What’s in a name?
Recently a Conservative member of the Welsh assembly was disciplined by the Tories for calling Italians “greasy wops”. While this was evidently a racist insult, the whole story has a faintly comical tone:
”Welsh politician Alun Cairns made the slur in a radio phone-in show. He was discussing which football team he was supporting at Euro 2008. A guest on the BBC Cymru show said she wrote “nice food” next to Italy. Mr Cairns said: “I’ve written greasy wops!” He has since apologised.”
So you are a politician appearing on live radio, are handed a sheet of countries playing at Euro 2008, and your first instinct is to write “greasy wops” next to the Italians. One can only wonder what he wrote next to the other countries. This got me thinking about why we consider certain words to be insulting, and more specifically, about the term ‘Paki’, happily heard less and less.
Most labels used to define a group, whether an ethnic one or a religious one, have come from outsiders. Many of these terms were meant as an insult. Thus the first Protestants called themselves members of the ‘Reformed Religion’, while it was Roman Catholics who labelled them as ‘Protestants’ (for protesting against an edict hostile to the new religion), ‘Lutheran’ (followers of Martin Luther), or ‘Calvinist’ (followers of John Calvin), in an attempt to discredit them.
In France, the French Calvinists were labeled ‘Huguenots’, which nobody knows the origin of, apart from that it was almost certainly meant as an insult. ‘Barbarian’ was a Greek word used to apply to anyone who was not Greek, and which was then appropriated by the Romans (so you had one bunch of non-Greeks calling another bunch of non-Greeks non-Greeks). Most references to the Dutch in English are insults. To go Dutch is a sign of cheapness, ‘Double Dutch’ means you don’t make any sense, while ‘Dutch courage’ suggests that you are only brave when drunk. Unsuprisingly, the English weren’t always friends with the Dutch.
Even ‘Tory’, that badge of many a proud Briton throughout the centuries, was an insulting term applied to a political group which backed James II. The Tories were Irish Catholic cattle rustlers, and calling someone a Tory was meant to show that they were not only pro-Catholic, but a bit of a brigand.
Which is why ‘Paki’ is such a strange term of abuse. The founders of Pakistan consciously choose the term ‘Pakistan’, rather than the country being labelled as such by outsiders. ‘Paki’ is just a shortened version of Pakistani, and should be about as abusive as ‘Brit’ or ‘Scot’. Sadly, this is not the case, but the increasingly rarity of the word in polite society ensures than anyone using it gets rightly criticised, just as Alun Cairns was for his “greasy wops” remarks.
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Filed in: Culture, History, Other racists
We’re still ok with frogs, right?
Heh. Yup.
The term “Paki” is especially insulting to Bangladeshis if only because it is an insult to the millions who were slaughtered by the Pakistani army in the 1971 war for breakaway independence. Those people didn’t die to have their memory insulted by some ignorant prole.
Mr Cairns may have been referring to Marty Feldman’s wonderful comedy sketch of a football commentator losing his detachment: “We greet new viewers with the news that the score is greasy wops two, gallant but unlucky England nil.”
It’s still very much in use although not always by white people about every Asian they come across…
“the increasingly rarity of the word in polite society ensures than anyone using it gets rightly criticised, just as Alun Cairns was for his “greasy wops” remarks.”
All very well to reflect on names..
but ‘greasy wops’, ‘dutch courage’ and ‘Paki’ and Nigger’ are worlds apart. Some have more power to insult – for historical reasons.
Sadly it’s not so rare, depends on the circles, sure in polite society one would hope it’s not common, but walk down a high street in inner London or go into Woolworths and bump into a white customer, usually 15 and it’s not that rare for them to turn around in irritation and say ‘ watch your face , you Paki’. In everyday banal encounters at the post office, the dole office and the bus stop where publc resources/goods have to be shared, racism and Paki calling is still going on. After 9/11 Paki is indiscriminately used to slur Muslims because ‘they’ see the two as the same – hence branding people from the Middle East with the same – or indeed, anyone non-white and not Afro-caribbean.
I am always prepared to be called a Paki when i head off into the Isle of Dogs to use the Greenwich Tunnel – though name calling varies depending on whether i wear salwar kameez or jeans.
Rightly criticised is putting it mildly, no? I think in publically funded work place, it would be grounds for bringing a grievance! If anyone called me a greasy wop I would be mildly annoyed, if anyone called me a Paki or a Nigger esp if they were white i would be …
prepared was a bad choice of words. I meant I half expect to be name called when in…
Talking of the Welsh Assembly, it now has its second Muslim member (allegedly)
Go to youtube and type in
“Rescue Me, sensitivity.”
If it still works it is the funniest 5 minutes of TV ever made and covers the points made in the article very well.
it all depends on who’s saying it and in what context. I think it’s right to expect that a racial slur can only become one if the intention to insult is obvious. That gal who got booted off big brother was clearly just repeating a term of endearment and praise she’d heard endlessly in her favourite gangsta rap tunes. I went to a majority pakistani school and that’s where I learnt to use the word ‘paki’. I would never have used it as shorthand for Pakistani had I not been assured that my Pakistani friends didn’t mind. We still use it in informal settings as a shortened version of Pakistani.
When I lived in Brum Pakistanis were often refered to as ‘Stanis’.
Ala,
“I would never have used it as shorthand for Pakistani had I not been assured that my Pakistani friends didn’t mind. We still use it in informal settings as a shortened version of Pakistani.”
