Is 'Paki' Really A Racist Word?

[senob44]

It's one thing to say it's not racist in America (where it is not even used, so therefore that statement is a lame duck statement anyway)

We already get the whole "it's not racist in America" thing, but like I said, it's not *used* in America, so you can't say *Paki is not racist in America*.

*Where* the word Paki is used, it is *very* racist, and therefore, the word is very racist. I don't see how, or *why* any American, who most likely has never used the word in their life, would have any business, or need, to dispute that. It's not about America. Is that too hard to grasp?

Please don't make gross generalizations about things you don't know. Not only that, but you made the same callous generalization THREE times in one post. :nono: There are over 100,000 Pakistani Americans living in each state New York and New Jersey. I have interacted with many many of them and have witnessed them calling each other "Pakis" in a good-natured way. I have also referred to them as "Pakis" after my Pakistani friend assured me it was an OK term to use.

Believe it or not, there are over 500,000 Pakistanis living in the United States, and amazingly enough some of us have interacted with them. So I don't see the problem with people stating that the word "Paki" is not a racist word, as long as they clarify "in the US" As long as you clarify it, it is abundantly clear that the poster is referring ONLY to the status of the word in America. Which also happens to be the country with the 2nd-highest Pakistani population in the western world.

And since I don't have or plan to have any houseguests from England, nor do I plan to go there, I shall feel free to continue using the word "Paki". (Which if you failed to get the point, is NOT racist in the USA, or probably in most countries of the world.)

It is an an insult.
Colonel f40 is an Indian by the way, so you can see that he has a hidden agenda. Colonelf40, would you like me to start a thread about a very nasty word used to describe hindus?

Before you start that thread, maybe you'd better get your facts straight. In a recent post, Colonelf40 identifies himself as a "British Paki".

Interesting that if he is indeed telling the truth, we just had a British Pakistani, using the term "Paki" to decribe himself! What does that say about the racism of this term? Sounds like it's only racist if someone means it to be. And in the US, the term is often used in a non-racist manner, so here it is not a racist term. Which is all I have ever said. Just because England has a large population of Pakistanis doesn't mean their "rules" hold true everywhere.

 

[senob44]

Well it seemed like you attacked the posts of anyone from the US, whether they were experienced in using and hearing the word or not. Saying the word "Paki" is not used at all is the US is not true. PERIOD. I'm just defending why I posted what I did earlier in the thread. I think my opinion for one, counts for something because I know a good number of Pakistanis. I would also think that if any other Americans know Pakistanis, then their opinions matter too.

Plus, as I mentioned in my last post, it all depends on how the word is used. Here we had a British Pakistani describing himself as a "Paki". If the word is racist, then he is insulting himself. So obviously the word is NOT totally racist, just the way it is used by people.

 

[gunslingingbird]

^ & ^^

I've heard the word "Paki" used in both northern and southern California. :2 cents:

 

[stainedblueyes]

well.... i gues so but i get called taffy everywhere i go when they hear my accent... i guess if pakistani people find it offensive then i would choose not to use the word out of respect for another human being

 

[senob44]

Hey, how coincidental - the other concentration of Pakistani Americans. I knew this was a US-dominated board, but to see American people banding together to say that the Britisth street slang version of n*****, born and raised in Britain, used daily all over England to insult many central Asians, really gives a bad impression of American sensitivity to other people's N-words to the non-Americans. Especially given that a huge percentage of this board is British. You really do sound like that Thai guy saying "n***** is not racist and I've heard it used in Thailand and it wasn't racist." I understand the need to band together, but at what point do you say, "ok, well it's not a word that's really used in America, so we'll stop debating on what it means now, since it's as common as "bread" or "television" in England, which is where the word

Maybe this will end the debate. You guys are constantly quoting Wiki to prove your points. So here you go. I did my research.

What Paki means. "PERIOD."
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Paki

It's a slur. Usage in America isn't even mentioned because it isn't even relavant because it's so unusual. In England it is famous, and in Wiki, which is the #1 reference online for all things in the western world, it's a slur, and it's something that should be avoided.

You don't have to tell me I was right. But are you at least going to let it go now?

Fine. GSB and I right from the start were just offering a view from our perspective, from "our neck of the woods" is the term we both used to clarify that. If that is irrelavent because of the low number of Pakistanis in the US, then fine. I have always agreed that the word had very racist connotations in England, I believe that. I take your word for it, you didn't have to prove that with the wikisource. I will stop using the term now, on the chance that it might offend someone. Just as you wanted to inform the board that it was a racist term in England, we wanted to inform the board that it is not racist in the US. That doesn't lessen the vileness the term has in the UK, just shows the world is not alike all over.

If someone said that the n-word wasn't offensive in China, I would think that was interesting, how different from here. That's the way I would have liked you to react to the information that "Paki" was not offensive in the US. Places are different, we're just giving the scoop on the US use of the term. I don't even know why we're arguing any more.

 

[Member2019]

Relevance of "1 in 600"

1 in 600

Considering the make-up of the US, and its vast number of immigrants across the world, that's a typical minority.

We have 10 million of Islamic Faith.
We have 8 million of Jewish Faith.

We have countless, and broad, numbers of Christian Faith, including many, many Orthodox as much as Protestants, before we consider Catholics.

