Why are Mexicans called " Greasers "?

Question

With all due Respect, where did the term " Greaser's " come from when talking about Mexicans ?

Answer 1

Greasers refer to the 50's when men would gel their hair back and be wild.Real hell raisers.

Answer 2

Greaser was a derogatory term for a Mexican in what is now the US Southwest in the 19th century. It most likely derived from one of the lowliest occupations typically held by Mexicans in what is now the US Southwest, the greasing of the axles of mule carts. It was a common usage among US troops during the Mexican War.

The term was actually incorporated into an early California statute, the Greaser Act (1855), an expression of a virulent form of anti-Mexican sentiment among many Anglo Californians.

The term persisted in use through the silent film era, as evidenced by films such as Ah Sing and the Greasers (1910), The Greaser’s Gauntlet (1908), Tony the Greaser (1911), The Greaser and the Weakling (1912), The Girl and the Greaser (1913), The Greaser’s Revenge (1914), Bronco Billy and the Greaser (1914), and The Greaser (1915)[1]. Subsequently, however, Hollywood began to cut its usage of this particular derogatory term to improve its distribution in Mexican and Latin American markets.

Answer 3

Greasers was not a term for Mexicans, but for Puerto Ricans. And was used to describe their looks as they used a lot of "grease" to hold their hair in place, A good place to see this is in "West Side Story". Mexicans usually are called Beaners, wetbacks or spics.

Answer 4

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RE:
Why are Mexicans called " Greasers "?
With all due Respect, where did the term " Greaser's " come from when talking about Mexicans ?

Answer 5

Greasers were guys from 50's, never heard mexicans called that. Just beaners and wetbacks. I guess it's similar to wet back?

Answer 6

I've never heard that before...

Greasers was a term used to indicate a hairstyle of men in the 50's and 60's....-shrugs-

Wetbacks - because of river crossing to get to USA?

Answer 7

First of all, please learn to spell. It's PUERTO Rican. You wrote PORTOrican, and that is exactly the reason why some Puerto Ricans don't like "gringos." Besides being ignorant, it looks like you feel you are superior and want to do everythig your way. (Did you know that when the US first started printing paper money for PR they spelled the country's name as Porto Rico?) And it's not only Puerto Rico that has anti-American sentiments, its the whole world right now (because of that superiority complex some Americans have). With that said, I have nothing against Americans and nothing against them coming here. In fact, after spending a lifetime going to school with Americans here in Fort Buchanan, PR, I now go to college in the states and I love it. But you have to admit, many Americans do feel like they are superior than any other country (at least at a subconscious level), and that shows when those particular Americans travel, gaining the resentment of the locals that interact with these American tourists. And it happens EVERYWHERE.

Answer 8

The slur was derived from what was considered one of the lowliest occupations typically held by Mexicans, the greasing of the axles of wagons, they also greased animal hides that were taken to California where Mexicans loaded them onto clipper ships (a greaser). It was in common usage among U.S. troops during the Mexican-American War.

Answer 9

Mexican Greaser

Answer 10

also have the same question 7 years later. I'm reading about the FSA and its asking me about what "Mexican greasers" meant.