RACISM

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

Hi, there.  No, I am NOT going to rehash this subject, it's just that I only recently subscribed to the site and have picked up the thread, and I was wondering : how did the term "wet-back" originate? 

 

I have always found racist terms fascinating and many are obvious as to their origins, like nigger, kaffir, wop, spic, chinks, nips, etc, but what about dago, honky, wet-back?  Can anyone help me out here?  Another one which fascinates me is Yankee. 

 

 

I also know that "hating South Africans" used to be the favourite international pastime.  Did any slurs originate then, and, if so, when?  I promise I won't be offended, just really interested. 

 

 

And please, lets keep this to an intellectual discussion about the origin of these words, not their acceptablitity to the thinking public, which is a subject on which we all agree.

 

Tracey