• spujb@lemmy.cafe
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    8 days ago

    giving you the benefit of the doubt like maybe english isn’t your first language, that word is considered a pejorative/slur in all modern usage

      • spujb@lemmy.cafe
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        8 days ago

        the wikipedia article on it cites two instances where it didn’t seem to be wayy back at the word’s inception. but yeah hardly matters in the grand scheme

      • Sarmyth@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        Naw, it was most commonly used as a term similar to “that chinese guy” which is easy to confuse with racism at a time period where people were generally racist towards the chinese, but the term itself is not racist. There were actual slurs back then they could use if they were about that.

        My Grandmother said they always bought they’re vegetables growing up from the chinaman who rolled his cart through the alleyway behind their homes. It’s not a term of hate, but it’s easy to say hateful things alongside it.