Gook

Gook (/ˈɡuːk/ or /ˈɡʊk/) is a racial slur for East Asians and Southeast Asians in English.

Origin

The word's origin is unclear. It is said that American troops in the Philippine–American War (1899 – 1913) started using it, which later became a word for "dark-skinned foreigner, especially a non-European or non-American" in general.

Usage

The word began to be used for referring to Koreans in the Korean War (1950 – 1953), despite South Korea's protection by the US-led United Nations Command. Historians said that the use might come from the frequent local use of the Korean word 국 (guk), meaning "country", which was mistaken by American troops for how Koreans called themselves. The word was reportedly so common among American troops that U.S. General Douglas MacArthur banned it to avoid upsetting Asians. However, its use towards Asians continued until the end of the Vietnam War.

References

  1. ↑ "Gook Definition & Meaning". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  2. ↑ Roediger, Dave (March 1992). "Gook: The Short History of an Americanism". Monthly Review. 43 (10): 50. doi:10.14452/MR-043-10-1992-03_5. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014.
  3. ↑ "gook". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  4. ↑ Roediger, David. (March 1992). Archived 2014-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
  5. 1 2 Cao, Lan; Novas, Himilce (1996). Everything You Need to Know About Asian-American History. Plume. p. 250. ISBN 9780452273153. Gook, the American racial epithet for all Asian Americans, is actually the Korean word for 'country.
  6. 1 2 "Gook". Rhetoric of Race. 2003. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009.