Hey gringos!

Here is where I am studying Spanish.

So today my Spanish teacher told where the term 'gringos' comes from.  I thought it was a semi-derogatory term for white person or white tourist.  Apparently it applies to white Americans, whether a tourist or not is irrelevant.

The term was coined back in the day from Mexicans who needed to cross the border into the US for work.  To do this the Mexicans needed a visa which was known as a green card; funnily enough because it was green.  The people manning the border where white Americans who would check the Mexicans green cards as they went through.  As they went through they would spot the card and wave them through saying 'Green. Go'. 

When the Mexicans were talking about going into the US they would say you have to go through the man at the border - the 'Green. Go.'  Now white Americans are known as gringos and when I get called a gringo I can say 'No gringo, yo soy de Australia'.