In Jennifer Lopez's hit song I'm Real (circa 2001), she used the word "nigga" in the song lyrics. Part of the African-American community took issue with J-Lo's choice of words since she is of Latino descent. It wasn't long before two DJ's from HOT 97 (a New York city radio station), began to refer to J-Lo as a "spic bitch." What is the meaning behind this racist slur? And where did the term spic originate?
The word "spic" is a derogatory term used in reference to a person of Latin American/Hispanic descent. Like the words "nigger" and "gook," this term is seen as a racist slur--and looked down upon when used by non-Latinos.
Though the exact date is not known, the word began to appear during the early 1900s. One of the first uses of the word was published in Ladies' Home Journal in 1919. An article started, "The Marines had been ... silencing the elusive 'spick' bandit in Santo Domingo."
There are several theories on the origin of this term. While some believe the term as simply a shortened version of the word Hispanic (hiSPanIC), one of the more popular explanations is that it is a reference to the way Latinos speak English. In Esmeralda Santiago's memoir, When I Was Puerto Rican, she elaborates:
"We call them gringos, they call us spiks."
"What does that mean?"
"Well...there are many Puerto Ricans in New York, and when someone asks them a question they say, 'I don spik inglish' instead of 'I don't speak English.' They make fun of our accent."
Today, the term has been embraced by some of the Latino community. For example, DJ Angie Martinez used the word throughout her 2001 album "Up Close and Personal" and the Latin group Cypress Hill also uses the word profusely. However, the term is generally considered derogatory if used by those who are not Latino.
Variations on the word include spik or spick.
