How come you can call a Brit a Limey; an American a Yank; but cannot call someone from Pakistan a Paki?

Question

And how can you tell if a person is from Pakistan and not India or Bangladesh. And no, I am not a racist - it is a genuine open question.

Answer 1

Thanks for the opportunity to look into this !
The abbreviation Paki acquired offensive connotations in the 1960s when used by British tabloids to refer to subjects of former colony states in a derogotary and racist manner. In modern British usage "Paki" is typically used in a derogatory way as a label for all South Asians, including Indians and Bangladeshis. To a lesser extent, the term has been applied as a racial slur towards Arabs and other Middle Eastern-looking groups. In recent times there has been a trend by second- and third-generation British Pakistanis to reclaim the word.

The racist connotations may be confined only to the UK. In Australia, the Pakistani cricket team are commonly referred to as the Pakis, just as the West Indians are known as the Windies.

Answer 2

I would like to respond to your question in the following manner:

1. If the mightiest or developed nations on this earth are called some sort of derogatory words to describe them, they may net react as strongly as any weak and developing country would. You may call it inferiority complex or whatever. The fact remains that the countries at the lower rung would be more sensitive than the countries at the higher level on the hierarchy (system of grades of status or authority ranked one above the other).

2. Once you have come to know that certain word is perceived as 'offensive' by some group of people or race, why try to justify or 'educate' them with your rationale and force them to swallow your prescription. Just show your maturity and respect others culture or tradition or likings/disliking.

3. We the country Bangladesh had better relationship with India than what India had with Pakistan more many reasons. Recently when the Indian government and its politicians saw that their chosen political party made a mess out of tranquil and peaceful Bangladesh general-election scenarios those may not help this political party to come to power and form government (to toe their tail), all on a sudden the Indian politicians and print & electronic media have revved up their propaganda against Bangladesh and bestowing new derogatory titles either as prefix or suffix with our countries names.

So, I am not feeling amused at all by your suggestive question since today it is Pakistan being shortened to Pakis, which some of their cricket players have also adopted in their speeches, tomorrow you would give a bad name to another underdog and make sure that it gets killed!!

Answer 3

It would work if you called a Brit a Britty-boy, a Yank, a Yank-off etc. Unfortunately the term "Paki" tend to precede "bastard" in the minds of the UKs white trash underlings.

That's why its offensive.

Answer 4

People in Pakistan DO call themselves Pakis, when using English terms (on televised cricket, I've seen signs saying "Come on the Pakis!" in Pakistan). In the UK, it is a derogatory term. Words lose their power when they are reclaimed. All derogatory terms should be reclaimed - we're niggas, pakis, rednecks, whatever - and we rock :-D

Answer 5

I've never thought of it but they shouldn't have a problem,it's not offencive at all!

Answer 6

Because it would upset them. And we cant have that now can we.

Answer 7

You can do as you please. But I don't want to be called a Yank.

Answer 8

I CAN

Answer 9

We can't?