Racism: Is "paki" A Racist Term?

[Me&MrsJones]

It's a confusing issue for some, the meaning of "Paki". Are the lines are blurred? Is "Paki" a racist word?

There is some confusion it seems. Some people say "Paki" is racist and others say it is not.

When confusion reaches out and takes hold of our reasoning, a dictionary must be the guide. In addition, communicating with subjects (Pakistanis, in this case) has to be undertaken too. I have endeavoured to address this issue, therefore, by taking into account the definition of "racist", the use of the word "Paki" and by relaying some information about the subject (a Pakistani person).

I've got a couple of Pakistani mates (from Pakistan, shock horror, would you believe it?) and only last Monday night i was discussing with them the use of "Paki". They explained to me that "Paki" means "beautiful" in their language and they take no issue with being referred to as "beautiful" at all. UK based (born and raised) Pakistanis are the ones who don’t like to be described as "Paki" because for some odd reason it is deemed racist by UK Pakistanis.

First, i would like to say that Negros, Caucasians, Latinos, Asians, Arabs.....these are races. Pakistan, Pakistani or "Paki" is not a race. Surely for something to deemed "racist" has to be linked to the route word "race".

Second, if i were from Afghanistan and you referred to me as "Afghan" or "Afghani" that would not be racist, so why is "Paki" deemed racist by some people? Is "Jap" racist?

Why apologise for using abbreviated words such as "Paki" for Pakistani? According to dictionaries online (in this case - the Merriam-Webster Dictionary).....racist is termed as.....

- "Racial prejudice or discrimination"

How is calling someone "beautiful" in their own language being prejudiced or discriminatory?

If i said "my Paki wife cooks the best food in the land".....is that rightfully deemed as prejudiced discrimination based on her race? I don't think so. Paki is not a race, and the compliment of cooking so wonderfully is not discriminatory or prejudiced, so how can it be deemed racist? If we can't use the dictionary as our guide, we need to re-write it or throw it away as a useless tool on which to base reasoned debate. It, of couse, is ludicrous to envisage throwing away a dictionary and declaring it obsolete, without value.

Are the lines blurred? It seems that way. People are, maybe, being caught up in the politically correct venom of the media. Nobody can say anything without being labelled and pilloried a racist so an so!

Seems to me that either one of three things need to change.

1) The definition of racist

or

2) People's assumed interpretation of the word "Racist".

or

3) The media slant. (no racist tones towards Oriental eyes intended. You see my point? we can't say anything without being castigated).

The word "Paki" is not racist alone, in my humble opinion. What normally happens is that if someone calls you a "Paki" and adds some kind of expletive to it, it normally is associated with anger and people confuse this for racism.

I'm not saying that i have all the answers. I'm just trying to generate some kind of opinion or debate about it. But opinions have to be garnered from what constitutes the term "Paki". Surely the dictionary is our only guide. Is it a worthy or worthless guide?

By the way, before i receive any private messages about being a bigot, save your time. I am married to someone of the Asian race. I am not Asian myself. I love all people regardless of their race. I am not racist.

(You see, we are so defensive about even discussing racism that we end up preempting and apologising for something that we are not guilty of)

Your constructive comments are most welcome.

Peace and love to all.

[SeanMoran]

Nah. Paki is just a coloquial abbreviation of Pakistani.

[needforspeed]

Nothing to do with Thailand,

Lets talk about Thaiki

[tonywebster]

paki is just a short form of pakistani, it is just another reason for people to scream racism for no reason

[ProfessorFart]

It's deemed racist because of connotations (esp in the UK) to groups such as the NF and BNP.

[Moonrakers]

It was a derogatory term for some time and in the UK even people from India would fall under the 'paki' umbrella. Now it seems to be used more as a term of endearment though.

What this has to do with Thailand though, I don't know.

[Losangels]

You'll get in trouble if you call a Japanese a Jap

[Eff1n2ret]

Anyone who used the term "Paki" in the UK would be deemed racist. It has acquired such a connotation because it was widely used as a term of abuse for anyone whose appearance might suggest that they come from anywhere between the Middle East and Burma, and in conjunction with "Nigger" for other ethnic minorities. Nowadays it would be disingenuous to suggest there is some more innocent connotation.

The OP witters on about dictionary definitions, but fails to produce one for Paki, so I'm happy to oblige. My Cassel's Dictionary of Slang gives the following:

"paki/pakki n [1960s+] a derog. term for any British Asian or East African Asian immigrant [cf. PAK] [abr Pakistani]

[endure]

If you know it may cause offence why use it? Good manners would dictate you don't.

