Talk:Greaser (derogatory)

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[edit] greaseball

It might be helpful to specify where (and when) the shortened form of "greaseball", i.e. "greaser" finds usage. If in the eastern US, there is a question of overlap with the 1950s usage as many of the youths called "greasers" then were Italian American, although certainly not exclusively so. Tmangray 20:34, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cristigau reference

You will need to give a specific citation, not just a link to the home page of a critic. You will also have to indicate that this mention has to do with this specific usage of greaser. Since it is archaic, it's doubtful this critic meant anything other than the 1950s version of greaser which has nothing to do with the derogatory term for Mexican. Tmangray 01:34, 1 December 2007 (UTC)

Disagree. The 1950s version of the greaser is the same as the derogatory term. It was deragatory then, and it's deragatory now. Moreover, Christigau used the term in 1978, not the 1950s. The link takes you right to page where he used the term, BTW. Griot (talk) 01:04, 23 December 2007 (UTC)

The link you posted makes no reference at all to the word greaser, let alone to the derogatory reference to Mexicans. Tmangray (talk) 02:19, 23 December 2007 (UTC)

You can click the link now. Willy DeVille is hispanic. The term doesn't just apply to "Mexicans." Griot (talk) 02:33, 23 December 2007 (UTC)

Yes it does. Start your own article for any other usage. This article is specifically about the derogatory term for Mexican. It isn't clear that Cristigau's comment isn't about the 1950's-type of greaser which is entirely distinct from the usage in this article. You would have to have a reference or cite or something to establish that the usage here was meant to be anti-Mexican or anti-Latino, specifically. Tmangray (talk) 21:30, 23 December 2007 (UTC)

I have heard this term applied to Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Italians -- I have heard it used derogatorily. Why do you think this term only applies to Mexican-Americans? Griot (talk) 03:18, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

The history of the word as shown in the article. Your evidence is personal and anecdotal. The Italian usage is documented as a shortened form of the earlier "greaseball" and probably merged with the 1950s meaning in some people's minds. The usage against other Latinos after its origin against Mexicans in the early 1800s wouldn't entirely surprise me as many bigots typically gloss over distinctions among Latinos, but you'd need to document it. That being said, it remains to be seen whether Cristigau's comment was really anti-Latino or just a jab at 1950's youth culture. Tmangray (talk) 20:14, 24 December 2007 (UTC)