So, Is calling someone from the USA = Yank racist?
Is calling someone from Australia = Aussie racist?
Is calling someone from Canada = Canuck racist?
Is calling someone from Sweden = Swede racist?
etc.
“So, Is calling someone from the USA = Yank racist?”
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Well actually.
Back in the day ... I do believe the Brits intended it to be so. Something about Yankee Doodle.
We just didn’t worry about whether it was, or not. :)
Made a song about it.
Those are hardly relative comparisons. How about is it racist or disrepectful to call an Asian a gook? That would be a more apt comparison.
This raises an important point, that point being the insidious and cunning of the politically correct. I believe that it was - well anyway, a character in Alice In Wonderland, who said to this effect. "Words mean just what I choose them to mean".
During an American Presidential campaign, a candidate called certain residents of Maine, Canucks. The roof fell in on him. "Racist, racist" etc. Many Canadians had migrated there for a better way of life. In the meantime skiers who achieved success for Canada rejoiced in the name "the crazy Canucks". This was their style., hair raising stuff. The NHL team is called "The Vancouver Canucks".
Even the name "Gypsy" was banned in England as an insult. Then the true Romany got angry at their name being so banned. So today "Gypsy" is back in. This for the real proven Romany, about five thousand in number. "Travellers" are used for the new age nomads, not gypsies, but doing nothing and taking much. The usual suspects of course, pretend gypsies.
It is all in the political agenda- as you point out, by your post.
Is some parts of the south calling someone a Yank or Yankee might get you hurt.
Calling someone from the US, “gringo” can be used as an insult in S and Central America.