List of ethnic slurs and epithets by ethnicity

This list of ethnic slurs and epithets is sorted into categories that can defined by race, ethnicity, or nationality.

Broader ethnic categories African Most of these black slurs and all these African slurs apply also to Cape Coloureds. People of mixed races in South Africa are referred to as Coloured with no derogatory connections. Af (Rhodesia) African to a white Rhodesian (Rhodie).Livingstone, Douglas. 1986. Drums Along Balmoral Drive. Ape (US) a black person.Spears (2001), p. 10.; also, Zoo Ape or Jungle Ape Béni-oui-oui Mostly used during the French colonization of Algeria as a term for Algerian Muslims. Bluegum an African American perceived as being lazy and who refuses to work. Boogie a black person (film noir); "The boogies lowered the boom on Beaver Canal."Mankiewicz, Joseph L., dir. 1950. No Way Out [film], starring Sidney Poitier and Richard Widmark. Buck a black person or Native American. Burrhead / Burr-head / Burr head (US) a black person, in reference to Afro-textured hair. Bushy (s.) / Bushies, Amadushie (p.) (South Africa) Khoisans. Historically used against the Khoisan people in Southern Africa, referring to their nomadic lifestyle and reliance on the bush for survival. Colored (US) a black person. Once generally accepted as inoffensive, this word is now considered disrespectful by some. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) continues to use its full name unapologetically. This is not to be confused with the term "person of color" which is the preferred term for collectively referring to all non-white people. Cotton picker (US) Individuals of Black African descent. Coon (US and UK) originally used by Europeans/white people as a pejorative term for a black person. Possibly from Portuguese barracos, a building constructed to hold slaves for sale (1837). The term (though still also used in its original sense) is commonly used today by African or Black Americans towards members of the same race who are perceived to pander/kowtow to white people; to be a 'sellout'; to hate themselves; or to "collud[e] with racism for personal gain."Abbey, Nels. 11 October 2018. "In defence of 'Uncle Tom' and 'coconut'." Media Diversified. Retrieved 15 August 2020. It is often used against black conservatives or Republicans (similar to Uncle Tom and coconut).Leonard, Connie. 14 August 2019. "AG candidate Daniel Cameron on racial slur: 'I've been called worse' ." Wave3.Dunbar, Anwar Y. 3 September 2017. "Are you Cooning? Thoughts on Black America's new favorite racial slur, critical thought, and groupthink." The Big Words Blog Site. Also used to slur Cape Coloureds or Coloureds in South Africa. The association of the term "coon" with the coloured group expresses ambivalent feelings about their mixed-race ancestral background, and signifies self-deprecation, subordination, and marginalization of the underprivileged. Crow (US) a black person. Eggplant (US) A black person. Notable for appearing in the 1979 film, The JerkReiner, Carl, dir. 1979. The Jerk, written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias and the 1993 film True Romance.Scott, Tony, dir. 1993. True Romance, written by Quentin Tarantino Fuzzies (Commonwealth) A black person. Notable for appearing in the 1964 film, Zulu.Endfield, Cy. 1964. Zulu. Fuzzy-Wuzzy (Commonwealth) A Hadendoa Beja. The term is a reference to the distinctive dirwa hairstyle used by many Beja men. Gam, Gammat (South Africa) Used to refer to Cape Coloureds or Coloureds. It means "a person who is low or of inferior status" in Afrikaans. Golliwogg (Commonwealth) a dark-skinned person, named after Florence Kate Upton's children's book character. Hapsi / Habsi (Nepal), a term used for black person from Africa. Houtkop (South Africa) a black person and a Cape Coloured or coloured native. The term translates literally to "wooden head" in Afrikaans. Jigaboo / jiggabo, jijjiboo, zigabo / jig, jigg, jiggy, jigga (US and UK) a black person (JB) with stereotypical black features. (dark skin, wide nose, etc.) Refer to mannerisms that resemble dancing. Jim Crow (US) a black person; also the name for the segregation laws prevalent in much of the United States until the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Jim Fish (South Africa) a black person. Jungle bunny (US and UK) a black person. Kaffir, kaffer, kafir, kaffre (South Africa) a. a black person. Considered very offensive. Macaca, macaque a person of black African descent, originally used in languages of colonial powers in Africa. Same as "macaque". Mammy Domestic servant of black African descent, generally good-natured, often overweight, and loud.Goings, Kenneth (1994) Mammy and Uncle Mose: Black Collectibles and American Stereotyping, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, Makwerekwere, Kwerekwere (South Africa) Used against foreigners, usually black migrants or refugees in South Africa. Monkey a person of black African descent. See also Macaca (slur). It also gave rise to the racist "monkey chants" in sports. Mosshead a black person. Munt (South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia) a term, used among white people, for a black person. The term derives from muntu, the singular of Bantu. Nig-nog (US and UK) a black person. Nigger / niggar / niggur, niger / nigor / nigre (Caribbean) / nigar, nigga / niggah / nig / nigguh (International) a black person. From the word negro, which means the color black in numerous languages. Diminutive appellations include Nigg and Nigz. Over time, the terms nigga and niggaz (plural) have come to be frequently used between some African or black diaspora without the negative associations of nigger. Considered very offensive and typically censored as "the n-word" even in reference to its use. The terms niggress, negress, and nigette are feminized formulations of the term. Niglet / nigglet a black child. Nigra / negra / niggra / nigrah / nigruh (US) a black person, first used in the early 1900s. Pickaninny generally refers to black children, or a caricature of them which is widely considered racist. Porch monkey a black person. Powder burn a black person. Quashie a black person. Sambo (US) an African American, black, Indigenous American, a mixed race person, or sometimes a South Asian person.Boskin, Joseph. 1986. Sambo. New York: Oxford University Press Smoked Irishman (US) 19th century term for black people. Sooty a term for a black person, originated in the U.S. in the 1950s. Spade a term for a black person, first recorded in 1928, from the playing cards suit. Spook a black person. Tar baby (US) a black person, especially a child. Tea bag (South Africa) black or Coloured or Cape Coloured individuals who have a light skin Teapot A black person, derived in 19th century. Thicklips, bootlips a black person. Yellow bone (US) a light-skin black person

