Why were the Chinese Called Slow Peds?
There were several references to the Chinese workers on the ship as Slow Peds.
Also, McQueen told the teacher that you can't teach Slow Peds.
What are Slow Peds anyway?
They were calling the Chinese "slopeheads." That is a derogatory racial epithet for Asian people with slanted eyes.
Pray for an early spring ... or permission to open fire.
After turning on the commentary on my blu-ray disc, I discovered "slopehead" was the term used toward the Chinese people.
Well, that is certainly new to me. I have never heard of "slopehead" used to describe Asians before. This must be an older term that has fallen out of fashion. There are plenty of other derogatory comments used against Asians now.
I believe Clint Eastwood's character uses the term in Gran Torino as well.
shareIt's was in pretty common usage in the 1950s-70s; we used it to refer to Koreans and Vietnamese...along with the more common term *beep* sometimes it was shortened to just 'slopes'; I guess you can say it has gone out of fashion...
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Nickm2 -- hit that right on the nose. Derogatory term "slopes" used in Nam, etc. there is always a term used in these combat situations even if not particularly derogatory like "Charlie" for Vietnamese soldiers.
share"Derogatory term "slopes" used in Nam"
"Slopes" wasn't very commonly used in Vietnam; the term "g o o k s" was the common name applied to Vietnam Cong (and NVA).
"...even if not particularly derogatory like "Charlie" for Vietnamese soldiers."
"Charlie" (short for "Victor Charlie", radio phonetic alphabet for VC - Viet Cong - not Vietnamese soldiers, North or South) wasn't derogatory at all; it was akin to referring to German soldiers as "Jerry" in WWII.
Not to split hairs, but "slopeheads" was a reference to the supposed shape of their heads, not to their eyes.
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