# If "Paki" is acceptable to use then what other slurs are? Nigger? Spic? Homo? Jap? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 16, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375 "2012-07-16T02:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/301 "2012-07-26T15:26:15Z")
> [@florez](#): > > Here is a young Japanese person talking about use of the term “JAP”. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4jelOcalwU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4jelOcalwU) Something I learned today: A young Japanese male is offended at being referred to as a Jewish American Princess. Yeah, I guess I get that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/302 "2012-07-26T15:28:08Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > My perspective is one of a British man of Indian descent (born in Britain - I’ve never been to India) who has suffered racially motivated abuse, primarily featuring this term, all my life. I have been told to “go back to your own country, you fucking Paki” on many occasions; and, notably, my own country is not Pakistan (it’s not even India - it’s the UK, but if we’re talking ancestry, mine is not of Pakistani origin). > > Mangetout tried to compare the term to “Brit” which is a comparison I do not find even remotely appropriate. I’m white British and I endorse this post. If Pakistani’s in Pakistan want to refer to each other as paki’s or two consenting Pakistani’s on a discussion board want to refer to each other as such, they should knock themselves out. The rest of us should show the same class that stops us hurling the word nigger around with gay abandon while in such a forum as this. If anyone is in any doubt that Paki is a serious hate term in the UK they should google ‘paki jokes’. Here’s one. ‘It’s so hot today the Paki family next door has invited us all to a water fight. We’re just waiting for the kettle to boil.’ This is an international English language forum and while on it we should try to show a little respect regardless of American or Australian desires. It won’t kill us. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/303 "2012-07-27T01:58:40Z")
Acceptable use on minorities without a strong economic or political base wherever it’s being practiced. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/304 "2012-07-27T10:58:18Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > I’m white British and I endorse this post. > > If Pakistani’s in Pakistan want to refer to each other as paki’s or two consenting Pakistani’s on a discussion board want to refer to each other as such, they should knock themselves out. The rest of us should show the same class that stops us hurling the word nigger around with gay abandon while in such a forum as this. > > If anyone is in any doubt that Paki is a serious hate term in the UK they should google ‘paki jokes’. > > Here’s one. > > ‘It’s so hot today the Paki family next door has invited us all to a water fight. We’re just waiting for the kettle to boil.’ > > This is an international English language forum and while on it we should try to show a little respect regardless of American or Australian desires. It won’t kill us. Wow. What bloody conceit. Because it is insulting to _British_ ears, it should be verboten. Well then, there is a list of things I find insulting and hateful which are permitted and which I am sure you would insist on “free speech” grounds, which I would like to be banned. Should I put them up? Or are there double standards? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/305 "2012-07-27T11:04:17Z")
No- it just means British standards trump American and English standards. And obviously Pakistani standards- according to tagos. I think he/ she must be Winston Churchill reincarnated. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/306 "2012-07-27T12:22:33Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > I’m white British and I endorse this post. > > If Pakistani’s in Pakistan want to refer to each other as paki’s or two consenting Pakistani’s on a discussion board want to refer to each other as such, they should knock themselves out. The rest of us should show the same class that stops us hurling the word nigger around with gay abandon while in such a forum as this. So it’s OK for people of Racial identification A to do something, but not OK for people of Racial identification B to do _the exact same thing_? Isn’t that a bit… you know… _racist_? (noting that _the exact same thing_ in this context is _not_ ‘throw around racial slurs’ - it’s ‘innocently use a descriptor’) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/307 "2012-07-27T13:24:09Z")
> [@tagos](#): > > If anyone is in any doubt that Paki is a serious hate term in the UK they should google ‘paki jokes’. > > Here’s one. > > ‘It’s so hot today the Paki family next door has invited us all to a water fight. We’re just waiting for the kettle to boil.’ Not sure I get it. Because they drink tea or hot water a lot? If that’s the joke, it doesn’t sound particularly hateful. Did you intentionally pick a mild one? ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/308 "2012-07-27T13:54:52Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Not sure I get it. Because they drink tea or hot water a lot? My assumption was they would be throwing boiling water on their neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/309 "2012-07-27T13:58:27Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > My assumption was they would be throwing boiling water on their neighbors. That was my assumption as well. Either way, the joke doesn’t make much sense. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/310 "2012-07-27T14:01:28Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Not sure I get it. Because they drink tea or hot water a lot? I think I figured it out. The Pakistanis are going to throw cold water to help fight the heat, but the white dudes are going to throw boiling water back. To, you know, cause horrendous injuries. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/311 "2012-07-27T15:00:12Z")
