The problem with “paki” in British English is it’s not used to refer to Pakistanis, it’s used to refer to all people of subcontinental origin. Like all slurs (in British and Australian English, anyway), it can be used affectionately, but generally it’s an unacceptable term here.
To answer the question, I can think of Canucks, Poles, Newfies, Brits, Ruskies, Turks, Slovaks, Aussies, Kiwis etc.
Merkins? Maybe not.
Yanks, maybe?
I’m pretty sure “Poles,” “Turks,” and “Slovaks” aren’t even nicknames, let alone slurs.
Even though most of our users are based in the U.S., we have plenty of non-U.S. posters and this kind of problem comes up from time to time. Whose standard do we use? Like I said in my first post, I have moderated people for using “Paki” in a derogatory fashion and I’ll continue to do so when I think it’s necessary. But in the case of terms that have multiple connotations we have to consider the possibility that people who are using them are not deliberately being offensive. That’s not the case with most of the slurs listed in the thread title. We’ve had discussions like this about “Jap,” too - we had another one recently - and I also moderate people for using that one if they’re using it as a slur against Japanese people (as opposed to commenting on WWII-era attitudes, for example).
Well l find the use of the word offensive as to me it’s the same as using the word " nigger or Jap '. Just my opinion though.
Just say Pakistani and don’t be lazy.
I had a good friend of mine refer to a “Happy Paki” store with no trace of any idea it might be offensive. I’m not even Pakistani but good heavens.
I’ve always found this very strange, because Pakistan is the only -stan country (besides Afghanistan, but that’s another story) with a ‘made-up name.’ That is to say, take Kazakhstan. It’s the country of the Kazakhs; there are people called Kazakhs, and they’re Kazakhs regardless of their citizenship. Conversely, I can go to Kazakhstan and get a citizenship; I’d be a Kazakhstani but not a Kazakh. It’s the same with the other central Asian -stans - there are people called the Turkmen, some of whom live in Turkmenistan, and so forth.
But there is (excuse my language) no tribe of the Pakis. Rather, Pakistan is Persian for ‘the Pure Place.’ It’s also a clever little acronym to describe the 5 provinces it would cover - Punjab, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Sindh, and Baluchistan. No one ethnic group can claim to own Pakistan the way that the Kazakhs can claim to own Kazakhstan - it was designed, rather, as a common homeland for all the Muslims who had been subject to British Imperialism.
I don’t know enough about Pakistan to speculate about what this means vv. nascent ethnic and nationalist feelings, but I can imagine that they’d be very, very complicated. (If a Muslim Punjabi left India in the 30s; are they a Pakistani?)
Well, you should. As has been explained, it’s not commonly used as a slur in some places, like the USA for example.
If it comes to a vote, then I vote yes, all slurs should be acceptable.
Your friendly neighborhood dago wop guinea fat fuck,
Revtim
Oh, smurf off.
So? Australia is infamous for not using cunt as a slur, yet here we are.
Appreciate the clarification and explanation, but your horse looks pretty high too. Right back at ya.
I disagree: AK’s perspective on this situation is straight-up educational, if possibly a little bit snarky. But the snark’s worth putting up with to get this information.
Here in the United States, it’s not uncommon for Pakistani-owned businesses to use “Pak” – Pak-Mail, Indo-Pak Halal, Pak Auto Service. I’ve even seen “Pakola” soft drinks, which, I believe actually originate in Pakistan.
So, is “Pak” okay? Is it tainted by “Paki”?
No, I didn’t know that, and it’s interesting. I honestly didn’t realise the extent to which this term is acceptable in these contexts, which, yes, represents ignorance on my part.
For many horrible slurs, there are contexts in which they are also accepted usage (even terms like ‘nigger’ are used and received without any perceived insult in some contexts), so I don’t suppose there’s a one-size-fits rule for how they should be handled.
I’m genuinely surprised at the extent of contexts in which the term ‘paki’ isn’t considered offensive - so I don’t intend to argue any further - ignorance fought - if anyone wishes to judge me on previous argument I made in this thread, please understand that in every context I have previously encountered the word, it was used with racist (often violently aggressive racist) intent.
Whilst it’s accepted [invariably, and certainly in the UK] that ‘Paki’ is a pejorative term, as others here have said, a lot of it comes down to context in which the term is being used; e.g. up until very recently, Australian cricket commentators on TV and radio routinely referred to the Pakistani cricket team as, ‘the Pakis’ (just as they refer to the New Zealand team as ‘the Kiwis’, and the West Indian team as ‘the Windies’)- as is the Australians’ penchant to contract or abbreviate any amount of its national verbiage.
It’s worth noting, too, that in Pakistan, they freely toss the term around with regard to each other (in a similar way that black folks call each other ‘nigger’ - again, which can be either pejorative, or not, depending on the context in which it’s being used).
Whatever. The snark ascribes motives not mine.
Well, as long as you don’t mention me by name.
[aside]Honestly, I grew up hearing this word “welch”, like to welch on a bet, but I had no idea until a few years ago that it had any connection with Welsh. Same way I grew up innocent of the roots of the word in “that’s a gyp”. Hell, I didn’t even know how to spell gyp. Jip? That’s a funny word, but okay. [/aside]
You can’t believe anyone could be unaware of how the UK uses the word as a slur, and so it just looks like a harmless abbreviation, like Aussies? Even people who don’t live in the UK? People who live in places with tiny if even existent Southern Asian communities, who don’t have any of the historical baggage?
So do I. It’s sad, really. The problem isn’t the word Paki, or Jap. It’s the prevalent attitude behind the use. Any word could be warped this way. “It’s the special bus.”
To consider context is a reasonable approach. I often use ‘Japs’ IRL although I don’t think it has happened on the SDMB yet. For me, that term carries none of the cultural baggage that it does for Americans/Brits/what have you. And, what’s more, I don’t particularly see why I should take on any of that burden either.