Is the term cracker considered a racial epithet?

[ripcord]

Two guys at work at work got into a full on fight at work, neither of them was in the right, they just don't like each other and have been pushing buttons for weeks. During the fight one of the guys who is a POC kept yelling about what he was going to do to that cracker asshole, afterwards they were both written up the one doing the yelling got fired for using racial epithets. I had never considered that term to be racially offensive but it does fit the definition of a racial epithet, what are people's opinions?

[TheBlackAdder]

1. I thought it was more to due with cracking the whip instead of the color of a bleached flour cracker

[AntivaxHunters]

2. Correct

[yardwork]

13. I think it comes from white settlers in Georgia and Florida.

It's basically similar to calling someone a red neck. It's a racial epithet but a pretty mild one, imo. White people in the south sometimes use it as an adjective. I have a so-called Cracker Rose in my garden. I don't call it that but it's an old nickname.

[Quakerfriend]

3. Yes, most definitely-

Blonde, fair skinned elderly woman I worked with told me
POC sometimes called her the “white cracker”.

[TheBlackAdder]

6. Well, White was your skin. The cracker part seems to be more of a 'ball buster' type noun.

.

Saying White White is redundant.

.

[randr]

4. Cracker is a polite term for the scum that own that epithet

There are many more descriptive terms, many not even heard of as yet.

[Deuxcents]

5. I'm an old Florida girl..my grandfather called all us kids crackers..

As a term of endearment or at least that’s how it was given n received. The original term, as I understand, is the sound of the cowboy’s whip rounding up cattle, horses..Florida used to be the biggest beef exporter but now it’s pretty much citrus.

[PatSeg]

7. According to Wikipedia

Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial epithet directed towards white people, used especially with regard to poor rural whites in the Southern United States.

The term has been around for a long time. There are other meanings cited as well, usually directed at Scotch-Irish immigrants.

The word was later documented describing a group of "Celtic immigrants, Scotch-Irish people who came to America running from political circumstances in the old world". This usage is illustrated in a 1766 letter to the Earl of Dartmouth which reads:

I should explain to your Lordship what is meant by Crackers; a name they have got from being great boasters; they are a lawless set of rascalls on the frontiers of Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia, who often change their places of abode.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cracker_(term)

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Cracker is akin to "white trash".

More socio-economic than racial.

[Basic LA]

15. Succinct definition.

That's how I've always heard it used.

[Quakerfriend]

9. History of the term cracker

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/07/01/197644761/word-watch-on-crackers

Long but interesting read.

[Deuxcents]

19. Interesting..terms change w/ the times.

My maternal grandfather was from Florida n my paternal grandfather was from Louisiana. I was a cracker in Florida but a coonass in Cajun country. I don’t know how I survived 🤪

[LakeArenal]

10. I think it is...

Hawley in Hawaii, Gringos in Latin American are names used for white people.

Whether one takes offense with it is another thing. Personally I don’t care if I’m called any in a friendly way. Somebody spit shouting in my face calling me names I might find very offensive.

Anyway calling anyone a name to piss them off is always offensive.

[The Blue Flower]

21. In Hawaii, it's haole

Close in pronunciation to what you've written (Hawley) but for the record, more like howl-ee".

[LakeArenal]

22. Thanks. I've only been called it. I've never read it.

[comradebillyboy]

11. My father, a native of Georgia and a very white man used

the term a lot. Growing up I thought everybody from Georgia was a cracker. We moved to Florida and my English text book told a story of a white country boy who moved to the city and was afraid of being called a cracker. Everything in Florida was segregated when I lived there. White folks used the term all the time when I was young.

So I don't think the term is a racial epithet any more than poor white trash is.

[LakeArenal]

23. I wonder if you called one "poor black trash" or " poor yellow trash"...

If it wouldn’t be considered racist?


If it’s not racist, why use any color to describe anyone negatively.

I never heard anyone call anyone poor white trash as a compliment.

[dembotoz]

12. not a term of endearment that's for sure

equal to the n word?
i dunno but similar

[yardwork]

14. Nowhere close to that offensive.

[dembotoz]

17. wife is a white teacher in a black school gets called that a lot

yes it is that offensive

[MichMan]

26. Are the students suspended or disciplined?

[dembotoz]

28. nope its their cultural expression says the principal

[MichMan]

33. One day they might find themselves in the same situation as the person in the OP that was fired

Because they were never held accountable for using it before.

Making racial comments towards a teacher is excused due to culture?

[sarisataka]

16. I'll answer the question with a question

Under what circumstances would you call a non-white person a cracker? Especially as an insult?

[BlueCheeseAgain]

18. I think of it as a racist epithet.

And using it is most likely a firing offense.

