From one the threads, the debate of racial terms came up. There was a lot of different interpretation of the term "Gwei Lo". So I feel like to pitch in my 2 cents.

Literally, "Gwei Lo" translates to "Ghost Old-Man". From my understanding, the term means male westerner. It is a generic term to refer to all male westerners. I don't think it is used as a derogatory term or felt that was the case when I was in HK. However, there are terms that may be used with [very] slight derogatory intention, "Pak Gwei" and "Hut Gwei" which translate to "White Ghost" and "Black Ghost". They mean white westerner and black westerner.  

The common cursing term would add "Sei" in front of the terms. "Sei" means dead. For example, "Sei Gwei Lo" or "Sei Hut Gwei". An example without racial application, "Sei Lo" means dead old-man. It doesn't mean that the person is already dead, but wishing the person to be dead soon.

Quite frankly, I can't really think of any other terms in Cantonese to refer to Western foreigners beside "Gwei Lo". Formal terms may be "May Kok Yun" which translates to "America Person" or American. Another example would be "Yuk Pun Yun" which translates to "Japan Person" or Japanese. However, I can't think of using such formal terms in a daily basis or in day to day conversation, unless you want to talk like a really educated person which may sound strange in a normal conversation with your friends. Remember that Cantonese is all about speaking informally, unlike Mandarin.  

Maybe that will clear things a bit.

[ Last edited by  escritic at 3-9-2010 23:47 ]

Well instead of 'gwai lo' you can use the term 'sai yun'. Literally translated the 'sai' is West and 'yun' person, therefore West Person or Person from the West.

probably pronouncing it wrong.  sounds like "small person"   haha

One more foreigner term to add to this is the term Wei Guo Ren - Mando pinyin for Outside Country Person and in Canto it is Ngoi Gok Yun.

Depending on the usage and pronunciation of the "Sei" it can have good or bad connotative meanings.  For example, in English, "that's bad" can be both literal bad or in some instances, "that's BAAAD" as in good.

[ Last edited by  bohica at 3-9-2010 11:20 ]

What about Lo Wei?

Which means old friend literally but foriegner? (note my Chinese is exceptionally weird as I use a mish mash of Mandarin Cantonese and all sorts, thus BUs is not bar see it is guang guang che)

I've been called "Gwai Jai" my entire life in Hong Kong despite being helf chinese. It's just the way it goes!   No malicious intent I'm sure as most of these people are my mates.

Agreed. That is just the way it is.

It is interesting how some words can have different meanings depending on who says them and in what situation.

Compare, (and no offence intended) nigger. It is obviously very derogatory for most people to use, but it seems to have become a well-used term within black American culture.

It has more to do with the meaning and values that a speaker attaches to a word or term, rather than the original meaning. In the right context, even words such as "Asian" or "White" could be interpreted as malicious!

I like this thread and it's amusing the attitudes of Asian people who are not molly-cuddled by nannystates and politically correct BS inheritated world wide from America.

I don't take offence from these terms, but when someone wishes I was dead, I challenge them on it if meant it nastily. It's just not nice.

However,

"It's just the way it goes! "
"That is just the way it is."

For a couple of hundred years in the UK and the US, black people would / are called N+++++, c++ns, etc, asians called ch++ks, sl++es etc, south asians called pa++s, w++s etc, middles east people R++ h++ds and the list goes on.

However, I don't think that most of the people named here will accept a white guy slinging these words out happily with the excuse "Its just the way it is, we've always called them this", especially when it's also acceptable to put the word "DIE" on the front. In the US and UK, you'd get in serious trouble with the law if proven to have said it.

This forum jumps on people saying jap instead of japanese, flipper for philippino etc but yet it's fine to call people Gweilo etc? (and no, I will not remove these terms in this scenario) Why? What is the difference? Because it is aimed at white people, and as white people are the global minority (fact) surely we should have the better case to say Fuck Off Cunt Face or I will smash your eye sockets and nose into one nice mix like an explosion at a lasagne factory. But no, we typically don't. Is it because we don't care? Or is it that we have a superiority complex and couldn't care what others say or think?

Or maybe, as the perception is that the other words used are not used as insults either, just things we have always said, that there is no harm in them, and as such, we get on with it without crying foul.

Just my thoughts. But really, there is sooo much overt racism in Asia against everyone, it is just normal. Doesn't make it right though.

[ Last edited by  akka at 4-9-2010 11:14 ]

You have a point. I guess because I am not part of a minority group (in Oz anyway), I don't really care about a particular term, unless it is used in a blatant way.

