and-salty-i-know-some-of-you-are-going-to/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

[Explore all 347 Sandra Cisneros quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

## More Class quotes

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/)

[David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/)

> [I grew up in the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/)

[Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

> [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/)

[H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/)

> [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/)

[Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/)

> [“Poor people do not go on holiday; they go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/poor-people-do-not-go-on-holiday-they-go-home/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/)

[Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/)

> [Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/right-now-for-many-americans-class-is-being-foregrounded-like-never/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [But I don't think the Democratic Party is at eye level with the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-don-t-think-the-democratic-party-is-at-eye-level-with-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm not a dancer. Never took a dance class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrishell-stause/i-m-not-a-dancer-never-took-a-dance-class/)

[Chrishell Stause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrishell-stause/)

> [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/)

[Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/)

> [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/)

[Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/)

> [We are not going back to the failed policies of the past. We are fighting for the middle class!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/we-are-not-going-back-to-the-failed-policies-of-the-past-we-are/)

[Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/)

[Browse all 7,637 Class quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Imagine Americans who go to Paris. Why would you want to go where someone's going to disparage you? Why would you go anywhere where they treat you bad? Well, that's how it is for us to go to Mexico. You have to be on your guard, because I think the Mexicans are harder on the Mexicans, the Mexican-Americans. They don't see us as Mexican. I think part of it's a class issue and a color issue. We're more connected to their servants, so what are we doing staying at a nice hotel? There's a kind of shame.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sandra Cisneros"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-would-you-want-to-go-where/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Class"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-would-you-want-to-go-where/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/sandra-cisneros-862_class_imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-wo_242322.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/sandra-cisneros-862_class_imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-wo_242322.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/sandra-cisneros-862_class_imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-wo_242322.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Imagine Americans who go to Paris. Why would you want to go where someone's going to disparage you? Why…” — Sandra Cisneros",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Sandra Cisneros",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Imagine Americans who go to Paris....",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-would-you-want-to-go-where/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/imagine-americans-who-go-to-paris-why-would-you-want-to-go-where/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
