Why would Latinos think the term "pork chop" is a racial slur?

[tonilea]

I think they should change what they call pigs too. As the wife of a police officer, I find it very offensive.

 

[Imzadi]

BTW, I guess the late Shari Lewis didn't get the memo, either.

Actually, it was called Lamb Chop.

 

[DISUNC]

Why were Irish slurred with the nick names turkey

I never heard that before in my life! And I am very very Irish!

Then again I never heard Pork Chop being slang either.

Thankfully for the Disboards, I learn more slang then I ever heard on the streets of NYC growing up!

 

[grlpwrd]

Why were Irish slurred with the nick names turkey or mick? Why were Italian's referred to as dago? Shall we go on? We could. But they all were and are offensive to people.
Doesn't matter if we know the answer, if it makes sense or not to us. The reality is that it IS a derogatory name. As I mentioned on another board, I knew the name as referring to Puerto Ricans. The name for the team is fine until the team fields its first Hispanic player, then see a problem? I would hope so.
I'm sure who ever thought of the name for the team meant no offense, but that's not the issue. If a team near an area with lots of wildlife want's to call their team the "Coons" to honor, lets say, Raccoon Hollow where the park is built, don't you see a problem there?
Again, as seems to be the term of the day, this goes way beyond PC. This has to deal with being extremely offensive to people.
And as I mentioned earlier, why would you want to name a team the Pork Chops to begin with? Would you call them the Pumpkin Pies, or the Stereo Record Player? What a stupid name for a team.

Thank you.

Just because it doesn't make sense to others doesn't mean it makes it okay or trivial and that it should be taken lightly.

Ethnic slurs are not just about being politically correct or a mascot name. These are real issues... For example, even to this day (perhaps a few years ago), Pall Aerospace (I am not sure about the spelling) in Florida and even at Boeing have had incidences of racial discrimination and harassment. Grown people, professionals at that, using ethnic slurs towards their co workers. It is a big deal. Maybe not to you (general you - not you, profdsny), but certainly for those "people of color."

 

[ford family]

Actually, it was called Lamb Chop.

But wasn't there a kid's tv cartoon character (Doug?) who had a dog called Porkchop?

ford family

 

[java]

Porkchop is not a Puerto Rican slur. It is a Portuguese slur. And when it is used by non-Portuguese it is generally used with an insulting intent.
The latino population is much larger than the Portuguese population in the US- so wouldn't get as much notice if he said we Portuguese are offended imho.

He is just wrong. And if anyone was calling him pork chop growing up it might have been because he was fat! not because he was Puerto Rican.

 

[Charade]

I still say that the only person who can make a word insulting to you is you.

If you don't think of it as an insult or slur, it isn't. Don't let others have that much power over your feelings.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Why were Irish slurred with the nick names turkey or mick? Why were Italian's referred to as dago? Shall we go on? We could. But they all were and are offensive to people.
Doesn't matter if we know the answer, if it makes sense or not to us. The reality is that it IS a derogatory name. As I mentioned on another board, I knew the name as referring to Puerto Ricans. The name for the team is fine until the team fields its first Hispanic player, then see a problem? I would hope so.
I'm sure who ever thought of the name for the team meant no offense, but that's not the issue. If a team near an area with lots of wildlife want's to call their team the "Coons" to honor, lets say, Raccoon Hollow where the park is built, don't you see a problem there?
Again, as seems to be the term of the day, this goes way beyond PC. This has to deal with being extremely offensive to people.
And as I mentioned earlier, why would you want to name a team the Pork Chops to begin with? Would you call them the Pumpkin Pies, or the Stereo Record Player? What a stupid name for a team.

Agreed!

Italian American here. Call me PC, but if some team wanted to call themselves the Dagos...I'd be pissed off as well. If pork chop's offensive to a certain group, don't use it. As has been said, there are millions of names out there, why not use a different one? "Oh no! We simply can't live unless we call our mascot "PORK CHOP"!!!" As if! Nothing like a bunch of white folks sitting around online laughing about how a minority group is offended by an apparent lack of sensitivity.

 

[Mermaid02]

Sometimes I call my ds "Pork Chop" got that from "Doug".

 

[Disney Doll]

Agreed!

Italian American here. Call me PC, but if some team wanted to call themselves the Dagos...I'd be pissed off as well. If pork chop's offensive to a certain group, don't use it. As has been said, there are millions of names out there, why not use a different one? "Oh no! We simply can't live unless we call our mascot "PORK CHOP"!!!" As if! Nothing like a bunch of white folks sitting around online laughing about how a minority group is offended by an apparent lack of sensitivity.

You put that last line (bolding and italics mine) in a post defending "PC-ism". I find that so very amusing in its level of hypocrisy.

BTW...where on the computer does it tell you a person's skin color?? Is there a special button somewhere or do I need an upgrade????? You seem to know that everyone on this thread who is deriding extreme PC-ism is white...I'd be interested to know exactly how you know that by being on the computer. I love to learn new things.

 

[SeeVee]

Honestly, I'm in favor of changing all sports team names to something inoffensive, if any segment is offended by the current name. There are thousands of names to choose - why get hung up on one if it's offensive?

And I don't agree that something somewhere is going to offend someone - by which I think you mean someone is always going to be offended. Choose the right sorts of names and no, they won't.

May I interest you in a first-class, one way ticket to Utopia?

No one, nowhere, has a right not to be offended.

