Banana, coconut, and Twinkie

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The terms banana and coconut are often used pejoratively, with different applications in different countries. Twinkie is an American version of a similar concept, based on the brand name of an American snack cake. An actual banana is also used as a symbol of racial abuse, most often in sport in the UK, Europe, and Australia.

Contents

As terms

United States

In the United States, all three terms are used primarily used for Asian Americans who are perceived to have been assimilated and acculturated into mainstream American culture and who do not conform to typical South Asian or East Asian cultures. [1] [2] Banana and Twinkie refer to a person being perceived as "yellow on the outside, white on the inside", and is mainly applied to people from East Asia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and some other parts of Southeast Asia. The latter is derived from the American snack cake known as a Twinkie, which has golden-coloured sponge cake covering a creamy white filling. The term coconut is used similarly, but referring to darker-skinned Asians, such as those from South Asia or sometimes the Philippines. [1] [2]

Any of these terms may be used by Asians and Asian Americans, as well as non–Asian Americans, to disparage Asians or Asian Americans for a lack of perceived authenticity or conformity, and by non–Asian Americans to praise their assimilation into mainstream European, Anglo, Christian European-American culture. [2]

Other countries

In Australia, the term coconut is a derogatory term used against Indigenous Australians (usually, although not always, by other Indigenous people) [3] to imply a betrayal of their Aboriginal identity; [4] a lack of loyalty to their people because they are perceived to be "acting white" (like a coconut, brown on the outside, white on the inside). [5] This is analogous to the American usage described above, and similar in meaning to the American term Uncle Tom , also used in Australia, by which people are criticised for "acting white". [6] [7] [8]

Coconut is used similarly in the UK [9] and in South Africa. [10] [11]

Banana as a symbol

In European, British, and Australian sport, an actual banana has long been used as a form of racial abuse, [12] originating in Europe and England in the 1980s, [13] [14] and continuing into the 21st century. [15] The intention of the act is to imply that the target is a monkey or close relation. [16]

In the mid-1980s, West Ham player George Parris was subjected to much racial abuse, including having a banana thrown at him. He picked it up and ate it, making a gesture as if to say "Thanks! I needed that!". [17] In 1983, American basketball player Patrick Ewing had a banana peel thrown at him on the court, as well as a sign being held up saying "Ewing is an ape". [18]

Two examples illustrate how the act is being treated more recently, compared with the 1980s. In 1988, when a banana was thrown at Liverpool player John Barnes during a game against Everton, he casually kicked it away and no actions were taken, [19] although a photograph of the incident became famous. [20] In a 2014 game between Barcelona and Villareal, when a banana was thrown at Barcelona player Dani Alves, he picked it up and started eating it. This was intended as an act of defiance and to show that the act was a stupid one. [19] His action was widely supported by the football world, with many players and supporters posting photos of themselves eating bananas as a show of support; [21] even Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi posed for photographs of himself sharing a banana with Italian coach Cesare Prandelli. The perpetrator was identified and detained by police, [22] and Villareal was fined 12,000 euros. [23]

In 2016, a spectator threw a banana at Australian Football League player Eddie Betts during a game in Adelaide, South Australia, [24] which he later said had tainted his enjoyment of bananas, and affected him deeply. He has since become a prominent anti-racism advocate in Australian sport. [25]

In September 2022, Tottenham and Brazil national football team forward Richarlison had a banana thrown at him as he was celebrating a goal during a friendly in Paris against Tunisia. [26] [27]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Wren, James Allan (2016). "Banana, Coconut, and Twinkie". In Fee, Christopher R.; Webb, Jeffrey B. (eds.). American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia of American Folklore, Volume 1. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 74–76. ISBN   978-1-61069-568-8.
  2. 1 2 3 Tu, Dawn Lee (2011). "'Twinkie,' 'Banana,' 'Coconut'". In Lee, Jonathan H.X.; Nadeau, Kathleen M. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Asian American folklore and folklife. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 88–89. ISBN   978-0-313-35066-5.
  3. ↑ Lorde, Audre (1984). "Why I won't call you a 'coconut'...anymore..." (PDF).
  4. ↑ "'coconut (black)': meaning and origin". word histories. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  5. ↑ Dodson, Shannan (8 June 2017). "Shannan Dodson". The Guardian . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  6. ↑ Evans, Duncan (24 September 2023). "Shock voicemails after Price's number leaked". news. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "More Uncle Toms Than Meet the Eye". Cape York Partnership. 28 July 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Karp, Paul; Butler, Josh (31 August 2023). "Warren Mundine claims Anthony Albanese unleashed 'horrible racist abuse' and 'attacked' voice opponents". The Guardian . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "World Have Your Say: Is the term 'coconut' racist?". BBC. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  10. ↑ February, Tammy (20 August 2018). "Why being called a coconut is so damaging". Life. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  11. ↑ Chigumadzi, Panashe (24 August 2015). "Why I call myself a 'coconut' to claim my place in post-apartheid South Africa". The Guardian . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  12. ↑ Tamer, Rayane (28 September 2022). "Banana thrown at Brazil football star in Paris match as racial abuse from crowds intensifies". SBS News. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  13. ↑ Evans, Richard (22 August 2016). "Why throwing bananas is a notorious racist act". AdelaideNow . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  14. ↑ Sweetman, Tom (30 April 2014). "Dani Alves winning racism fight with banana gesture". CNN. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Jackson, Allison (13 May 2014). "The ugly, racist trend of tossing bananas at black soccer players continues". The World. Agence France-Presse, GlobalPost . Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  16. ↑ Boni, Víctor (28 October 2023). "Racist insults and throwing an object that looks like a banana at Vinicius from the stands: F***ing monkey, f***ing monkey". MARCA. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  17. ↑ Wallace, Sam (3 May 2014). "George Parris: Dani Alves wasn't the first one to eat a banana thrown". The Independent . Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Pomerantz, Gary (9 February 1983). "Ewing under siege". Washington Post . Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  19. 1 2 Sweetman, Tom (30 April 2014). "Dani Alves winning racism fight with banana gesture". CNN. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  20. ↑ Hughes, Simon (18 October 2023). "John Barnes and a banana: The story behind English football's most notorious photo". The Athletic. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  21. ↑ "Stars back banana-eating Alves". BBC Sport. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  22. ↑ "Spanish police arrest Dani Alves banana thrower suspect". BBC News. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  23. ↑ "£9,850 fine for banana throw racism". BBC Sport. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  24. ↑ "Woman who threw banana at Eddie Betts has been 'demonised', says father". [The Guardian]]. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  25. ↑ Betts, Eddie; Gerrard, Eleanor (9 August 2022). "'Takes me straight back': Eddie Betts reflects on the racism he faced in the AFL". NITV (Interview). Living Black. Interviewed by Grant, Karla . Retrieved 30 March 2024. In an exclusive one-on-one interview for Living Black, Betts spoke to Karla Grant
  26. ↑ "Brazil's Richarlison demands action after banana thrown at match". Al Jazeera. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  27. ↑ Media, PA (28 September 2022). "Richarlison demands action after banana thrown at him in Brazil win". the Guardian. Retrieved 31 March 2024.

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