[Gary A]

In this politically correct world, many formerly inoffensive words are now considered racist.

[h90]

In this politically correct world, many formerly inoffensive words are now considered racist.

In Austria we should even change the names of some food which exists since centuries with some names which refers to some ethnik.

There is a say: "The political correct are the Fascists of today".

[carmine]

You'll get in trouble if you call a Japanese a Jap

Or presumably a Scotsman a Scot

[Loz]

If you have any doubt that the word would be well recieved, ettequette demands that you avoid its use. Common decency would support the same approach. How many of you back home walk into your chinese restaurant and greet the staff bye saying,"I was just in the mood for a chinky". However it might have been that when you in the pub 10 minutes early you would ask your mate, "are you up for a chinky?" without any malice aforethought. This to me is a simple of demonstration of how common sense works. You use it with your mate cos its slang, but you know better than to use it when it might offend. Does this make you racist, No. I don't think that is a reasonable burden of proof at all. But it makes you at least aware of others sensitivities. That is a skill I find sadly lacking here. Although its not so bad as to make me pack my stuff and eff off.

Nothing wrong with not being blind to the odd short-comming.

Here endeth the sermon.

[SeanMoran]

You'll get in trouble if you call a Japanese a Jap

Or presumably a Scotsman a Scot

Take heart though, because black is not really black, white is not really white, and yellow is not really very yellow, but we're all variations of puce, without wishing to effect a statement of reverse gayism on the forum.

What the phruck? If it looks like a duck ...

[Garry9999]

If you have any doubt that the word would be well recieved, ettequette demands that you avoid its use. Common decency would support the same approach. How many of you back home walk into your chinese restaurant and greet the staff bye saying,"I was just in the mood for a chinky". However it might have been that when you in the pub 10 minutes early you would ask your mate, "are you up for a chinky?" without any malice aforethought. This to me is a simple of demonstration of how common sense works. You use it with your mate cos its slang, but you know better than to use it when it might offend. Does this make you racist, No. I don't think that is a reasonable burden of proof at all. But it makes you at least aware of others sensitivities. That is a skill I find sadly lacking here. Although its not so bad as to make me pack my stuff and eff off.

Nothing wrong with not being blind to the odd short-comming.

Here endeth the sermon.

Well put.

[carmine]

If you have any doubt that the word would be well recieved, ettequette demands that you avoid its use. Common decency would support the same approach. How many of you back home walk into your chinese restaurant and greet the staff bye saying,"I was just in the mood for a chinky". However it might have been that when you in the pub 10 minutes early you would ask your mate, "are you up for a chinky?" without any malice aforethought. This to me is a simple of demonstration of how common sense works. You use it with your mate cos its slang, but you know better than to use it when it might offend. Does this make you racist, No. I don't think that is a reasonable burden of proof at all. But it makes you at least aware of others sensitivities. That is a skill I find sadly lacking here. Although its not so bad as to make me pack my stuff and eff off.

Nothing wrong with not being blind to the odd short-comming.

Here endeth the sermon.

Not a bad sermon Loz, i think you've summed it up.

[SeanMoran]

If you have any doubt that the word would be well recieved, ettequette demands that you avoid its use. Common decency would support the same approach. How many of you back home walk into your chinese restaurant and greet the staff bye saying,"I was just in the mood for a chinky". However it might have been that when you in the pub 10 minutes early you would ask your mate, "are you up for a chinky?" without any malice aforethought. This to me is a simple of demonstration of how common sense works. You use it with your mate cos its slang, but you know better than to use it when it might offend. Does this make you racist, No. I don't think that is a reasonable burden of proof at all. But it makes you at least aware of others sensitivities. That is a skill I find sadly lacking here. Although its not so bad as to make me pack my stuff and eff off.

Nothing wrong with not being blind to the odd short-comming.

Here endeth the sermon.

Not a bad sermon Loz, i think you've summed it up.

Let us revise syllabically:

Pa-ki-sta-ni = Pakistani.

Now, abbreviated colloquially, we get:

Pa-ki.

Chinese does not abbreviate to Chinky.

See the difference?

[Neeranam]

It's a confusing issue for some, the meaning of "Paki". Are the lines are blurred? Is "Paki" a racist word?

There is some confusion it seems. Some people say "Paki" is racist and others say it is not.

In my home country(Scotland) it is . IN Thailand it isn't.

[davejonesbkk]

christ here we go....

[Crossy]

As far as I can tell there is no connection to Thailand so this one gets closed (unless someone PMs me with a REALLY good reason to re-open).

In the UK, calling someone a Paki is likely to get your head filled in, most definitely racist.