I am very much aware of most origins of demeaning ethnic slurs and what they mean.  Can anyone tell me what a "k*ike" means(for Jewish people), its origin, and why it is considered an ethnic slur?  The same question is for "nip" (Asians).  The terms make no sense, and I do not understand why they are offensive.
134171
they just are like white folks are honkeys, gringos, ect. ect. asians call us round eyes, people in general have it in there nature to be hatefull, some just manage it better than others
439396
Well, I don't know about that but in Chicago it doesn't happen that way. But a lot of people just joke around with those words, because of the rap music and everything. All I know, is that nobody should be called that word based on their skin color. N*gger refers to a ignorant, dirty person and from my experiences anybody can be ignorant and dirty regardless of race.
561299
I LOVE this question. Absolutely love it. I believe the "urban" vocabulary (or the lack of it) is destroying what little is left of good English in this country. I agree with all of the above, except the one about the "N-word." I hate that word too. However, the fact that our sister has implied that people who are black can use that, and us blanco's can't, is pure hypocrisy. Hypocrisy and stupidity. \n\nThe fact that that word carries any negative connotations at all is entirely because of who invented it (redneck southern plantation owners, who didn't CREATE it...they merely changed the pronunciation). n--i--g--g--e--r is simply a white rednecks way of reading/pronouncing the spanish word (LOOKITUP!) for black, niger. So I very firmly believe that no one should use the word, INCLUDING people who are black who don't respect themselves. The use of the word by them and not us "whites" is also hypocritical because it is reverse-rascism. So because you are a person who is black, that means that the blancos are racist, because they're white? Did anyone stop to consider that when you play the color game the insults run both ways? Hypocrisy. If a person who was black called me white-trash, that wouldn't bother me. It's true. If I said "black trash" to a person who was black who lived in the gutter, they'd probably kill me. There's something wrong with this picture! A person's skin tone should not change the way we interact with them.
5586
Question for you is have you ever been to Arlington National Cemetary EVER, also it doesn't or shouldn't matter what someone's name is when they have given their life for this country... maybe you should think about that then your borderline racist comment ... Jamal isn't a street name Pookie or Ray Ray or Slim is  know the difference and bother to go to Arlington not to look at the names of people but to HONOR the service members that are buried there... My husband has done more than his share of funerals at Arlington and handed many a US Flag to a widow or mother and I'm sorry but that is someone's child that is gone that you are just gafing off with your ignorance and lack of any respect whatsoever which says more negative things about you than a person Named Jamal or Kobe...
491960
Technically, its not a racial term. It is just a term blacks used to identify whites who were abusive. Since it carries emotional hatred, it became a pseudo racial epithet but to be honest it is pretty weak and silly. It's basically using an old slang that meant "racist" as a racist term. See the problem?
182690
Well obviously Carlos Mencia thinks so no? Are you asking why? I'm not sure, but I'm sure that they definately consider it a racial slur because of maybe the product in their country, in Spanish it could have culturally/slang meant clean. IE: Churchs Chicken, stereotypicals say black people go there alot)\n\nUPDATED: I researched it further by looking up Spick - its a deroggatory work for a hispanic!! so that makes sense your basically calling them a clean spick, understand now? \n\nquote from webpage below: "When I was a kid, "Spic 'n Span" was a synonym for clean. Something has since altered my perception of english slang. This morning, I saw a "Spic 'n Span" bathroom & kitchen cleanser commercial and thought: "What an odd name!" It sounded like a racial slur combined with an architectural term..."
198094
I would first have to question why you would want to say the word in the first place.\n\nSecondly, the word has been so used and abused in the past, to demean and humiliate African Americans, it has become a slur when it comes from the mouth of any person who is not African American.\n\nBear in mind, I hate hearing those words altogether, specially in rap and hip hop, as those artists pretend they're reclaiming the word, when in fact, they're giving people the right to use that word against us, and to use it badly.
556897
Wow these are some pretty harsh answers. I mean who are we to tell a Native American what offends them. I'm not Native American but I could see how a white guy dressed up in "tribal" clothes, running around and essentially mocking their culture, would be very offensive. I mean would we be allowed to have a team called the Blacks and have a mascot who runs around eating chicken and watermelon or dressed up in slave clothing? How offensive is that? Because it’s the same thing with Native Americans! Not to mention all the suffering their culture has gone threw in the past hundred or so years. I’m a huge Braves fan and I don’t personally see anything wrong with the tomahawk chop but if some Native Americans come forward and say that it is offensive I can definitely sympathize.
425998
i think it's because black people grew up sayin' it & it became kind of a cultural thing cuz black people have always been called that throughout history. so it's kind of ironic that we can call each other nigga, but if a white person says it, we get offensive. it's kind of like when see a girl call her friend b*tch, but if you call her a b*tch, they'll get mad. it's the same overall principle.
