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i’m half japanese and i never understood how “jap” is racist
“brits” isn’t derogatory. “poles” isn’t either. “finn” isn’t. why is only in that one case where using half the nationality is bad?
It’s the origins of it.
When it started being used, it was used derogatorily, so the connotation stuck despite it not being inherently racist to shorten a word.
Tbh, it doesn’t have to be a slur still. But it is still used by racists as a slur because of the origins, so it would take a cohesive effort to reclaim and reframe it.
I guess it’s a matter of context and who says it. It was used derogatorily back then, so the connotation still stands today.
It’s rhe historical racial connotation, it’s similar to why black face is racist but whiteface isn’t. White people are the majority both Japanese and black people are minorities that have been historically disenfranchised by white people.
It isn’t the only case. “Paki” is considered a slur.
true. odd that “afghan” isn’t, nor “arab”
Also odd in this specific case, ‘Nip’ was also a common anti-Japanese slur in WWII.
i didn’t know that…weird that the article doesn’t mention that nip probably came from nippon, which is the japanese word for japan
That is where it came from, yes.
Nipslip - A Japanese person falling
Is this because Japan is Nippon in Japanese?
Yes.
“brits” isn’t derogatory.
That really depends who is saying it. Cat Deeley? No. Me, 5 minutes into what was supposed to be a neutral discussion of Irish history? Weeeellll…
on that note, TIL “paddy” became offensive when americans started saying “paddy wagon,” which phrase i also had no idea was derogatory
thanks, usa public education!
Oh its pretty broad. Actual idioms my British colleagues have used in my presence:
- “That’s a bit Irish isn’t it?” - something done nonsensical or confusingly (to a Brit)
- “She had a bit of a paddy.” - she got angry and aggressively. Because, y’know, how aggressive we’ve been to them I guess?
Other words like Hooligan and paddywagon have indeed passed the threshold of correctable to “sorry that’s just an English word now”.
americans have taken their racism to another level with “that’s mighty white of you!” (“thanks”) which doesn’t even contain a slur, but is still racist
Counter point, paki for Pakistani is really offensive (in the UK at least)
I don’t think the racism is anything inherit in the word so much as it was historically used with derogatory intent, which means that going forward, at least until the memory of that disappears from the culture, using it puts the recipient in the position of having to figure out if you hold ill will against them or not. As racist people can be violent, getting the answer wrong is risky, so this dilemma causes them undue distress that could have been avoided by using some other word that doesn’t have that association, which itself makes using the term instead of an alternative while knowing about the association possible evidence of hostility.
That is to imply, all that has to happen for something to become a slur is for people to use it as a slur widely enough, that has happened with “jap”, but hasn’t with something like “finn”.
My japanese american friends all thought it was the funniest shit, but it pissed off this one guy I met. Since it’s objectively a slur I avoid using it, even if most people don’t really care. Never know who’s gonna take it the wrong way, and you cant really blame them when they do.
words have power. but as individuals, we are the ones who decide what power to give them
Wait until you watch the 1940s batman show
Oof… I agree that this is funny out of context, but it’s also, like you say, racist.
I don’t know, what do people think? Leave it up?
Edit: Okay, I’ll go with the consensus and leave it up. It makes me cringe every time I see it.
Leave it up. The out-of-context racism holds educational value (and makes it even funnier)
It’s a fine line, but I think it’s ok to laugh at a racist when they are being serious, but you should be serious when the racist is laughing.
Yeah, leave it up homie
yes
Is the implication here that anyone can do that hence the racism or maybe that superman has much more control over his facial muscles and bones.
Cause honestly the latter would be interesting, maybe superman is a shapeshifter cause what are the chances that another planet has lifeforms that just happen to be identical to humans?
It’s a power. I don’t know if they had established it’s part of how people don’t figure out he’s Clark Kent yet or not but it’s related.
Can’t feel too bad about a little name-calling, the Japanese were doing some heinous shit in 1943.
No excuse for racism, though. This is the sort of logic that justifies Japanese internment. Like how the Israelis are doing heinous shit today but antisemites can still fuck off and die.
Clark is a victim of his environment, that’s just how they talk in 1940s Oklahoma or… Whatever vaguely Midwestern state he’s from.
OOF that’s bad
