Using the term Paki

Tzardine · 13-11-2013 04:16PM #1

First off it is not my intention to be insulting, and I am not trying to offend but I have a genuine question. I am not trolling or trying to flame.

If mods feel that the question is out of order then please remove.

My question is why is the term Paki considered a racial slur. I always thought that it was simply a short way of saying Pakistani in the same way as if you are from these places you would be a ..

Dublin - Dub
Austrialian - Aussie
Britian - Brit
Scotland - Scot

I can understand that if it was said in the wrong tone ( eg You f****ng P**I) then it would sounds horrible but what if it was something like saying , "That P**i lad that works in the bank is sound ". Is that really racist ?

Can perhaps anybody from Pakistan explain ?

gramar · 13-11-2013 04:18PM

That Bonner fella that played for Ireland never had a problem with it.

Fratton Fred · 13-11-2013 04:20PM

Strituck wrote: »

First off it is not my intention to be insulting, and I am not trying to offend but I have a genuine question. I am not trolling or trying to flame.

If mods feel that the question is out of order then please remove.

My question is why is the term Paki considered a racial slur. I always thought that it was simply a short way of saying Pakistani in the same way as if you are from these places you would be a ..

Dublin - Dub
Austrialian - Aussie
Britian - Brit
Scotland - Scot

I can understand that if it was said in the wrong tone ( eg You f****ng P**I) then it would sounds horrible but what if it was something like saying , "That P**i lad that works in the bank is sound ". Is that really racist ?

Can perhaps anybody from Pakistan explain ?

When a term is used 99% of the time as a racial slur, it loses any other meaning it may have had.

This definitely applies in this case.

tim3000 · 13-11-2013 04:21PM

I wouldn't say it is but it depends on context. Better err on the side of caution. A Polish person is a Pole, which I wouldn't class as an insult either. However is it not "Pakistani" for a person from there? Paki might then be a be an insult.

Bipolar Joe · 13-11-2013 04:21PM

I think we should take it back.

General General · 13-11-2013 04:21PM

Try boards.pk?

Tombi! · 13-11-2013 04:22PM

What Fratton said. It's been used as a slur for too long for it too much else.
Like the word homosexual being used as a noun was used in a negative meaning towards gay people.
So you can use it as an adjective but not a noun.

Paki is just been used as a slur for too long so it's a slur.

FreshKnickers · 13-11-2013 04:24PM

I do sometimes nickname 'Spaniard' to 'spanner'. They seem to like it. The ones I speak to anyway, can't speak for the whole country.

MonkieSocks · 13-11-2013 04:24PM

Teacher says to Johnny "where's Pakistan?".

Johnny says, "out in the playground with Pakisteve."

Riskymove · 13-11-2013 04:24PM

I think you are right about where the term originates..however...its use evolved into pretty much always being used as a derogatory term in Britain and by extension to here

its use is also generally used in an ignorant way to label anyone who appears to be from that part of the world..not just people from Pakistan

it is effectively seen as the equivalent to the N word...(which also evolved from a general descriptive term)

MadsL · 13-11-2013 04:24PM

Consider...

He's a Dub.

He's a fucking Dub.

He's a Brit.

He's a fucking Brit.

He's a Scot.

He's a fucking Scot.

He's an Aussie.

He's a fucking Aussie.

I've rarely heard anyone use Paki without it being fucking Paki.

Talib Fiasco · 13-11-2013 04:25PM

Same thing as calling someone a Jew.

cali_eire · 13-11-2013 04:26PM

Obviously, in itself it would seem quite innocent without context but it's all about context and how it's been used (for the most part) in the last 50 something years that gives it an unsavory quality.

Tzardine · 13-11-2013 04:27PM

Talib Fiasco wrote: »

Same thing as calling someone a Jew.

But Jewish people call themselves Jews all the time.

keithclancy · 13-11-2013 04:27PM

Walk into a pub in West Cork and shout "Oh hai Boggers!" in a thick D4 Accent.

They take this as a warm and friendly way of greeting in those parts.

FreshKnickers · 13-11-2013 04:28PM

Talib Fiasco wrote: »

Same thing as calling someone a Jew.

Larry David is a Jew.

Is that not allowed? Should it be:

Larry David is Jewish.

Bipolar Joe · 13-11-2013 04:28PM

Woah, I dunno if the humour here is abstract or if people are stupid.

beazee · 13-11-2013 04:28PM

What about the Poles?

iDave · 13-11-2013 04:28PM

Well if jokes about space monkeys are now racist well then yeah I can see how Paki will be construed as racism. Pretty much any word/phrase other than the correct official word for the nationality/race is now racist. Unless your white or European. Then frog/kraut/paddy/prod etc are acceptable.

Hank Scorpio · 13-11-2013 04:29PM

Strituck wrote: »

But Jewish people call themselves Jews all the time.

And black people call themselves n*****s all the time

Tzardine · 13-11-2013 04:30PM

nuxxx wrote: »

And black people call themselves n*****s all the time

But they call themselves N***A , the racist term is N***ER

Dear lord look what I have started.

johnny-grunge · 13-11-2013 04:32PM

I think part of the problem is that many people use the term to describe anyone that looks remotely like they're from Pakistan. There's well over a billion people in South Asia and only approximately 200million of them are from Pakistan.

Riskymove · 13-11-2013 04:33PM

iDave wrote: »

Unless your white or European. Then frog/kraut/paddy/prod etc are acceptable.

nonsense...they are not acceptable either

go into a bar in France and call them all frogs

go to a bar in the Shankill Road and call them all Prods

see what happens

theblaqueguy · 13-11-2013 04:35PM

Strituck wrote: »

But they call themselves N***A , the racist term is N***ER

Dear lord look what I have started.

Hey please stop talking about me and my people!

FTA69 · 13-11-2013 04:35PM

So now we need to explain why the term "Paki" is offensive? Jesus.

Irish Guitarist · 13-11-2013 04:35PM

Someone from Pakistan would be called Pakistani. I've never in my life heard the word paki used in a manner that wasn't meant as a racial slur. People that used the word use it to describe anyone from South Asia and not just Pakistan.

Tombi! · 13-11-2013 04:36PM

If we're gonna get down the black people can say X then let me end it fast: most black people won't say it.
Most black people actually look down on the black people that say it 24/7.

FreshKnickers · 13-11-2013 04:36PM

Riskymove wrote: »

go to a bar in the Shankill Road and call them all Prods

It'd probably be okay if the person saying it was also a Protestant.

Tzardine · 13-11-2013 04:38PM

FTA69 wrote: »

So now we need to explain why the term "Paki" is offensive? Jesus.

Yes that was what I was looking for alright.

Riskymove · 13-11-2013 04:39PM

FreshKnickers wrote: »

It'd probably be okay if the person saying it was also a Protestant.

obviously a very different situation

similar to our general use of the term Paddy vs the use of it by others abroad

iDave · 13-11-2013 04:39PM

Riskymove wrote: »

nonsense...they are not acceptable either

go into a bar in France and call them all frogs

go to a bar in the Shankill Road and call them all Prods

see what happens

Perhaps but if a politician here used one of those phrases or celebrity would their careers be in jeopardy in the same way as saying the N word or Paki.
Example, Thierry Henrys hand ball was nicknamed the Hand of Frog in the media. A blatant derogatory term for French people was casually thrown about by everyone. Would that happen for a non-white/European term?

Using the term Paki

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