Asian East Asian Celestial (Australia) Chinese people, used in the late 1900s, a reference to their coming from the "Celestial Empire" (i.e. China). Charlie (US) A term used by American troops during the Vietnam War as a shorthand for communist guerrillas: it was shortened from "Victor Charlie", the radio code designation for the Viet Cong, or VC."The Language of War", on the American Experience/Vietnam Online website. Retrieved August 31, 2007. Chinaman (US) Chinese person, used in old American west when discrimination against Chinese was common. Chink (US) a person of East Asian descent. Coolie (North America) unskilled Asian laborer, usually Chinese (originally used in the 19th century for Chinese railroad laborers). Possibly from Mandarin ku li () or Hindi kuli, 'day laborer'. Also racial epithet for Indo-Caribbean people, especially in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Gook East Asian people, particularly aimed towards Koreans.The Free Dictionary . The term originates from the Korean War and comes from the Korean word for country. The Korean word for the United States of America is Mee Hap Joon Gook, which is shorten to the more familiar Mee Gook. Dae Han Min Gook or the People's Republic of Korea is similarly shortened to Han Gook. The word was given a derogatory slant by American service men who used it to refer to Koreans. It was also used prominently during the Vietnam War, particularly towards the Viet Cong. Jap (Predominantly US) a Japanese person. Shortened from the word "Japanese", often used pejoratively. Nip a Japanese person. From Nippon, first used in World War II. Oriental (Predominantly US, used elsewhere) Refers to an East Asian person (of the Orient) and/or their ethnicity. In 2016, US President Barack Obama signed a bill to remove the term Oriental, together with some others, as a reference to a person from federal laws. Slope (Australia) a person of East Asian descent. Yellow, Yellowman, or Yellowwoman designating or pertaining to an East Asian person, in reference to those who have a yellowish skin complexion.

South Asian Khuli (s.) / Amakhula (p.) (South Africa) a person or people of Indian heritage. American-Born Confused Desi, or ABCD (US) used by South-Asian diaspora for American-born South Asians, including Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi (mainly Indians, as they are the largest number of South Asians in the US) who are confused about their cultural identity. This is often used humorously without any derogatory meaning. Brownie a brown-skinned person of South Asian, Arab, or Hispanic descent. Rarely used as someone of Native American or Pacific Islander descent. Chee-chee a Eurasian half-caste, probably from Hindi chi-chi fie, literally 'dirt'. Chinki used in India for those from Northeast India. Curry muncher (Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and North America) a person of Asian Indian origin. Madrasi outdated exonym for the people of South India (named for the city of Madras, i.e. modern-day Chennai). Malaun (Bangladesh) term for Hindus. Paki (UK) pejorative for a person from South Asia (particularly Pakistan) and mainly used in the United Kingdom. First recorded in 1964 during increased immigration of Pakistanis to the United Kingdom and popularized during a heightened era of Paki-bashing. Although considered the 'P-Word' in the United Kingdom, it is colloquially used by Pakistanis in North America and elsewhere to refer to themselves and is not commonly perceived as derogatory when referred to as Paki by others.

Southeast Asian Dink Someone of Southeast Asian origin, particularly aimed towards a Vietnamese person. Also used as a disparaging term for a North Vietnamese soldier or guerrilla in the Vietnam War. Origin: 1965–70, Americanism. Flip (US) An ethnic slur applied to Filipinos. Gugus (US) a racial term used to refer to Filipino guerillas during the Philippine–American War. The term came from gugo, the Tagalog name for Entada phaseoloides or the St. Thomas bean, the bark of which was used by Filipinas to shampoo their hair. The term was a predecessor to the term gook, a racial term used to refer to all Asian people. Huan-a Hokkien word for foreigner, used to refer to non-Chinese Southeast Asian people and Taiwanese aborigines, considered offensive by most non-Chinese speakers. Jakun a person considered unsophisticated in Malaysia; derived from the name of an indigenous Orang Asli group.

West Asian Camel jockey an Arab. Hajji, Hadji, Haji pejorative term used by the US military for Iraqis, may also be used for other Muslims. Derived from the honorific Al-Hajji, the title given to a Muslim who has completed the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). Sand nigger person who dwells in deserts, especially of Arabian peninsula or African continent. Towelhead / Raghead A Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or member of any group that traditionally wears headdress such as a turban, keffiyeh, or headscarf. Turco (Argentina, Brazil, Chile) an Arab, or less commonly a Jew or Armenian. Used after the Ottoman nationality that early Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian immigrants had on their passports

European