Is that the best they can do?
Buk-buk, coconut, computer virus, flip, flat nose. These are among the ethnic slurs for Filipinos in this encyclopedia of offensive terms per nationality. Thanks to Noel for the link.
I’m disappointed: the terms are quite innocuous. Is that all the racists can come up with? “You…you…coconut!” or “Beat it, computer virus!” just doesn’t sting. True, the average racist is ignorant and can’t be expected to invent something literary. Shakespeare had some good ones, but he lived in a more hostile, less difference-accepting world; the fact that he isn’t what we now call politically-correct does not diminish his greatness one whit.
More recently the writers of The Simpsons concocted a good one for the French: Cheese-eating surrender monkey.
Kano is listed as an offensive term that originated in the Philippines. Offensive? It’s the short form of Amerikano, which is neither complimentary nor pejorative. The insult derives from the context.
You want to compile ethnic slurs? Talk to more Pinoys. How many of us had yayas (nannies) who routinely scared us by saying, “Hala ka, kukunin ka ng Bumbay/Inchik!” When my friend’s sister first went to Hong Kong as a child and saw a Sikh doorman, she became hysterical and had to be pried out of the taxi.
No doubt some sensitive government official will lodge a protest against the compilers of this encyclopedia.
This cake contains ethnic slurs: Pineapple Coconut Chocolate, from Ricky’s birthday.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
January 6th, 2009 at 02:03
After reading this I remembered what my History prof told us about the Filipinos’ hardwired talent of heckling and mocking as it happened during the battle of Mactan. Even if the language barrier was evident (neither could understand what), the Mactanese were very good hecklers the Spaniards totally forgot their tactics (stay in mid-range), walked angrily towards the shore and got speared by the warriors in return. Hoorah!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:06
“Little Brown American” stings on so many levels, especially in the Bush era.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:15
I’d flip out if someone calls me a flip. It’s all about the intention.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:32
I think you’re in denial. most of the slurs listed are pretty offensive. I get a bad feeling just reading them.
January 6th, 2009 at 12:50
agree-pinoys are the best at ethnic slurring, even when talking about our own ethnic minorities–as a kid, we used to be scared of the real big geckos, those that cluck “krrrrrrr tuk-o……tuk-o……”. They were speckled orange or green and looked horrible—they had these suction pads on their toes, and it was believed that they could stick on you forever…unless, an ati would bend down and flash his/her stinkin’ butt at you….not sure which was the scairier part, the gecko or the flashing ati, but your piece prings back the joys of those non-politically correct days !
January 6th, 2009 at 23:06
You know who are the real geniuses when it comes to inventing slurs? Why, our very own gay community. It’s the reason why people troop to live comedy bars on Friday nights. They can come up with the most offensive insults ever known to man. Just think of all the gay terms they have come up with to insult anyone. Gays, and children. The other day I overheard several public elementary school boys engaging in verbal tussle in a street. Can’t write it down here because I’m telling you, the exact words are rather nasty, and I’m not exactly a sensitive guy. Hmmm, maybe in a couple more years, those boys would grow up to be…”girls”?
January 6th, 2009 at 23:24
The trouble with biased/ethnic “slurrers” and ignorant people is that they say these words when the person referred to is not around to hear it, so you don’t get to rebut it or smack them in the face.
Myself working in a diverse workplace/country, these are certainly big no-nos! But anytime I feel there’s more to what’s actually being said (and some non-Fils are expert at this) I react and tell them off right away.
Example, one non-Fil person told me in jest (kuno?), “shape up or ship out” and I confronted him right away. Oh I was joking, said he. These words were actually non- slurs, but taken into context (how/when said), I felt them to be.
Went to white boss and complained. Boss said, yes – if it offends you and you feel it’s a racist remark, then, it is probaby, a racist or a biased remark.
Most ethnic “slurrers”, when confronted, would say ” I was joking/it was a joke). Don’t be fooled.
If one’s working outside the Philippines, one becomes more alert and give meaning to the words cited in your column. It’s best that way.
January 7th, 2009 at 09:32
Let’s see… when I was new in the ‘States I didn’t really hear a lot of racial slurs directed at me, but became more aware later in college. A lot of the racial slurs I caught were because they thought I was another nationality.
To be honest, something like “flip” just doesn’t have the bite. “FOB” is a discriminatory term that can be interpreted as offensive when you understand what it means. “Coconut” and “Pineapple” rubbed me the wrong way because it assumes that there are specific codes of conduct and cultural tastes that someone of a particular ethnicity should follow. “Asian N***ers” and “Buffalo N***ers” is just plain wrong and to my mind there’s some repressed violence associated with those words.
Still, it’s important to know these racial slurs – particularly if you’re new to a a given workplace or other environment – because while you may not take offense when the terms are applied to you, you’re aware of the presence of prejudice, discrimination, racism, or (god forbid) violence.