This list of ethnic slurs by ethnicity compiles ethnic slurs that are, or have been, used in the English language. For the purposes of this list, ethnicity can be defined by either race, nationality or ethnicity.
(U.S.) also "Gator Bait." A black person, especially a black child. More commonly used in states where alligators are found — particularly Florida. First used in the early 1900s,clarify although some hypothesize the term originated in the late 1800s.1clarify
Ann
A white woman to a black person — or a black woman who acts too much like a white one. While Miss Ann, also just plain Ann, is a derisive reference to the white woman, by extension it is applied to any black woman who puts on airs and tries to act like Miss Ann.2
Aunt Jemima / Aunt Jane / Aunt Mary / Aunt Sally / Aunt Thomasina
(U.S. Blacks) a black woman who "kisses up" to whites, a "sellout," female counterpart of Uncle Tom.4 Taken from the popular syrup of the same name, where "Aunt Jemima" is represented as a black woman.
(U.S.) a Black person. Now typically considered disrespectful, this word was more acceptable in the past. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, for example, continues to use its full name unapologetically. Some black Americans have reclaimed this word and softened it in the expression "a person of color."
(South Africa) a community of mixed origin, including Khoikhoi and Asian slaves, not derogatory but the normal term for this community
(UK Commonwealth) a black person (while not usually intended to be offensive, the term is not regarded as acceptable by many black people)6
Coon
(U.S. & U.K) a black person. Possibly from Portuguese barracoos, a building constructed to hold slaves for sale. (1837).7
(U.S. & UK) a black person (JB) with stereotypical black features (dark skin, wide nose, etc.).10
Jim Crow
(U.S.) a black person; also the name for the segregation laws prevalent in much of the United States until the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.11
(U.S.) a black person. Jungle is referred to their jungle origins and bunny is referred to some people saying that jack rabbits looked like 'lynched' black people.13
Epithet used to describe a Negro (originally) or a person of North-African origin (more recently). Came to public attention in 2006 when U.S. Senator George Allen infamously used it to refer to one of Jim Webb's volunteers, S. R. Sidarth, when he said, "This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is." 14
(U.S., UK) a black person. From the word negro which means the color black in numerous languages. Diminutive appellations include "Nigg" and "Nigz." The terms "Nigga" and "Niggaz" (plural) are frequently used between African-Americans without the negative associations of "Nigger."
Nigra / negra / niggra / nigrah / nigruh
(U.S.) offensive for a black person [first used in the early 1900s]19
(U.S. minorities) term for an African-American, Latino, or Asian who panders to white people; a "sellout" (from the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.)
East Asian descent
Charlie
(U.S.) A generally non-pejorative slang term used by American troops during the Vietnam War as a short-hand term for Vietnamese guerrillas: it was shortened from "Victor Charlie," the radio code designation for Viet Cong, or VC.25
Chee-chee
a Eurasian half-caste [probably from Hindi chi-chi fie!, literally, dirt]26
(U.S. and English) Chinese person, used in old American west when discrimination against Chinese was common.27 Possibly coined by early Chinese Americans from a translation of "Zhong Guo Ren" which is literally "China" and "Person." Compare to "Frenchman" or "Irishman," generally not considered insulting. The term generates controversy when still used in geographic places associated or resembling Chinese, and often used without intended malice outside of the U.S. Though it is still heard in the lyrics to the 1970s song "Kung Fu Fighting," it tends to generates objections in modern times, especially in the U.S. In 20th century Chicago politics, "Chinaman" had a specific, non-insulting meaning. A junior politician or government worker's political patron was their "Chinaman" (or "chinaman" without the initial capital) regardless of their actual ethnic heritage or gender.28
Chink
(U.S.) used to refer to people of perceived Chinese descent. Describes their eye slits or chinks. Considered extremely derogatory, although at least one U.S. school proudly used the term as a sports mascot until the 1980s.29
Jap
(Predominantly U.S.) Shortened from the word "Japanese", used derogatorily towards the group.
