For many individuals of Mexican heritage, the racial slur “beaner” is more than just a word; it’s a painful reminder of prejudice and exclusion. It’s a term that carries the weight of discrimination, instantly evoking feelings of not belonging, of being seen as perpetually foreign in a country many call home. The sting of this epithet, often first encountered in childhood or young adulthood, cuts deep, delivering a harsh message: “You are not American, and you never will be.”
While there was a period where the use of “beaner” seemed to recede, recent events have brought this derogatory term back into the spotlight, highlighting its continued presence in American society and the deep-seated prejudice it represents.
The resurgence of “beaner” in public discourse is evidenced by a notable spike in Google searches for the term last spring. This surge coincided with a disturbing incident at a Starbucks in Southern California, where a Latino customer discovered that a barista had labeled his cups with “beaner.” This act, intended to identify him by his ethnicity, occurred just before Starbucks initiated a company-wide anti-bias training day, adding a layer of irony to the incident. Starbucks publicly responded, stating they would investigate and take measures to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Further adding to the term’s renewed visibility, The New York Times, a publication held to a high standard of editorial oversight, used “beaner” as an answer in its crossword puzzle on January 1st. The clue, “Pitch to the head, informally,” while seemingly innocuous to some, led to the inclusion of a deeply offensive slur in a widely circulated puzzle. The New York Times issued an apology following the backlash, acknowledging the error in judgment.
These instances are particularly alarming against the backdrop of rising hate crimes targeting Latinos in the United States. Data from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, reveals a shocking 176 percent increase in anti-Latino hate crimes in major U.S. cities in the weeks immediately following the 2016 presidential election. This surge in hate incidents underscores a climate where racial slurs like “beaner” are not just words, but indicators of a broader and more dangerous trend of animosity towards the Latino community.
“In the period around election time, the group that saw the highest percentage increase of attacks were Latinos,” stated Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. While Levin’s research has not specifically focused on the use of “beaner,” the correlation between increased hate crimes and the term’s reappearance in public consciousness is undeniable.
The New York Times’ initial response to the crossword puzzle controversy further fueled the debate. Will Shortz, the crossword co-editor, offered an apology that many found inadequate, stating that neither he nor co-editor Joel Fagliano had ever encountered the slur before. Shortz suggested, “Maybe we live in rarefied circles,” a comment that sparked significant criticism and disbelief.
The public outcry prompted a second, more direct apology from Shortz, who admitted on NPR, “It was a mistake to include that answer. It is, indeed, offensive. And I personally apologize.” Despite this second apology, the initial statement from Shortz raised questions about the cultural awareness of editors at a leading national newspaper.
William A. Nericcio, director of the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences program at San Diego State University, described the initial apology as “one of the strangest apologies in the history of apologies.” He questioned the editors’ lack of awareness, stating, “It’s not like Mexicans aren’t in New York City. What level of social strata do you live in where you don’t come in contact with Mexicans?”
Academics emphasize that “beaner” is not an obscure term. Mexican-Americans constitute a significant portion of the Latino population, the largest minority group in the United States. According to experts, “beaner” stands out as the most prevalent anti-Mexican slur used today.
Chon Noriega, director of UCLA’s Chicano Studies Research Center, reinforced this point, noting, “It’s probably more widely known as a derogatory term for Mexicans than for being hit in the head with a baseball,” directly contrasting the crossword clue’s intended meaning with the slur’s hurtful reality.
The impact of “beaner” extends beyond verbal insults. In a tragic example, the term was linked to a deadly hate crime in 2008 in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorian immigrant, was fatally stabbed in an attack perpetrated by a group of white teenagers who chillingly referred to their actions as “beaner-hopping.” This horrific event underscores the dangerous consequences of dehumanizing language and the real-world violence that racial slurs can incite.
The term “beaner” itself is a derogatory reference to a staple food in both Pre-Columbian and contemporary Mexican cuisine – beans. This pattern of using food references to denigrate minority groups is common in American history, reflecting a tendency to mock and stereotype based on cultural practices. Similar to other ethnic slurs that focus on food or clothing, “beaner” reduces a complex cultural identity to a simplistic and negative caricature.
Before “beaner” gained prominence, “greaser” was a prevalent anti-Mexican epithet, particularly dating back to the 19th century. The origins of “greaser” are debated, with theories ranging from the slicked-back hair of migrant workers and Mexican miners to associations with lard-rich food or even the act of greasing wagon wheels. Regardless of its precise etymology, “greaser,” like “beaner,” served as a tool of denigration and discrimination.
The exact timeline of “beaner”‘s emergence as a slur is unclear, but some researchers believe it has been in use since at least the end of World War II. Journalist Gustavo Arellano traced its first documented appearance as a derogatory term for Mexicans and Mexican-Americans to the Dictionary of American Regional English. In this dictionary, accounts from young Californians in 1969 and 1970 indicate they were already familiar with the term when asked about slurs used against foreigners.
Maria Herrera-Sobek, associate vice chancellor for diversity equity and academic policy at the University of California, Santa Barbara, noted, “I didn’t hear it until I came out to California from Texas in the ’70s. In the ’40s and ’50s ‘greaser’ was a more common ethnic slur.” This personal anecdote highlights the regional and temporal evolution of anti-Mexican slurs.
“Beaner” gained wider currency in the Southwest throughout the 1970s and even infiltrated popular culture, appearing in “Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie” in 1980. In a comedic scene, Cheech Marin’s guitar riff includes the lines: “Mexican Americans / love education / so they go to night school / and take Spanish / and get a B.” Tommy Chong’s response, “Beaners! Beaners!” and Marin’s follow-up, “Yeah, that’s heavy man,” illustrate the casual, yet still offensive, use of the term even within Mexican-American comedic contexts.
In more recent times, Mexican-American comedians such as George Lopez and Carlos Mencia have also used “beaner” in their routines, often in an attempt to reclaim or subvert the slur. However, as with other racial epithets, the impact and appropriateness of using such terms are heavily dependent on context and the speaker’s identity.
Carmen Fought, a linguistics professor at Pitzer College, explains this dynamic: “It can be a way for people within a marginal group to kind of take back a story about a word or take away the pain and hurt by using it themselves. But it’s never appropriate for an outside group to do that.” This distinction between in-group and out-group usage is crucial in understanding the complexities of reclaiming offensive language.
Alexandro José Gradilla, a Chicana/o studies professor at Cal State Fullerton, emphasizes the need for broader societal awareness and careful consideration regarding the use of “beaner.” “We can’t act like ‘beaner’ is a term from the ’70s, and it’s gone away,” he cautions. “I think in the 21st century, the term has a much more national weight to it.”
In conclusion, Mexican Racial Slurs like “beaner” are not relics of the past. They persist in contemporary language and continue to inflict harm. Understanding the history, context, and impact of these terms is crucial for fostering a more inclusive and respectful society. It requires acknowledging the pain they cause and actively working to dismantle the prejudice they represent.
