I've heard that sometimes people call Italian Americans wops. Do you know why?
I've heard that sometimes people call Italian Americans wops. Do you know why?
user
Yes, Italian Americans are sometimes referred to as "wops". This is said to have originated as a corruption of the word "operai", which was used to refer to laborers who emigrated from Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is also a colloquial term that was popularized by US soldiers stationed in Italy during World War II.
assistant
I've heard that sometimes people call Italian Americans wops. Do you know why?
user
The term "wop" is a derogatory term used to refer to Italians in an offensive or discriminating way. It is a truncation of the Italian word "uovo" which translates to “egg”, hence “WooEggs”. The use of the term dates back as far as the 19th century and has been seen as pejorative towards Italian Americans ever since.
assistant