Wigger
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Wigger (sometimes spelled whigger) is a pejorative slang term for a white person who emulates mannerisms, language, and fashions associated with African-American culture, particularly hip hop in the United States or the Grime/Garage scene in Britain.[1] The term is a portmanteau of either wannabe or white and nigger. The term is considered derogatory, reflecting stereotypes of African-American or Black British culture, and can be used pejoratively, because of its connotations of cultural appropriation. It is also often used in a racist manner, not only belittling the person perceived as acting black, but also demeaning black people and culture by proxy. Some, however, use the term neutrally, or as a light joke, without any racism intended.
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Phenomenon
The phenomenon of white people adopting stereotypical black mannerisms, speech, and apparel – which in the general case is called allophilia – has appeared in several generations since slavery was abolished in the western world. The concept has been documented in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and other white-majority countries. An early form of this was the white negro in the jazz and swing music scenes of the 1920s and 1930s; as examined in the 1957 Norman Mailer essay, "The White Negro." It was later seen in the Zoot suiter of the 1930s and 1940s; the hipster of the 1940s; and the beatnik and rock and roller of the 1950s.
Lawsuits
A 2011 class-action lawsuit in the United States District Court for Minnesota alleges that the administration at a predominantly-white high school showed a "deliberate indifference" in allowing a group of students to hold a homecoming event called "Wigger Day". The complaint claims that similar events, including "Wigger Wednesday" and "Wangsta Day", have occurred with regularity since at least 2008. The named plaintiff, Quera Pruitt, seeks declaratory judgment and punitive damages from the defendants for creating a racially hostile environment.[2]
In another lawsuit from 2003, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals declared that the word wigger was "the most noxious racial epithet in the contemporary American lexicon".[3]
See also
References
- ^ Bernstein, Nell: "IMO IMO IMO IMO", Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers, 5th ed. 607
- ^ Pruitt v Anderson, Borgen, Red Wing Public Schools et al., courthousenews.com (retrieved 23 February 2012)
- ^ Bryant v. Wynnewood Public Schools (2003), 334 F.3d 928, 932 at justia.com (retrieved 23 February 2012)
External links
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