In India, Sardars(Sikhs) are the butt of all jokes though they are mostly cool with this. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/312 "2012-07-27T15:06:06Z")
That’s because they’re armed. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/313 "2012-07-27T15:29:13Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > That’s because they’re armed. One thing is that they are not touchy people. I was wondering, has there ever been a racist term used for white people?😉 ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/314 "2012-07-27T15:38:30Z")
Interesting thread. Didn’t contribute earlier but as it’s come back to life I’ll add my two pence worth. As a Brit (white) I started out from much the same position as \*\*Tagos \*\*- Paki is an absolute no-no for use in normal conversation in the UK so should be a no-no on the Board. Too much history - and as \*\*Tagos \*\*points out too many vicious, unfunny jokes (the boiling water one is fairly mild) - have made it unacceptable as the word is always racist and offensive but the discussion in the thread has shifted my position. Clearly people with different backgrounds and from different cultures can use it without the racist overtones and there is no way the Board should make absolute bans to suit one section of the community. Just leave it to the Mods to judge when it \*\*IS \*\*being used as hate speech. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/315 "2012-07-27T16:03:38Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > My assumption was they would be throwing boiling water on their neighbors. Ah, gotcha. I read it as the “Pakis” were the ones boiling the water. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/316 "2012-07-27T16:08:09Z")
What’s the significance of “boiling water”? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/317 "2012-07-27T16:23:45Z")
We do have the practical problem that most of the moderators are US-based, US-raised, and US-bred. We are therefore unaware of which terms are significant racial/ethnic slurs, and which terms are mild/inoffensive in other countries. That makes it very difficult to be pro-active in moderating. To come up with a list of all words that are offensive in all locations would be … well, prohibitively expensive in terms of time, energy, and effort. And we’d be sure to miss that “Bean” is an offensive term in Colombia to refer to the residents of Lima, Peru. Or whatever. We can be re-active, of course. When such a thing occurs again, we can certainly react to it (assuming someone reports\* it!), and such reaction will depend on the situation. If we think it’s a deliberate slur, we can warn or issue a mod note. If we think it’s just ignorance (and we the mods were ignorant as well), we’d probably just consider education to be sufficient. There’s no point in issuing a warning for an inadvertent and unknowing blunder in word usage. - Small ! in little red triangle in upper right corner of post ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/318 "2012-07-27T16:36:30Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What’s the significance of “boiling water”? See post #310. It might be transposed as “our black neighbors invited us to their house for a barbecue. I’ve just got to finish building the cross,” or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/319 "2012-07-27T22:19:47Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > If we think it’s a deliberate slur, we can warn or issue a mod note. If we think it’s just ignorance (and we the mods were ignorant as well), **we’d probably just consider education to be sufficient**. There’s no point in issuing a warning for an inadvertent and unknowing blunder in word usage. > > - Small ! in little red triangle in upper right corner of post emphasis mine. Why? Why do you want the racist usage to be propagated? Why not ignore the usage that is not intended as an offence, _and_ that has a legitimate reason for being around? ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/320 "2012-07-27T22:44:33Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Wow. What bloody conceit. Because it is insulting to _British_ ears, it should be verboten. Well then, there is a list of things I find insulting and hateful which are permitted and which I am sure you would insist on “free speech” grounds, which I would like to be banned. Should I put them up? Or are there double standards? I’m just amazed at the lengths people are going here to justify their desire, hell almost a need, to be able to use words on here that people in other countries find racially charged and insulting. Even after these people have been told the meaning behind the words. Incredible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375.md?page=17)