Re: "Gringo"

S

sia

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Re: "Gringo"

Words are malleable, changing meaning depending on the circumstances. Their meanings are often blurry and contradict themselves.

gringo as a North American- would it be used to refer to a Mexican born in the USA- a North American? or is it for whites, or people who just look white? (in that case, many latinos are gringos as well) what about a european, or an African-American- are they gringos? Or is it only if they have money.

The term "spic" goes back to Spanish speaking immigrants saying, "I no speak (sounding like "spic" with a Spanish accent) english."

The term cracker goes back to slavery times, referring to the slave master who cracked whips on the slaves' backs.

The term nigger/ nigga has evolved from first- negro, meaning black, then nigra, then nigger (by whites) and nigga (by black). Formally, a nigger is just an ignorant person.

People say that these words can be used as terms of endearment in a friendly sense, or can be used indifferently as descriptions. But the cops in the US don't use 'spic' as a term of endearment- but perhaps years from now it will. Cracker is always in a derogatory sense. Blacks use the word nigga and say that it is a term of endearment, but I don't think it is because when someone uses the term, they make no distinction between their friends or enemies when using the term. I have a Puerto Rican friend who told me that he thought the term 'nigga' was a street word for 'guy'; he did not know that it means an ignorant person or about its racist history.

People should be careful choosing their words. The Bible says the power of life and death is in the tongue. I am a Black American female and I will not allow anyone to call me out of my name- that includes someone calling me "bitch", "nigga", "niggerbitch" or GRINGA.

P.S. Why do Spanish speaking people refer to white people as Anglos when only certain white people coming from the Anglo tribe are really Anglos?