# Thoughts on the term "White Trash"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 25, 2013, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139 "2013-12-25T09:05:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/61 "2013-12-27T04:20:13Z")
> [@EmilyG](#):
>
> Maybe it’s usually white people who use the term, so they consider it okay?
As somebody pointed out, the term white trash also implies racism against black people. The basic message is this particular white individual is as bad as non-white people are in general.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/62 "2013-12-27T05:09:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> As somebody pointed out, the term white trash also implies racism against black people. The basic message is this particular white individual is as bad as non-white people are in general.
You didn’t read the thread did you? That is a completely false revisionist argument based on modern day politics that do not apply here. The term ‘white trash’ was invented by black slaves and later adopted by society at large to describe a very specific white subculture.
It has nothing to do with comparisons to any other races or classes. The term itself leads some people to derive a false etymology but it isn’t true and never has been. The world could have nothing but white people and the term, or a better synonym, would still apply.
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### Author:  [@Craneop2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Craneop2)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/63 "2013-12-27T05:27:41Z")
Want to know why most of us aren’t offended by “white Trash”?
Because we don’t CHOOSE to be offended.
There are people in this world that make a living stirring folks up. They can make a mountain out of a mole hill.
I learned a long time ago that words can’t hurt me.
Some people never learned that, and are looking for ways keep the pot stirred.
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### Author:  [@Spaghettifrier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spaghettifrier)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/64 "2013-12-27T06:23:36Z")
> [@Craneop2](#):
>
> Want to know why most of us aren’t offended by “white Trash”?
>
> Because we don’t CHOOSE to be offended.
>
> There are people in this world that make a living stirring folks up. They can make a mountain out of a mole hill.
>
> I learned a long time ago that words can’t hurt me.
>
> Some people never learned that, and are looking for ways keep the pot stirred.
There’s a difference between being emotionally offended, and intellectually realizing that certain wordings have implications that reinforce cultural norms that we may want to reconsider, especially since there are always youngins in society who get their impressions of society based on the language, among other things.
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### Author:  [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/65 "2013-12-27T09:44:05Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#):
>
> You didn’t read the thread did you? That is a completely false revisionist argument based on modern day politics that do not apply here. The term ‘white trash’ was invented by black slaves and later adopted by society at large to describe a very specific white subculture.
That was an interesting fact, one I was not aware of, but I don’t think that’s applicable to how it’s used today, what it currently implies, or what it means to those who have co-opted the words. I’m pretty sure the term isn’t used exclusively by slaves to refer to white servants anymore, so whatever that dynamic connotes, it’s no longer relevant.
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### Author:  [@Gateway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gateway)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/66 "2013-12-27T10:10:31Z")
> [@Spaghettifrier](#):
>
> What about black trash? Minority trash?
You can have black power and brown pride, but it’s racist when someone has white pride (Not the same as white supremacy)
Blacks can call another “brother” on the basis of race. Whites cannot have brotherhood on this or it’s racist.
White’s are allowed to be referred to as redneck. Can blacks be referred to as “black neck?”
Whites can be called “cracker,” but those same (black) people would be mad if they are called something like…liquorish, fudge? (Maybe there are better examples out there but you get the point)
You can call a white person in some places “White boy.” Can a white say black boy or brown boy?
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/67 "2013-12-27T14:25:58Z")
No. Enjoy your second-class citizenship.
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### Author:  [@Falchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchion)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/68 "2013-12-27T14:43:02Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#):
>
> That was an interesting fact, one I was not aware of, but I don’t think that’s applicable to how it’s used today, what it currently implies, or what it means to those who have co-opted the words. I’m pretty sure the term isn’t used exclusively by slaves to refer to white servants anymore, so whatever that dynamic connotes, it’s no longer relevant.
Is there any reason to believe that, as currently used, the term is used with racist implications about the generic “trash” status of minorities? It seems to me that it’s used to identify a fairly specific white demographic. I was certainly prepared to believe that its etymology was racist, but it turns out that while it was, in a sense, racist it wasn’t the kind of racist we care about.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/69 "2013-12-27T14:45:08Z")
Uh, what? **Gateway** ’s bitching aside, “we” certainly care about racism directed at white people. It’s just defined somewhat differently.
