"Wetback" is derogatory term used for a person of any foreign nationality, the usual being a Mexican who are illegal immigrants in the United States.[1]
Generally used as an ethnic slur, the term was originally coined and applied only to Mexicans who entered Texas by crossing the Rio Grande river, which is the Mexican border,[2] presumably by swimming or wading across and getting wet in the process. Its less-offensive Spanish term is "mojado" which means "wet" and is a preferred term by Mexicans who became U.S. Citizens to be referred like "Los Mojados" meaning "the wet ones" or "wet people". The word has now broadened and is now used to refer to any foreign nationality immigrating illegally to the U.S.
Alternatively, the term refers to early use of Mexican laborers as farm workers. Farm supervisors could tell who was working hard by the amount of sweat produced. A 'wetback' indicated a hard worker.
The first mention of the term in The New York Times is dated June 20, 1920.[3] It was used officially by the US government in 1954, with Operation Wetback,[4] a project which is a mass deportation of Mexican nationals. Although the term was in use in rural parts of the South a century prior already to describe escaped African-American slaves due to their "wet backs" from swimming to freedom.
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