Yes, I find the subtle differences in meaning to be one of the more fascinating parts of learning a language and culture. While the words may mean more or less the same thing in different cultures, even among regions of the same country they can have slightly different meanings. Gringo or gringa is one of the words that has differing meanings here. Among older people it has a derogatory meaning but the young have sanitized it and to some extent gringos themselves have taken it as their own and defused the meaning. Still, it's a word I might use in conversation depending on who I am talking to but I wouldn't use it as a name on a forum because of its marginal implications. Being from San Francisco, I am familiar with the 'white ghost' word for caucasians. My friends used to kid me by saying their mother thought I was pretty civilized for a ghost girl.