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### Author:  [@Falchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchion)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/70 "2013-12-27T14:49:26Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> Uh, what? **Gateway** ’s bitching aside, “we” certainly care about racism directed at white people. It’s just defined somewhat differently.
I don’t know why it would be defined differently. Racism is racism, isn’t it?
But, in all honesty, I wasn’t trying to be snarky. Racism directed a poor white people by _slaves_ really isn’t the kind of racism I care about. When you get that shit a deal, you get to be racist.
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### Author:  [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/71 "2013-12-27T15:02:17Z")
> [@Gateway](#):
>
> You can have black power and brown pride, but it’s racist when someone has white pride (Not the same as white supremacy)
>
> Blacks can call another “brother” on the basis of race. Whites cannot have brotherhood on this or it’s racist.
>
> White’s are allowed to be referred to as redneck. Can blacks be referred to as “black neck?”
>
> Whites can be called “cracker,” but those same (black) people would be mad if they are called something like…liquorish, fudge? (Maybe there are better examples out there but you get the point)
>
> You can call a white person in some places “White boy.” Can a white say black boy or brown boy?
You forgot BET…_where is WET_!? :rolleyes:
You’d have to have a very limited understanding of American history, if you don’t understand why White Pride would draw negative attention, similar to how other popular symbols aren’t necessarily owned by any particular group, but due to some dark points in history, promote a negative image as they’ve risen in infamy through the actions of those particular groups.
As for referring to other’s as “brother” on a basis of race, there is also historical context. However, in this modern day where words undergo reappropriation, the word is used by people of all races, more commonly as “bro”. People say this to each other _all_ the time, because it’s more sincere and not a veiled attempt to be disingenuous about history.
Otherwise, it seems as if you’re suggesting we don’t have enough slanderous, bigoted, and ignorant terms to go around, because some are attributed to a given race? I never saw that as a problem or a worthwhile measure of equality.
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/72 "2013-12-27T15:07:04Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> I grew up among White Trash in Texas. It is a completely apt term for them.
How long did you spend in Texas again? It really seems to have fomented some hate in you.
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/73 "2013-12-27T15:17:23Z")
> [@Falchion](#):
>
> I don’t know why it would be defined differently. Racism is racism, isn’t it?
>
> But, in all honesty, I wasn’t trying to be snarky. Racism directed a poor white people by _slaves_ really isn’t the kind of racism I care about. When you get that shit a deal, you get to be racist.
That last bit made me laugh out loud. I’m not entirely sure why. 🙂
As to the first bit: yes and no. Some people take your “slaves get to do it” theory a bit further, and say, “historically oppressed minorities get to do it.”
Fun story: I attend a law school affiliated with an HBCU\*. I’m not black. I helped to organize a sort of cultural competence panel where a number of student organizations had the opportunity to air their views. There was a representative there from our chapter of BLSA, the Black Law Students’ Association. I asked her why having a BLSA chapter at a majority-black school wasn’t akin to having a White Students’ Association at a majority-white school. I sort of expected that she’d sputter for a minute and say, “it’s just different!” or something, and we’d move on.
She didn’t. She said, “well, black students may be the majority here\*\*, but blacks and other minorities are still hugely underrepresented in the law. So we don’t work to promote black enrollment at this school, but we still aim to promote minority enrollment at law schools generally.” Seemed like a pretty good answer to me.
Some other people chimed in and said BLSA was also about bringing together black students from different backgrounds, such as Afro-Caribbeans and African-Americans. That seemed like a much dumber reason.
\*Historically Black College or University
\*\*They’re actually just a plurality
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### Author:  [@Gateway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gateway)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/74 "2013-12-27T15:47:22Z")
[QUOTE=Krouget]
You forgot BET…_where is WET_!? :rolleyes:
[/QUOTE]
The fact that you did a roll-eye face shows that there is an inequality and double standard on the basis of race.
[QUOTE=Krouget]
You’d have to have a very limited understanding of American history, if you don’t understand why White Pride would draw negative attention,
[/QUOTE]
I understand how it does draw negative attention. I am saying that it should not if brown pride does not. Both need to be accepted or done away with for there to be equality. This is not a huge issue, but it is still racist. If racism is to be done away with, and this is racist, then this needs to go.
[QUOTE=Krouget]
As for referring to other’s as “brother” on a basis of race, there is also historical context. However, in this modern day where words undergo reappropriation, the word is used by people of all races, more commonly as “bro”.