Gook
a disparaging term for an Asian person (especially for North Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War). 1899, U.S. military slang for 'Filipino' during the insurrection there, probably from a native word, or imitative of the babbling sound of their language to American ears (cf. barbarian). The term goo-goo eyes 'soft, seductive eyes' was in vogue c.1900 and may have contributed to this somehow. Extended over time to 'Nicaraguan,' 'any Pacific Islander' (World War II), 'Korean' (1950s), 'Vietnamese' and 'any Asian' (1960s).30
Oriental
(Predominantly U.S., used elsewhere) Originally the correct way to refer to an Asian person's ethnicity (In the same way "Negro" came to be a derogatory term for black people), but eventually turned into another derogatory term, as most names associated with a group of people get turned into negative terms when used by individuals that hate the directed group.
Nip
A Japanese person. From "Nippon", frst used in World War II
(East Indians in U.S.): used for American-born South Asians including Indian/ Pakistani/ Bangladeshi (mainly Indians as Indians are the largest number of "South Asians") who are confused about their cultural identity. This is often used humorously without any derogatory meaning.
Paki
(UK) A person of south Asian descent. A shortened form of "Pakistani".
European descent
Afro-Saxon
(North America) A young white male devotee of black pop culture.31
Ann
A white woman to a black person — or a black woman who acts too much like a white one. While Miss Ann, also just plain Ann, is a derisive reference to the white woman, by extension it is applied to any black woman who puts on airs and tries to act like Miss Ann.32
Bule
(Indonesia) White people. Literally: albino, but used in the same way that 'colored' might be used to refer to a black person to mean any white person.33
Charlie
Mildly derogatory term used by African Americans, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, to refer to a white person (from James Baldwin's novel, Blues For Mr. Charlie).
(Hong Kong and South China) A White man. Gwei means "ghost." The color white is associated with ghosts in China. A lo is a regular guy (i.e. a fellow, a chap, or a bloke).37 Once a mark of xenophobia, the word was promoted by Maoists and is now in general, informal use.38
Usually not offensive, can be derogatory if intended to offend. Used by native Hawaiians to refer in modern times to anyone of caucasian descent whether native born or not. Use has spread to many other islands of the Pacific and is known in modern pop culture.39
(U.S.) a white person (southerner). The term "Peckerwood," an inversion of "Woodpecker," is used as a pejorative term. This word was coined in the 19th century by Southern blacks to describe poor whites. They considered them loud and troublesome like the bird, and often with red hair like the woodpecker's head plumes.41
Roundeye
(English speaking Asians) a white or non-Asian person.42
is a slang term for a white person who allophilically emulates mannerisms, slangs and fashions stereotypically associated with urban African Americans; especially in relation to hip hop culture.
(Australian and Britain) Usually refers to any person of South Asian, Mediterranean, Southern European, and Middle Eastern descent. Often used for Italians, Greeks, and Arabs.
A Jew, from the Hebrew Chaim ("life"). Also used in the term, "Hymie-town," a reference to New York, and in particular, Brooklyn.47
Kike
Originates from the word 'keikl', in Yiddish, which means 'circle', the reason being that the first Jewish immigrants in America, who were unable to sign their names, signed with a circle instead of a 'x'.48
Sheeny
From Yiddish "shaine" or German "schön" meaning "beautiful."48
Shylock
Comes from Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and "Othello." Similar to Sheister.48
Yid
A jewish person.
Red Sea Pedestrian
A Jewish person. Name comes from Old-Testament story of Moses, wherein all Jews are led out of egypt across the parted Red Sea.
Geoffrey Hughes, An Encyclopedia of Swearing: The Social History of Oaths, Profanity, Foul Language, And Ethnic Slurs in the English-speaking World, (M.E. Sharpe: 2006)
The New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition. Ed. Erin McKean. (Oxford University Press: 2005).
The Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. (Oxford University Press: 2004)
Bruce Moore (editor), The Australian Oxford Dictionary, (2004)
Eric Partridge, A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, (2002)
Richard A. Spears, Slang and Euphemism, (2001)
Jonathon Green, The Cassell Dictionary of Slang (1998)
^Peak of Controversy in Canmore "a resident of Calgary, wrote to the Minister of Community Development strongly objecting to the name Chinaman's Peak"
^"From trouble to patronage job, and now to bigger trouble" January 27, 2004 Chicago Sun-Times. Accessed March 7, 2007. "Before the age of political correctness, Munoz would have been called Torres' chinaman, and in City Hall, that's still what they'd call him, but if you prefer, you can stick with mentor or patron."