Fascism lives.

 

[Tigger Woods]

Why were Irish slurred with the nick names turkey or mick? Why were Italian's referred to as dago? Shall we go on? We could. But they all were and are offensive to people.
Doesn't matter if we know the answer, if it makes sense or not to us. The reality is that it IS a derogatory name. As I mentioned on another board, I knew the name as referring to Puerto Ricans. The name for the team is fine until the team fields its first Hispanic player, then see a problem? I would hope so.
I'm sure who ever thought of the name for the team meant no offense, but that's not the issue. If a team near an area with lots of wildlife want's to call their team the "Coons" to honor, lets say, Raccoon Hollow where the park is built, don't you see a problem there?
Again, as seems to be the term of the day, this goes way beyond PC. This has to deal with being extremely offensive to people.
And as I mentioned earlier, why would you want to name a team the Pork Chops to begin with? Would you call them the Pumpkin Pies, or the Stereo Record Player? What a stupid name for a team.

Turkey is a slang term for all whites (white meat.) I guess next Thanksgiving we'll all be eating 'bird and dressing' if the PC crowd has its way.

 

[Mickey'sMainMami]

Sorry, but from someone who is married to a Puerto Rican, the term pork chop is not offensive to him at all. I think it is utterly ridiculous. As someone else stated, I know a football player in high school who was built like a brick house and they used to call him Pork chop (he was Irish). It is a food for god sakes, it is not like other racial slurs that are specifically degrading to someone for their skin color and or country of origin, and I am sure you all know what words I am talking about. so does that mean if my family loves something like Pizza, and we call my kid Pizza boy or something, all the Italians are going to get upset?? Or if my daughter likes Perogies and we call her perogie girl, it offends all Polish people?? People need to grow up, worry about themselves and stop complaing over stupid stuff. There are more important issues to rally around like AIDS, breast cancer and a million other things I can think of that people can throw the support behind. I just don't get getting upset over a food.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Maybe if they called the mascot "Other White Meat?????

 

[Heidict]

Porkchop is not a Puerto Rican slur. It is a Portuguese slur. And when it is used by non-Portuguese it is generally used with an insulting intent.
The latino population is much larger than the Portuguese population in the US- so wouldn't get as much notice if he said we Portuguese are offended imho.

He is just wrong. And if anyone was calling him pork chop growing up it might have been because he was fat! not because he was Puerto Rican.

Actually, it is used as a slur towards Puerto Ricans. Maybe not where you live, but over here it is. It's actually the only way my DH has heard it spoken in a derogartory manner and has never heard of it being used towards people who were Portuguese, and we do have quite a few people of Portuguese decent in this state.

I just spoke with my DH, who is 100% Puerto Rican. He has heard it used as a slur before. There was one kid in his high school who was very prejudiced and even put it in the yearbook where he listed his likes and dislikes. Porkchop was one of his dislikes, and no he wasn't speaking about the food.

His parents, who lived in PR and New Jersey most of their lifes before moving to CT in 1986 or so have heard it many times. Directly and indirectly.

 

[java]

Actually, it is used as a slur towards Puerto Ricans. Maybe not where you live, but over here it is. It's actually the only way my DH has heard it spoken in a derogartory manner and has never heard of it being used towards people who were Portuguese, and we do have quite a few people of Portuguese decent in this state.

I just spoke with my DH, who is 100% Puerto Rican. He has heard it used as a slur before. There was one kid in his high school who was very prejudiced and even put it in the yearbook where he listed his likes and dislikes. Porkchop was one of his dislikes, and no he wasn't speaking about the food.

His parents, who lived in PR and New Jersey most of their lifes before moving to CT in 1986 or so have heard it many times. Directly and indirectly.

My husband is 100% Puerto Rican too. He grew up in the Bronx. Never ever heard it used as a slur against him(heard other things but not that one) And here in NJ there is a large Portuguese population in one part of the state and it is used against them on construction sites.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I thought pork chop was a phrase for chubby kids or just Peter Brady(Brady Bunch) talking ?

 

[FayeW]

I believe this is political correctness gone way overboard. I understand that a particular ethnic group may be offended by the word when used in a particular context, however, in this context, a name for mascot that is a pig, it is perfectly acceptable. It is not like it is a made up word that is used as a slur and only has one meaning. Ridiculous!

On a side note, the team in question moved from my city, Ottawa. Here they were known as the Ottawa Lynx. The mascot was a cat, named Scratch. He was quite funny, and used to dance on the dugout and wiggle his butt at the crowd. My kids enjoyed him.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I believe this is political correctness gone way overboard. I understand that a particular ethnic group may be offended by the word when used in a particular context, however, in this context, a name for mascot that is a pig, it is perfectly acceptable. It is not like it is a made up word that is used as a slur and only has one meaning. Ridiculous!

On a side note, the team in question moved from my city, Ottawa. Here they were known as the Ottawa Lynx. The mascot was a cat, named Scratch. He was quite funny, and used to dance on the dugout and wiggle his butt at the crowd. My kids enjoyed him.

Scratch is another term for money.... I think that poor people should be offended, as they don't have much "scratch".

 

[GoofyJeff]

Actually, it was called Lamb Chop.

You know, it was late last night when I wrote that, and I woke up this morning and thought "That wasn't Pork Chop! Lamb Chop!! What a dope I am!" Of course, Lamb Chop probably offends someone, too. If it does, sorry.