Beaner
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Beaner'' is a derogatory slur originally from the United States to refer to Mexican or Mexican American descent.


Usage

The word was first seen in print in 1966, although the term has reportedly been in use at least since the 1940s, having evolved from previous slurs such as ''bean-eater'' (1919) and ''bean-bandit'' (1959). It is one of many national and ethnic slurs that refer to a nation's cuisine (''
kraut ''Kraut'' is a German word recorded in English from 1918 onwards as an ethnic slur for a German, particularly a German soldier during World War I and World War II. Its earlier meaning in English was as a synonym for sauerkraut, a traditional Cen ...
'' for a German, ''spud-muncher'' for Irish, ''frogs'' for French, etc.). The word is considered to be one of the most offensive slurs for Mexican-Americans, although according to ''The Historical Dictionary of American Slang'', the word is only "usually considered offensive". Academics say that it is the most prominent anti-Mexican slur, having replaced '' greaser'' after the 1950s. It can resonate with the
xenophobic Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
sentiment that "you’re not American, and you never will be", and as such is sometimes directed at any Hispanic. In the 2000s comedian
Carlos Mencia Ned Arnel "Carlos" Mencía (born October 22, 1967) is a Honduran-American comedian, writer, and actor. His style of comedy is often political and involves issues of race relations, Latin American culture, criminal justice, and social class. He i ...
was known for using it, and other pejoratives, extensively and used it regularly for comedic effect in his ''
Mind of Mencia ''Mind of Mencia'' is an American comedy television series on the cable channel Comedy Central. Hosted by comedian Carlos Mencia, it aired from July 6, 2005 to July 23, 2008. History The first season of ''Mind of Mencia'' ran from July 6, 2005 ...
'' program. In May 2018, about two weeks before
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's largest coffeehouse chain. As of November 2021, the company had 33,833 stores in 80 c ...
initiated a racial bias training program for its American employees, a Hispanic customer in
La Cañada, California LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
, received his order with the name ''Beaner'' written on it.


Other use

Because the term originates from a common English word, there are other pre-existing or unknowing uses of ''beaner''. For example, ''beaner'' has been used to describe someone from Boston ( Beantown,
Boston baked beans Boston baked beans are a variety of baked beans, sweetened with molasses, and flavored with salt pork or bacon. History Native Americans had made corn bread and baked beans. The Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony learned these recipes in the early ...
, Boston Beaneaters), when accidentally smoking a marijuana seed (alternatively called a
bean A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...
), a nickname (the 2012 book ''In Beaner's Backyard''), in coffee shops (for the
coffee bean A coffee bean is a seed of the ''Coffea'' plant and the source for coffee. It is the pip inside the red or purple fruit often referred to as a coffee cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit. Even thou ...
), and for a
hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided ...
in baseball (
beanball "Beanball" is a colloquialism used in baseball, for a ball thrown at an opposing player with the intention of striking them such as to cause harm, often connoting a throw at the player's head (or "bean" in old-fashioned slang). A pitcher who thro ...
). Awareness about the offensive meaning of the word is resulting in its usage being criticized and phased out of mainstream use: * On September 15, 2007, regional coffee chain Biggby Coffee, having been called "Beaner's Coffee" since its founding in 1997, decided to change its name to Biggby Coffee in response to comments about the unintended slur in its name. Biggby CEO and founder Bob Fish said, "We ultimately felt we would be condoning the use of a disparaging term if we chose to do nothing." * In 2019, the use of the word ''beaner'' in the New York Times crossword, clued as "Pitch to the head, informally", generated controversy. New York Times crossword editor
Will Shortz William F. Shortz (born August 26, 1952) is an American puzzle creator and editor and crossword puzzle editor for ''The New York Times''. Early life and education Will Shortz was born and raised on an Arabian horse farm in Crawfordsville, Indi ...
claimed he knew that the term had a pejorative meaning, but he had never personally heard it used as a slur before and argued that "any ''benign'' meaning of a word" ought to be "fair game" for inclusion in the crossword. Shortz ultimately apologized for including the slur. * In 2019,
Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
coffee shop Beaner's Central changed its name to Wussow's Concert Cafe. Owner Jason Wussow stated that "Although the name Beaners was chosen twenty years ago out of innocent unawareness, it is undeniable that this word is xenophobic and offensive to many".


Use in film

The word has been used by
Tommy Chong Thomas B. Kin Chong (born May 24, 1938) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, musician, activist. He is known for his marijuana-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing the character Leo on Fox's ' ...
in '' Cheech and Chong's Next Movie'', by
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
in ''
Gran Torino ''Gran Torino'' is a 2008 American drama film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, and Ahney Her. This was Eastwood's first starring role since 2004's ''Million D ...
'', by
Hank Schrader Henry R. Schrader ASAC is a fictional character in the AMC drama series '' Breaking Bad'' and its spin-off series ''Better Call Saul''. He is portrayed by Dean Norris and was created by series creator Vince Gilligan. Hank's character development ...
in ''
Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Bryan Cranston), an underpaid, overqualified, and dispirited hig ...
'', and by
Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent a ...
in '' The Morning After'', and in the movie '' 30 Minutes or Less'' by
Fred Ward Freddie Joe Ward (December 30, 1942 – May 8, 2022) was an American actor and producer. Starting with a role in an Italian television movie in 1973, he appeared in such diverse films as '' Escape from Alcatraz'', ''Southern Comfort'', '' The R ...
. The slur also titles the 2013 movie ''Beaner'', a fictional retelling of the true story of an undocumented Hispanic worker who was brutally stabbed on Long Island.


See also

*
Spic ''Spic'' (also spelled ''spick'') is an ethnic slur used in the United States for people from Latin American countries and states. Etymology Some sources from the United States believe that the word ''spic'' is a play on a Spanish-accented pron ...
* Wetback * Greaser


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, Mexico, United States, Society Anti-Mexican sentiment Ethnic and religious slurs Hispanophobia English words Stereotypes of Hispanic and Latino people