Beaner
Encyclopedia
Beaner is a slang
term, widely regarded as derogatory, that refers to people of Mexican
descent. The term originates from the prevalence of frijoles pintos and other beans in Mexican food.
According to The Historical Dictionary of American Slang, the word was first seen in print in 1965, although the term has reportedly been in use at least since the 1940s (perhaps having evolved from previous slurs such as "bean-eater" and "bean-bandit" that were in use since as far back as the 1910s.)
Although the word is generally considered pejorative, its usage is not always overtly offensive and can be fairly benign depending on the context (similar to the term "frog" for a French person.) Though perhaps once considered strictly offensive, it appears that the term may be going through a phase of melioration
, where the negative connotation of an ethnic slur is "reclaimed" by those it is directed against and used in a neutral or even positive manner.
Other ethnic slurs based on food include "Curry muncher" for East Indians.
The word "beaner" is also used as a nickname for people from Boston
in the United States
after the city's nickname as "Beantown".
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term, widely regarded as derogatory, that refers to people of Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
descent. The term originates from the prevalence of frijoles pintos and other beans in Mexican food.
According to The Historical Dictionary of American Slang, the word was first seen in print in 1965, although the term has reportedly been in use at least since the 1940s (perhaps having evolved from previous slurs such as "bean-eater" and "bean-bandit" that were in use since as far back as the 1910s.)
Although the word is generally considered pejorative, its usage is not always overtly offensive and can be fairly benign depending on the context (similar to the term "frog" for a French person.) Though perhaps once considered strictly offensive, it appears that the term may be going through a phase of melioration
Semantic change
Semantic change, also known as semantic shift or semantic progression describes the evolution of word usage — usually to the point that the modern meaning is radically different from the original usage. In diachronic linguistics, semantic change is a change in one of the meanings of a word...
, where the negative connotation of an ethnic slur is "reclaimed" by those it is directed against and used in a neutral or even positive manner.
Other ethnic slurs based on food include "Curry muncher" for East Indians.
The word "beaner" is also used as a nickname for people from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the city's nickname as "Beantown".