You feel comfortable using the word “Paki”, even if your friends are ok with it? Personally, I’ve never said the word ‘niggah’ to my African American friends, even if I’m friends with them and they wouldn’t get insulted. To be honest, I steer clear of using names that have been historically used as insults, even if people are ok with it.
“Recently a Conservative member of the Welsh assembly was disciplined by the Tories for calling Italians “greasy wops”. ”
Oh.No.He.Didn’t.
Here, because I’ve been out in the sun and have gotten very, very tan, a few people have affectionately called me “kaali”, which means ‘black’.
Hm.
I would never use the N word, being fully aware of its gravity and history. As far as I’m aware, only misogynistic, homophobic gangsta rappers use it on themselves. If ‘paki’ really is as bad as the N word, I’ll never say it again. I apologise if I’ve offended anyone.
“misogynistic, homophobic gangsta rappers use it on themselves”
That’s nor strictly true as many rappers have their own internal ways of validating language – an reclaimig it for positive use, though, I, like you and Desi, wouldn’t use the N word simply because of its history . I don’t feel we are at a level playing field yet to take language and turn it around in this way.
Ala,
“As far as I’m aware, only misogynistic, homophobic gangsta rappers use it on themselves.”
This isn’t true, there are rappers who are ‘reclaiming’ the word and making it ‘positive’. And furthermore, ‘nigga’ is used very, very ubiquitously in the US amongst African Americans. There are some African Americans who reject the ‘positive’ usage of ‘nigga’, but those are far and few.
“If ‘paki’ really is as bad as the N word, I’ll never say it again.”
That’s really strange criteria you have…so, it’s perfectly acceptable to say ‘honkie’ because its not as bad as ‘nigger’? I’d still think that it is not acceptable to denigrate people…
So what I am saying is that even if some circles feel that it’s ok to use a derogatory word either in the past or present, I’m not ok with it. So I’m curious as to why one would 1) seek validation from others to see if you can use a word that has been demeaning in its usage and 2) what is the purpose of saying those words in the first place, if they can be potentially offensive. My two paisa, anyway.
The more I think about it, the more it doesn’t sit well with me, using the word ‘paki’ even if friends nudge me on, “It’s ok, say ‘paki’, we won’t be offended by it!” I’m not African American, but I get offended as hell when I hear someone use the word “nigger”, and I’d also get offended if I heard someone say “Paki”, and I am not even of Pakistani origin. Likewise, if someone said, “Sand nigger”– jokingly or acceptingly– I wouldn’t be ok with it. Different sensibilities, I guess.
Desi – as you say – different sensibilities.
I often think that when slang racist terms are thrown into a conversation by someone you have justt met, they are a tentative attempt to see if you are on the same side of the ‘arguement’.
I have no idea if Paki is acceptable now, but I would not use it, in the same way I would not use Indian swear words here like “****F**k”. They jar, just like when paan is spat on ones feet.
Does location change the meaning of the word?
Is Mohammedan offensive? I always thought it rude to call a Muslim a Mohammedan here in the UK, but it was a common usage in Kashmir. When roaming around, a guide would often say the next village was very ‘Mohammedan’, meaning was not a ‘real’ Kashmiri village and had lost its original ethnicity, or if there was a porter trying to get your business, who was not a local, then they were called Mohammedans by the others. It was all said in jest and without any obvious malice as I never met a Kashmiri with any malice. This was pre the Kasmiri insurgency in the mid-80’s and it the area north and east of Srinagar. Each valley seemed to be a different tribe and ‘Mohammedans’ were always just over the hill, so to speak.
What do we do about historic writings?
Ala – I noticed you have the famous Rumi poem on your site. He uses the word ‘Gabr’. In his time was this an offensive term, as it is now? The poems sentiments are laudable and I personnally would not censor his work, but other past poets/authors are perhaps not so great and get their words censored to suit modern sensabilities. Is this correct?
“Brit” – I would never have used this word growing up, but now its not – there are even Brit Awards now.
When in Nigeria it was a suprise to be called an ‘onyocha’ by the kids in the street. My “Fair and Lovely” must have been working
or more probably just my straight hair. More hilarity broke out when I shouted back ‘onyochi’ to them. They appreciated my very poor attempt at Ibo. Whiteman – Blackman.
How times change and words change, but it all needs a sense of proportion and a sense of humour and each situation should be judged seperately. Was malice intended or did one just ‘mis-speak’, so to speak.
There are of course far more important things – like should ‘reverse’ batting be allowed. The colonialist MCC allowed the South African born KP to cheat and are setting the rules of cricket! Where is Rohin to comment when these important things happen!! There are things that transcend race.
justforfun
Oh.No.He.Didn’t.
so what if he did Desi? Its not like you have a particular identity you relate to right?
Sunny:
“so what if he did Desi? Its not like you have a particular identity you relate to right?”
Ha, you think you pulled one over me, but you didn’t!
Dude, calling people ‘greasy wops’ is fucked up, whether it’s to an Italian or not. Didn’t I just expand in comments #13, #18, and #19 on how I would be offended if I heard any derogatory names, even if I do not identify with them?
It’s unbecoming of you to try to pull one over people to make your brownie point, arguing falsely that I’m offended by ‘greasy wops’ because half of my handle is Italian. (BTW, I am not of Italian origin, just that I lived there and feel like it is one of my homes, and I have a lot of ‘greasy wops’ as close friends).
I’m usually pretty consistent with my views.
Seriously, Sunny, all joking aside, how are you feeling these days? Are you ok? It seems like you’re flailing a lot these days…
Warm smooches from Kathmandu if you are not in the best of humours as of late. MWAH.