Date:  Tue, 16 Dec 1997 10:49:17 -0500
From:  Gregory {Greg} Downing <downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]IS2.NYU.EDU>
Subject: Re: "sand nigger" + similar

At 10:18 AM 12/16/97 -0500, you (Jesse T Sheidlower <jester[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PANIX.COM>) wrote:
>For terms like this we do see a lot of confusion about where people
>are actually from. We don't have any _sand nigger_ examples referring
>to Indians (aside from Barry's),

I suppose we can't assume that the people using the epithets were actually
using them "properly". (I saw the same page-one story Barry P. did in the
NYU student paper, _The Washington Square News_.) Their intention was to
annoy the speaker and those who wanted to hear him, and logical consistency
may not have been their highest priority. I'm not too clear on why they
think using such an epithet supports their argument that the speaker is
racist and they the protesters are opposed to such racism. Again, the main
priority in this case seems to have been to give maximal annoyance to the
target of the epithet rather than to exhibit logical consistency.

>We also have occasional examples
>of _raghead_ in equally broad use.

Not forgetting the "immortal" towelhead, which I have heard on occasion in
NY City for 15 years or more, though I'd imagine it goes further back than that.

>In short I wouldn't expect too much consistency or realism from this
>type of ethnic epithet.
>

Right.

Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nyu.edu or downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]is2.nyu.edu