We have various other minorities that will vary from 30,000 (0.01%) to 3M (1%) and more.
The US is more diversified than any other nation on the planet in its concentration of different people.
The majority of American families are less then five (5) generations old.

It doesn't surprise that there are "only" 0.5M Pakistanis, given the distance and their own population.
I mean, where else in the world do you find a nation that virtually always has 0.5-5% of their mother country represented?

Not just 2% here, 4% there, of only a few, but 0.1% here, 1% there, of many, many cultures.
I think people forget that, we're not just the popular destination for a few nationalities, we are THE popular destination for ALL nationalities.

Please don't twist the statistics to fit an argument on diversity, we pretty must best everyone there.

 

[Member2019]

Okay, maybe I mis-read some of that ...

Okay, maybe I mis-read some of that. I apologize.
As I mentioned prior, the Golden Rule works well in general.

 

[stainedblueyes]

well.... i gues so but i get called taffy everywhere i go when they hear my accent... i guess if pakistani people find it offensive then i would choose not to use the word out of respect for another human being

I don't know that one, is it a slur for people from Wales?

You're pretty much right though I don't consider it much of a slur... not as much as my countrymens reputation for intercourse with sheep anyway lol!

 

[colonelf40]

It is an an insult.
Colonel f40 is an Indian by the way, so you can see that he has a hidden agenda.
Colonelf40, would you like me to start a thread about a very nasty word used to describe hindus?

As racists say (Hindus aren't a race, they are a religion, also muslim).

Dead wrong, mate!
Im British Asian (Pakistani Decent) and i dont mind being called Paki at all.

 

[colonelf40]

So what do you think about the tensions between Indians and Pakistanis, both in Asia, and in Britain? How are things between the two? Is it unusual for those of Pakistani descent in England to be as fascinated by Indian culture as you are, or is Bollywood and such very popular with Pakistanis and with British Pakistanis?

Fox

Well i view Indian as my 'people' due to the fact that Indians & Pakistanis look the same, speak the same language, same culture and religion.

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

Well i view Indian as my 'people' due to the fact that Indians & Pakistanis look the same, speak the same language, same culture and religion.

That's a bit strange. I'm Canadian, but I don't consider Americans my people.

 

[Roughneck]

As far as I knew, I thought "paki" was the equivalent of "wog".

Either case, it's not a term I'd use when referring to another person - the same reason I don't call someone "*****" or "cracker" or "mick" etc.

cheers,

 

[hos]

before you all burn everything and damn everyone to hell, just arrange yourself with an agreement that "paki" is not an intelligent word to use while talking about and/or with people from pakistan, india and the surrounding region.

but i don't have any bad feelings if you call me a "kraut" without hate.

 

[colonelf40]

kraut means german?

 

[Evil Hobo]

The reason it has come to be a racist term is because it is most often used in a very derogatory way. It reduces a name "Pakistani" by a group of people (usually white British people) who are interested in reducing the group not only by name, but in subjugating them and bringing them down and even dehumanizing them and definitely demonizing them. There are lots of these terms floating around, and just out of respect to the people that have had these words thrown at them in hate for so long, it is both wise and respectful not to use them, and complaining about "why is this racist, I don't hate Pakis, so why shouldn't I say Paki" is just about the worst thing you can do. The problem here is the hatrid towards Pakistani people - not the usage of a word. Therefore, why even bother complaining? Just be respectful and call them Pakistani. You could say that N***** and **** are not derogatory in and of themselves, but you still don't go around throwing them, because they are weighted words.

If you use "Paki" then you are only really insulting yourself, because you should have the sensibility not to use a commonly derogatory word, that brings others down, when there's a perfectly good word - "Pakistani" - that doesn't bring anyone down.

You're free to use whatever words you want, but use "paki" and people will assume you're a bit of a Paki-hater, much like if you use "n*****" or "****" and so on.

Fox

You know what - I totally agree with you mate. I was one of the type that argued that just like 'Afghani' or 'Kazakhi' or whatever, are in no way racist words, but a simple shortening, Paki shouldn't be considered racist, despite it's common usage among many Bigots.

However, bringing up '******' as a shortening of 'Nigro' (which initself is racist as it Spanish for 'Black' as if saying 'Black' in English will insult them as 'it is bad to be black') or '****' as a shortening of 'Hispanic' really makes the point. I totally agree with you.

I'd also like to point out that since ignorance comes free with bigotry, the racist scum and skinheads call everyone of a Brown colour a 'Paki' - even if they are Indian. This is stupid as skin-colour, race or self-determined ethnicity are all independent of each other. There are at least five races alone in India, and hundereds of ethnicities. Using Paki also just shows how stupid the user is of realising this.

By the way, I'm really interested in hearing what Asian people, Pakistanis or not, think of this.

 

[colonelf40]

As in sourkraut?

 

[hos]

As in sourkraut?

exactly. german food culture: "eisbein mit sauerkraut". don´t know if english speaking people eat "ice legs" instead but i would bet the most english speaking people think they have to fridge it.

 

[recnal420]

No, because if its used in any context to refer to anyone of indian/middle eastern decent, its the same as calling any american a 'yank', or something of the sort.

 

[Bigoldowls]

It's an abbreviation of the word 'Pakistan'.

 

[hos]

It's an abbreviation of the word 'Pakistan'.

so ****** is an abbrevation of the word "nigeria"