Feeling my Whiteness

70% of Ecuadorians are mestizo, 20% are indigenous, and 9% are black. Despite these stats, white skin is considered the most beautiful, and racism has a very salient presence in everyday life. In the U.S., I am not considered all that fair-skinned. I´m also on the short side. Here, I am the whitest person on the buss, and a good 5 inches taller than almost everyone. It takes most Ecuadorians about 3 seconds to figure out that I´m a "gringa." Sometimes, men on the street say "Que linda! (how pretty) when I pass. Strangers try to practice their English on me, and even teh buses come to a complete stop for me. Everyone knows that I am a gringa, and by my very presence in Ecuador, that I brobably have more money and education then they do. And they´re probably right.