[/QUOTE]
If a black person can have brotherhood on the basis of race, it is inequality for whites to not. Both need to be accepted or done away with for there to be equality. The idea of brotherhood because of color goes deeper then someone being my bro. The term bro is not about race.
[QUOTE=Krouget]
Otherwise, it seems as if you’re suggesting we don’t have enough slanderous, bigoted, and ignorant terms to go around, because some are attributed to a given race? I never saw that as a problem or a worthwhile measure of equality.
[/QUOTE]
If they are slanderous and bigoted as you say, then it would probably be ideal to do away with them completely rather than add more.
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### Author:  [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/75 "2013-12-27T15:54:35Z")
> [@Falchion](#):
>
> Is there any reason to believe that, as currently used, the term is used with racist implications about the generic “trash” status of minorities? It seems to me that it’s used to identify a fairly specific white demographic. I was certainly prepared to believe that its etymology was racist, but it turns out that while it was, in a sense, racist it wasn’t the kind of racist we care about.
I can only offer my impression. I always took it as racist toward non-whites, albeit in an indirect way. That’s how the words always hit my ear, in (of course) modern usage. Of course, it certainly does identify a certain demographic in the process.
My last point was that the origin of the term doesn’t change this, if my impression is a common one. I may be wrong. Perhaps this is not intended to be racist toward non-whites, and my inference is goofy. But if that’s so, it’s not because the term began as a pejorative created by slaves.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/76 "2013-12-27T16:01:29Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> How long did you spend in Texas again? It really seems to have fomented some hate in you.
24 years. Long, long years.
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### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/77 "2013-12-27T16:05:45Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#):
>
> I can only offer my impression. I always took it as racist toward non-whites, albeit in an indirect way. That’s how the words always hit my ear, in (of course) modern usage. Of course, it certainly does identify a certain demographic in the process.
>
> My last point was that the origin of the term doesn’t change this, if my impression is a common one. I may be wrong. Perhaps this is not intended to be racist toward non-whites, and my inference is goofy. But if that’s so, it’s not because the term began as a pejorative created by slaves.
Yeah, I don’t see how the origin actually changes anything. Plenty of offensive terms can have innocuous original meanings.
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### Author:  [@Falchion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falchion)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/78 "2013-12-27T16:14:26Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#):
>
> I can only offer my impression. I always took it as racist toward non-whites, albeit in an indirect way. That’s how the words always hit my ear, in (of course) modern usage. Of course, it certainly does identify a certain demographic in the process.
>
> My last point was that the origin of the term doesn’t change this, if my impression is a common one. I may be wrong. Perhaps this is not intended to be racist toward non-whites, and my inference is goofy. But if that’s so, it’s not because the term began as a pejorative created by slaves.
I guess I don’t see how it is racist towards non-whites. To be sure, if the origin had been, as was suggested, “white people so trashy that they’re almost like non-white people” then it would certainly have racist implications (a word like “gyp” for example is “racist” because of its origin, I think). So I guess I just have trouble seeing “white trash” as racist towards non-white people, and the fact that it did not originate as such does not help me see it that way either.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/79 "2013-12-27T16:28:29Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#):
>
> You didn’t read the thread did you? That is a completely false revisionist argument based on modern day politics that do not apply here.
I read all the posts in this thread. But I didn’t find any Revealed Truth. You may think modern day politics doesn’t apply to the meaning of language but I think it’s a lot more applicable than the usage of 19th century house slaves. Your information would be valid if we were discussing a two hundred year old novel but it doesn’t reflect what people are saying nowadays.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [December 27, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thoughts-on-the-term-white-trash/677139/80 "2013-12-27T16:31:59Z")
> [@Craneop2](#):
>
> Want to know why most of us aren’t offended by “white Trash”?
>
> Because we don’t CHOOSE to be offended.
>
> There are people in this world that make a living stirring folks up. They can make a mountain out of a mole hill.
>
> I learned a long time ago that words can’t hurt me.
>
> Some people never learned that, and are looking for ways keep the pot stirred.
It’s easy to say you wouldn’t be hurt by racism when you’ve never had to actually face it.
My personal opinion is that any white person who gets butthurt over the trivial racial issues a white person faces in America would explode if they had to deal with the real racial problems non-white people face.
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