593662
I admire you for asking the question, although it could have been phrased better, but I understand what you are asking.\n\nI live in Arkansas and none of the people of African decent have ever said the word around me, nor do they  act, dress, talk down on themselves. "Ghetto" is not cool here for them. Everyone of my friends are professional, and are fun regardless of their pay rate. They b_itch about pay, but then who doesn't. I know I do. There is no mention of "the man keeping them down." I’ve been invited to many cook outs, family reunions, etc., and have never heard this word used, even in a comfortable network place. I have no position of authority and am on equal to most of my friends. Oh and for the record they don’t talk like Carlton Banks from"Fresh Prince". So I think once you get out and about and have a more world view you will see to generate a group of people you are severely limiting yourself of potential good friends.\nNow for your other question...\n\nI’ve shown some of my friend your question and they said I should send you this page. It really sums up why this is such a powerfully hateful word and why it is possibly used in a "positive"(I use that word lightly, and so did they) manner. Oh, and they all said "about damn time someone is brave enough to ask the question of 'why'"\n(sorry for all the text(but read it to the end)...seems this word has some history...)\n\nThis site couldn’t have said it better...I’ve copied it and tried to fix "words" Yahoo will flag with ****...This site is about the word and its history. I tried to peserve the site as much as possible. I am sorry to any that might feel offended by it, not my intent. It is harsh as the word is everywhere, and shows through history how bad it was for Black Americans.\nI never understood political correctness, espesially in sites like here where you want to know why, even if its not PC to do so. How does that help anyone? I think it takes away the means of communication, and in doing so take away the way to fix problems...not cover them up like some oozing wound.\n\nN_igger (the word), a brief history!  \n\n June 1\n  \n*On this date we look at the history of word “N_igger” in America. This word still sits at the center of anti-Black verbal distortions. \n\n*Note: some of the content in this writing may be offensive to young children. \n\nThe history of the word n__igger is often traced to the Latin word niger, meaning black. This word became the noun n_egro (black person) in English, and simply the color black in Spanish and Portuguese. In Early Modern French n_iger became n_egre and, later, n_egress (black woman) was unmistakably a part of lexical history. One can compare to negre the derogatory n_igger and earlier English substitutes such as n_egar, n_eegar, n_eger, and n_iggor that developed into its lexico-semantic true version in English. It is probable that n_igger is a phonetic spelling of the white Southern mispronunciation of N_egro. \n\nNo matter what its origins, by the early 1800s it was firmly established as a degenerative nickname. In the 21st century, it remains a principal symbol of white racism regardless of who is using it. Social scientists refer to words like n_igger, k_ike, s_pic, and w_etback come from three categories: disparaging nicknames (c_hink, d_ago, n_igger, etc); explicit group devaluations ("Jew him down," or "n_iggering the land"); and irrelevant ethnic names used as a mild disparagement ("jewbird" for cuckoos having prominent beaks or "Irish confetti" for bricks thrown in a fight). Racial slurs (over time) have victimized all racial and ethnic groups; but, no American group goes through as many racial nicknames as Blacks: c_oon, t_om, s_avage, p_icanniny, m_ammy, b_uck, s_ambo, j_igaboo, b_uckwheat are some. Many of these slurs became fully traditional pseudo-scientific, literary, cinemati
74077
oooooook? let see how to explain this hmmmm i got it! have you ever heard of slang before like whats up? well its like that except for you are calling someone a name. dont take any offense to it.
39080
I wouild say, "I am sorry that you have taken offense to this cartoon, but sometimes this is the price we must pay for a free press and free speech.  The main point is, sir, that in a free and open society if you are tolerant of what you interpret as a slur on your religion, other groups will be tolerant of your perceived slur on their religion.  Tolerance is the key.  If you find this impossible, you cannot expect Jews to tolerate a Muslim religious leader calling Judiasm a 'gutter religion.'"
63796
I think the N word is very crass for both blacks and whites,and it should be taken out of the vocabulary of every person on earth!I dont think its cool and everyone should stop using it.And to answer your question why do you care if blacks use it verses whites?I mean just because they are talking with dirty mouths doesnt mean you have to stoop to that level.Just dont use the words,and ignore others who do! they are not nice at all coming from anyones mouth whether,black,white,mexican,chinese u name it...its just racist slang and its just plain rude.
364016
I would find it quite offensive and racist.  Yes, it's a slang term, but it's use indicates that it is derogatory.\n\nI get irritated when someone tells me how much I must love chocolate since my fiancee is black.
189952
I agree.  It appears to mean disgusting or awful.  It seems to be of French origin, but doesn't translate as anything other than bweark.\n\nSomeone probably made it up.  It could be a combination of a couple of French words, but I don't know enough French to guess what they might be.\n\nEdit:  Thanks, PetiteFée.  When I googled the word, however, it showed up on a lot of sites that appeard to me to be in French language.  Could "Bweark" be a misspelling or an Anglicization of the word "Beurk"?\n\nEdit:  I tried to answer your email, but your address doesn't work.  The answer is that I live in America.
572454
Because whites used it as hate during slavery and segregation in the 1960's and probably some still do. Did you see the movie Malcom X he said he was call Nigger so much he swear it was his name. The word was use in our generation and not looong ago. So any whites who use it would be seen as racist because it was why they used the word, to insult them. For white to use it also will mean it okay to call someone offensive names.
402748
im pretty sure that if your from hong kong you are just called chinese. my friend is from hong kong and as a joke we call her hong kongnese...not being rascist or anything for anybody from hong kong who feels offended, im mean im asian too :)