# Have you ever been called an ethnic slur in real life? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 5, 2015, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594 "2015-10-05T09:48:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/1 "2015-10-05T09:48:33Z")
How did you react/respond? Alternatively (if you never have or if it doesn’t apply to you), what is the worst thing you’ve ever been called by someone, in real life, who wasn’t joking? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/2 "2015-10-05T09:53:58Z")
Yes, and I was mildly scared, even though it was a crowded public bus in broad daylight, because the (African-American) woman who said it was obviously not quite right in the head. ---
**Author:** ![ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/3 "2015-10-05T09:54:36Z")
Ethnic slur? Never. Racial slur? I’ve been called a “white motherfucker” a few times that I recall. Otherwise? I was a fat kid with glasses who grew up to be a fat guy with glasses who worked as a bar bouncer/doorman for 15 years. I can’t honestly remember all the vile names I’ve been called. I learned to ignore it as the barking of small dogs. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/4 "2015-10-05T10:06:46Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/5 "2015-10-05T10:22:11Z")
Yeah, I was called a “wog” forty years ago by a couple of snotty-nosed kids. The odd thing is that I have (had, anyway) four White English grandparents - though my face does tan a bit, and it was a sunny summer that year. ---
**Author:** ![TheSpeculationElucidation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@TheSpeculationElucidation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSpeculationElucidation)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/6 "2015-10-05T10:43:05Z")
Not ethnic or racial, as I’m white. I am Pansexual, and Pagan, and I am a very tall(6’) and strong-looking woman. I’ve been called a lot of things. None of them really bother me anymore. Wolves don’t lose sleep over the opinions of sheep. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/7 "2015-10-05T11:21:11Z")
Many times as a youth ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/8 "2015-10-05T11:22:34Z")
Does XBox Live count as real life? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/9 "2015-10-05T11:36:39Z")
Back in my twenties I had a black friend that used to refer to me as _his nigga_ (“my nigga!”). A wee bit strange since I’m white. Pretty sure he meant it as a term of endearment. At least I hope so. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/10 "2015-10-05T11:41:20Z")
Yeah. In the Army, while working in residential treatment, while working in LE, and as a teacher. Where are you going with this? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/11 "2015-10-05T11:42:32Z")
I’ve been called honky, cracker, white boy, white (any number of profane nouns). There were some situations where this felt threatening, but mostly it just seemed like verbal harassment that wasn’t going any farther. It was usually a consequence of being “out of place” in a racially segregated city. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/12 "2015-10-05T12:06:59Z")
I used to have a few friends of Indian and Sri Lankan background. If we all went out together they would call me their “token honky”. I think I’ve been called ethnic slurs in Hong Kong but since I don’t know what they mean they haven’t bothered me. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/13 "2015-10-05T12:11:19Z")
Yes. I was a kid and it was upsetting. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/14 "2015-10-05T12:24:30Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > Does XBox Live count as real life? Going on: if it does, I think I’ve been called every one in the book. In _real_ real life, I’ve been called chink and gook (usually elementary and junior high school) and gringo (constantly when in South America). Other than that, _fag_ is probably the worst thing I’ve been called repeatedly, again mostly before high school. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/15 "2015-10-05T12:40:35Z")
Twice in my adult life. I didn’t outwardly react on either occasion. The last one was by someone who was clearly mentally ill, but it still managed to be upsetting. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/16 "2015-10-05T12:48:21Z")
I’ve been called a chink and a slant-eye before. The funny thing is that I have absolutely no Asian blood in me at all. No Chinese, no Japanese, no nothing. I just happen to have slightly narrow eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/17 "2015-10-05T12:51:46Z")
I don’t think I have. I had a black second-grader once tell me the joke about an airplane going down, where the punchline is that the first two guys jump out for the glory of their country and the third guy throws the fourth guy out for the same reason, and in this kid’s version of the joke, the black guy threw the white guy out of the plane. That’s as close as I’ve come, I think. I’ve had white people use racist epithets for other people in conversation with me, expecting me to sympathize. That’s a lot crappier. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/18 "2015-10-05T12:57:13Z")
Sure. It sucked. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/19 "2015-10-05T12:59:01Z")
I might have been called a spic or a wop. I can’t actually remember if I was called either of those, or if it’s just that I was told that the reason my father wouldn’t let my mom teach us Spanish was because he feared we’d be referred to with those words. I do remember growing up in Florida and being a little bit ashamed of the small part of me that is Cuban. I grew out of that. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594/20 "2015-10-05T13:02:40Z")
Yes, many times growing up. It resulted in a few fights but nothing of great consequence. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-called-an-ethnic-slur-in-real-life/733594.md?page=2)