[Act_of_Reparation]

20. It is a racial epithet and its use in the workplace is unacceptable.

Termination worthy? For a first transgression, probably not. But if there's history there, I understand why they'd let somebody go for it.

[mactire]

24. "Scotch Irish"

If I’ve learned correctly from other historical texts and my own origins, the “Scotch Irish” are not from Celtic roots as Mr Ste Claire ascertains. They were descendants of planted people that took over the confiscated lands of native Irish folks in the province of Ulster, north east part of the island( in which six of the nine counties became the entity known as “Northern Ireland” a century ago, thus the moniker) These planters originated from northern English borderlands and lowland counties of Scotland which had little or no Celtic DNA. The galloglasses basically were from a different era, mostly from western Scotland(mostly Celts) and the outer isles and Hebrides, of which many had a mixed Celt- Viking background, and hardly friendly (or “loyal”) to the English usurpers. Many of those were people that travelled back and forth between Eire and Scotland through the generations of the kingdom of Dalraida which comprised much of the aforementioned areas. On a lighter note, I can’t contribute any explanation as to the origin of the term “ cracker “, but I do enjoy the term “craic”, of the same pronunciation as crack, meaning a grand old time or gathering, which has been used in both lands and is gaining popularity in places around the globe .

[Midnight Writer]

25. All I know is that when I called someone a cracker in front of my Mom she slapped my mouth.

That's good enough for me.

[louslobbs]

27. In the Heat of the Night script snippet using the word "cracker"

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/faa68494-ed77-42fd-b5da-6aa9e2b6dc7c

Virgil Tibbs: Whisper two little words,
Mama, and I'm on my way.

Virgil Tibbs: Maybe... I don't want to sever
a beautiful child like you right out.

Virgil Tibbs: A man's name.

Virgil Tibbs: First name, last name.

Virgil Tibbs: The man who's paying you

for Delores Purdy's abortion.

Mama Caleba: You're the boy who works for Mr. Charlie.

Mama Caleba: I thought that's who you was.

Mama Caleba: Why you wanna do that?

Mama Caleba: Why you wanna help the police like that?

Mama Caleba: They stealin' your soul.

Mama Caleba: They chew you up and spit you out.

Virgil Tibbs: I'm not here to lay a finger on you, Mama.

Virgil Tibbs: It’s the white boy I want.

Mama Caleba: What you got against him?

Mama Caleba: He's paying for his fun.

Virgil Tibbs: How much?

Virgil Tibbs: I bet you he's not

paying you more than a hundred.

Virgil Tibbs: You know how much he's got in

his pocket right now?

Virgil Tibbs: More than $600.00!


**Mama Caleba: That cracker? (chuckles)**


Mama Caleba: Where'd he come off getting ….?

Virgil Tibbs: He killed Mr. Colbert.

Mama Caleba: You gone crazy out of your mind.

Virgil Tibbs: Now listen. Hear me good, Mama, please.

Don't make me have to send you to jail.

Mama Caleba: A lot you care!

Virgil Tibbs: There's white time in jail, and

coloured time. The worst kind you can do

is coloured time.

[MichMan]

37. That show ended over 25 years ago

Lots of things now that once were acceptable, no longer are and vice versa.

[Celerity]

40. That is from the 1967 movie, around 56 years ago.

[MichMan]

44. Even worse; I was referring to the TV show

[Celerity]

45. I never saw the telly show, just the movie

[MichMan]

50. Carroll O'Connor was the lead actor

He was really good. It was a good show.

[Crepuscular]

29. ...

It certainly was used as one in the infamous Chevy Chase / Richard Pryor SNL job interview skit, which they could probably not get away with broadcasting today. I won't post a link but it's on Youtube for those who missed it.

[Caliman73]

30. It has become a racial epithet.

Cracker is a term that some African American people began to use to refer to poorer southern Whites.

The history of the term however, as with most epithets, is that "Cracker" as "Clay Eater" and "Hillbilly" were terms of derision bestowed upon poor White people by Rich White people.

It has been used as a racial epithet against White people and as such, it is considered that.

[milestogo]

31. At the scene of a car accident I was called a "white honky bitch".

Its the only time I've ever had someone use a racial slur against me. The person actually called me later and apologized.

I was young and it was my first ever accident. I remember thinking, Well I may be a bad driver, but its not because I'm white!

[BlueTsunami2018]

32. Not in my opinion.

Originally, in Shakespearean times, a cracker was a braggart or exaggerator. In the 19th century it was used as a term to describe cowboys down south who drove their cattle using whips with cracker tips.

Even if it was used by slaves to describe abusive masters, it still doesn’t come from a position of power. The power of the epithet comes from the relative power of the people using it. Calling me a cracker has no power at all, it’s like calling me a tin can or a lawnmower. It’s meaningless.

