[DL] Derogatory Terms for Orientals [OT but FYI]

["Matthew M. DeForrest" <mmdeforrest@worldnet.att.net>]

A lot of electronic "ink" has been spilled over possible derivations of
"gook" and where and when it originated.  In case you haven't followed the
tread (or have forgotten it), what was at issue was whether gook was
historically accurate in Deadlands (I'll leave it to wiser heads to figure
out what that might mean....)

Anyway, I found something of an answer.  I finally got over to the Oxford
English Dictionary  to look the word up (for those of you not familiar with
the OED, it lists not only definitions of a word but that word's history and
historical definitions....you'll see what I mean.).  Here's what I found,
minus the pronunciation guide:

[From dictionary]
gook.  slang (orig. and chiefly U.S.).  [Origin unknown.]  Used as a term of
contempt: a foreigner; spec. a coloured inhabitant of (south-)east Asia or
elsewhere.

1935.  Amer. Speech X. 79/1 Gook. anyone who speaks Spanish, particularly a
Filipino.  1947. N.Y. Herald Tribune 2 April 28/6  The American
troops...don't like the Koreans -- whom they call 'Gooks' -- and, in the
main, they don't like Korea.

[End dictionary]

There are further examples from 1951, '59, '68, and '69 but they basically
show the definition narrowing to Southeast Asia.  Anyway, the history goes
back to before the Korean War and WW II.  It may be a holdover from one of
the Philippine Uprisings -- a period and topic in US History I must admit I
know very little about.  Perhaps one of the historians on the list can fill
us in on the info.  The English prof has done his bit.

Hope this helps and take care.

Matt