''Wigger'', also ''wigga'', ''whigger'' and ''whigga'', is a term for

white people White is a Race (human categorization), racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry. It is also a Human skin color, skin color specifier, although the definition can var ...

who emulate the mannerisms,

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

, and fashions that are generally stereotypically associated with

African-American culture African-American culture, also known as Black American culture or Black culture in American English, refers to the cultural expressions of African Americans, either as part of or distinct from mainstream American culture. African-American/Bl ...

, particularly hip hop culture. The word is a shorthand variation of " white nigger". '' Dictionary.com'' defines the term as a slang derogatory reference to "a white youth who adopts black youth culture by adopting its speech, wearing its clothes, and listening to its music." Another dictionary defines the term as "offensive slang" referring to a "white person, usually a teenager or young adult who adopts the fashions, the tastes, and often the mannerisms considered typical of urban black youth." The term is generally considered a derogatory term reflecting stereotypes of African-American,

black British Black British people or Black Britons"Black Briton, N." ''Oxford English Dictionary''. Oxford UP. December 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/1136579918. are a multi-ethnic group of British people of List of ethnic groups of Africa, Sub-Saharan ...

, and white culture (when used as a synonym of white trash). The '' wannabe'' connotation may be used pejoratively.

Phenomenon

Bakari Kitwana, "a culture critic who's been tracking American hip hop for years", has written "Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wangstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America". In 1993, an article in the UK newspaper ''The Independent'' described the phenomenon of white, middle-class children who were "wannabe blacks". The African-American hip hop artist Azealia Banks has criticized white rapper Iggy Azalea "for failing to comment on 'black issues' despite capitalising on the appropriation of African American culture in her music". Banks has called Azalea a "wigger", and there have been "accusations of racism against Azalea" focused on her "insensitivity to the complexities of race relations and cultural appropriation". Robert A. Clift's documentary titled "Blacking Up: Hip-Hop's Remix of Race and Identity" questions white enthusiasts of black hip-hop culture. The term of art ''wigger'' "is used both proudly and derisively to describe white enthusiasts of black hip-hop culture". Clift's documentary examines "racial and cultural ownership and authenticity—a path that begins with the stolen blackness seen in the success of Stephen Foster, Al Jolson, Benny Goodman,

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

—all the way up to Vanilla Ice (popular music's ur-wigger) and

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

". A review of the documentary refers to the wiggers as "white poseurs".

Lawsuit

A 2011 class-action lawsuit in the United States District Court for

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

alleged that the administration at a predominantly white high school showed a "deliberate indifference" in allowing a group of students to hold a homecoming event called "Wigger Day" or "Wangsta Day" since at least 2008. A plaintiff named Quera Pruitt sought declaratory judgment and $75,000 in punitive damages from the defendants for creating a racially hostile environment. On July 24, 2012, the parties settled out of court with Pruitt being awarded $90,000.

References

Works cited

External links

BBC explanation of the term

"Wigger"
by Dutch singer Anouk
“White White Baby” video
Jim Carrey parody of Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby. {{Ethnic slurs 1990s slang 2000s slang African-American culture American slang Class-related slurs African-American cultural appropriation English words Pejorative terms for European people Race-related controversies in music Social groups Stereotypes of white people Socioeconomic stereotypes

Phenomenon

Lawsuit

See also

References

Works cited

External links