Mexico City: In/visibility

I went to Mexico City from May 28th to June 11th, 2011. Only when I got back did I notice a few things...
Well actually, I noticed some things while I was there too. I'm just reflecting on them at the moment. 

In Mexico City, I am a definite foreigner.  Without my friend being a constant companion on the many adventures had, I would have been lost, taken advantage of, and other misgivings that I am still naive about.  Aside from all of that, my skin color is something that is on my mind constantly for reasons dealing with racism, white supremacy and the reactions that pale colored (American) strangers have when I walk by them.  But I thought about this less in Mexico City.  Brown-skinned people were more prevalent (at least in some neighborhoods), and places were crowded most of the time.  So, my feelings of invisibility took on a different tone. Sure, I stuck out like a sore thumb, and there were fewer people that visibly looked like they were from the African Diaspora.  But something was different about my perceptions of my treatment. My guard was immediately lowered. I dunno, I can't explain it. The wolf-whistles, alleged cat-calling, the struggle of English/Spanish conversations, it all made me feel like I existed in a different way.  I felt visible and not ignored like I do when around predominantly white people in the United States. Maybe it was because I'm a black foreigner. Who knows.

Black people seem rare in Mexico City. I only saw a few a day (less than ten).  During my first week, a few women from the Haiti tent (a part of a world fair event) were, according to my friend, excited to see me and wanted to know where I was from.  I felt so ashamed and apologetic for my lack of language comprehension.  Even more-so later when another woman from Uganda approached and wanted to know where I was from. I felt I let them down telling them I was from the United States, living in Arizona.  No story swapping or bonding would come from these encounters, no thanks to my limited Spanish vocabulary.

There are instances in the U.S. where persons from the African continent ask if I am from Africa, but I was close-minded to the fact that Africans would want to migrate or seek refuge in Latin American countries as well.

In summary, I guess because of the substantially lesser numbers of black folk in Mexico City (whether they be refugees, residents or tourists), I felt way more visible, but realize there just may be an invisibility issue moreso in Mexico than in the states, where in/visibility of blacks is much different.