Others may feel differently but to me, there really aren’t any racial epithets against white people in general. If you want to break down ethnicities within whiteness, that’s a different story. But even those come from a time before the ethnicities being slurred were “whited in”.

[MichMan]

35. So POC are free to say anything they like against whites who just silently must take it ?

How is it possible for example that a Black boss doesn't have any power over their white employees? Should they be permitted to call them crackers daily with no consequences ? That's ridiculous.

[BeerBarrelPolka]

36. +1

[BlueTsunami2018]

41. Saying "anything you want" is not the same as using a meaningless term.

I wouldn’t feel demeaned or offended. Now, I don’t know anyone who would behave like that but if they did, I’d probably find it amusing. There’s nothing to “take”. It doesn’t mean anything. As I said, to me it’s no different than calling me a carrot.

In the big picture, we live in a white supremacist society. Even if my foreman was Black, I still have more privilege in this country. If we had an equal or even massively unequal, in their favor, economic status, no one is going to question me riding around a gated community. He’s going to have the cops called on him.

That’s what I mean by a position of power.

Then again, I don’t really give a shit what anyone says, I don’t get offended very easily. Call me anything, just don’t call me late for dinner.

[MichMan]

43. You said "there really aren't any racial epithets against white people in general"

I don't know how to categorize that in any other way other than as "anything you want"

I always thought the person being called something derogatory was the one who got to determine if it was offensive to them or not. Not the person saying it.

Anyone with the ability to terminate my employment, therefore affecting my ability to pay rent, car payments/insurance, health care, and buy food, certainly has way more power over me than I do over them.

[SYFROYH]

34. It's a derogartory term for sure. Like ofay or honkey.

[Celerity]

39. or peckerwood

It's a derogartory term for sure. Like ofay or honkey.

[sarcasmo]

38. When I used to dispatch for a Taxi company, every weekend I was called a cracker.

[Sympthsical]

42. It's a firing offense

Source: Work in HR.

Doesn't matter what people here are willing to excuse, using a disparaging racial term against a co-worker is an automatic cya.

And any company that didn't do it would be begging for a lawsuit.

[ProfessorGAC]

47. I Heartily Concur

The question as to whether it's as offensive as other epithets is not relevant.
You can't call someone that at work.

[Sympthsical]

48. And no company wants to be put in the position of adjucating that

Imagine the mess if HR or company policy had to sit down and decide, "Well, is it really that bad or can we let it slide?" I'd love to sit in on that meeting. Not to mention the litigation it opens up for disparate treatment claims. Newp newp.

I don't think the words are equivalent as far as cultural power - not by a long way. But in a professional setting, you bring someone's race into it, scoot scoot ya go.

We call these CYAs at the office. C-ya to the person who committed the offense because the company is playing a rousing game of Cover Your Ass.

[ProfessorGAC]

49. Right With You

I didn't work in HR, but I had many direct reports & took the law & HR classes for my MBA.
Can't bring race to the workplace.

[Red Mountain]

46. Just got this email from Stromberg's.....

it's EVERYWHERE!

https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BrY5T7GvnA08IryoPmEt7R_BqAlqgTFh3Nj434NKAkUtaQE_-OpdjJWA4Ac57mvEf-rAylkWehJY1h4VTRg0hWfTGA-zd-vOI_RckFsjpUhyeYynC7pwFwLB_jovFj5GnO3vzah-B2TReHNvtJotcnWF6J4B1Q0=s0-d-e1-ft#

[roamer65]

51. I call myself a "dumb cracker" occasionally to others.

I figure it can be used in that manner.

But I would not use it toward others, just like any other racial slur.

[Hekate]

52. CRAIC: an Irish word in America

Took a trip to Ireland some 10 years back, and one evening Robbie O’Connell told us about Irish words in America.

The only one I remember was “cracker,” because in the US it is a slur. It has nothing to do with the crack of a whip, people.

It comes from the Irish word CRAIC, meaning to shoot the breeze, tell tall tales, have a good gossip. (I relate it to “talk story” in Hawai’i.)

So a century or two ago when a bunch of Irish immigrants would go out to meet friends, they’d go to “have a good craic.” (I think it’s contemporary as well.)

In the South for some reason it stuck as a description, “Pat’s over there with that bunch of crackers.”

Over time “cracker” became a slur for poor whites with an uneducated Deep South accent, as in “white cracker.”

Nothing to do with cracking a whip. Definitely a slur against whites.

[Eugene]

53. Among Black folks, it definitely is a racial epithet.

Said among Black folks, it's disparaging. Said to a White person, it can be a fighting word.

I was warned at a young age not to use the word.