Reply to Is the phrase “fresh off the boat” offensive in all circumstances?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Growing up in California in the 70s/80s, FOB was solely used to refer to Vietnamese immigrants (aka boat people), and it was very derogatory.  I would never use FOB, ever.

My dad was an immigrant, who came to the US on a ship from the UK in the 1950s.  I would never use it to refer to him, because of the negative context it's used with others.  But then I've also never, ever heard it used in relation to our many family members who also immigrated from the UK and Ireland.        
 [/quote]

What is the negative context? [/quote]

The “boat people” (Vietnamese, Laotian, Cambodian) were war refugees and very poor. They left with the shirts on their backs. [b] Many ignorant racist people (most of the population at the time) used the term “FOB” with a derogatory sneer. [/b] I’m not sure there’s anything comparable in the current climate because Ukrainian war refugees have been welcomed with such open arms. [/quote]

I grew up in So California at that ti me. No one used that term and there were no derogatory comments.[/quote]

That’s very white of you. [/quote]

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