(as far as i know) gwei lo has historically been used as a derogatory term but in modern times its become more colloquial though still holds some derogatory weight to it.
Think of it as a rude as opposed to offensive. Sei gwei lo on the other hand is definitely offensive.

Copied from Wikipedia:
The term is often considered racist by non-Cantonese people.  Many Cantonese speakers, however, frequently use the term "gweilo" to refer to foreigners in general and they consider the term non-derogatory, which some members of the foreign community resent. On the other hand, some members of the Hong Kong community with foreign ancestry, particularly the younger generation, embrace the term, treating it as an affectionate designation and a colloquial slang with nuances understood after prolonged exposure to the local culture, which can be deemed offensive at face value. The term "lo" (佬) when used in other situations are generally quaint as it is a term mostly fallen out of use and the intentional use of it carries a certain comical sense.

I agree 'gweilo' and 'gweimui'' (white girl) are frequently used here by everyone (locals and foreign residents) who lives here in a very affectionate manner.  There are other terms, ie 'fei lo' (fat guy), 'fei jai'(fat kid), 'go lo'(tall guy), etc that seem derogatory and condescending at face value too but are actually used as an affectionate greeting among friends and family.  If you are addressed in such manner, take it as a sign that you are considered part of the group/community.  

Reply to #6 clitty's post:

Though I am ethnically Chinese, I have been addressed as ''Gwai jai' too.  In my context, it means that I still act and think like a Westerner though I look Chinese.  

Actually I prefer being called 'gwai jai'' over ''juk sing jai' (overseas born Chinese) which I found to be more derogatory in meaning as it literally means 'bamboo character''.  What is a bamboo?  Bamboo is yellow on the outside but empty in the inside, implying that emptiness means 'no Chinese culture' or 'no culture at all''.

In some ways I find HK to be so refreshingly free when it comes to conversation.  It may be because the cantonese culture favors directness and telling it like it is with regards to describing people and situations.  It took me awhile to get over the shock of ppl here using words that have been deemed banned because of political correctness.  Some ppl or situations just cannot be adequately described with the language of political correctness, just too much vagueness.  

Now when I visit N.America I have to take some deep breaths and relax my mind on the plane ride over so that I can prepare myself for that atmosphere of political correctness.  So much mental work is required in N. America.

The thing with Aussies in particular, is we have names for everyone including OURSELVES! Rarely is there any malicious intent, it's just the way we are, in some cases it may be what we refer to as "takin' the piss out of you" which is our way of saying having a FRIENDLY joke at your expense. The unique thing about Aussies is not only are we happy to take some back... we happily expect it! This can sometimes be interpreted as a kind of "racism" but it is definitely not how most of us mean it... of course in this day and age we need to curb our cultural sense of humour somewhat to remain politically correct which is fine. It is wise to consider that the easy going nature of the person making the remark is not the issue, it is how the person the remark is made to feels as a result...

Of course there is also an argument that we have all become a little too "Precious" and wrapped in "cotton wool". Of course that then raises the issue of at what point do you "cross the line" making it much better in most cases to totally avoid anything that could be interpreted as racist. This forum does highlight one thing, in many cases we often dont know the race, religion, color etc of other Bros we are talking to. So we for the most part just get on with life and talk about our favourite subject. Seems like we generally all get along... perhaps there's hope for us yet!?! Interesting discussion.

[ Last edited by  TonyToro at 5-9-2010 20:38 ]

I don't care if anyone calls me a "gwei lo" and means to be derogatory.  But then, I make 10 times the average per capita income in HK.  And I have all sorts of support mechanisms that continually reinforce the message that I am a valuable and contributing member of society.  My self-esteem is not in danger.  I can always feel perfectly comfortable saying "f*ck you" and dismissing you, knowing that I will still do just fine...

If I was a member of an economically deprived minority, the situation would be entirely different.  Every day, in innumerable small ways, I would internalise the message that I am not a valuable person (and much worse).  It's not surprising that such people might feel a little touchy about racial slurs.  I sure would, if I were in that position and had any energy left to register a complaint...

Have fun, CGP

Hey, stop talking about my name!

Seriously though, I've been in Hong Kong for 15 years now.. married to a local, I don't spend time in lan kwai fong, or wan chai.. or any of those common foreigner hang-outs. Instead I've lived in Kowloon and the New Territories had local friends, speak Cantonese fluently...

From my perspective, Hong Kong people are some of the most racist people in the world, but I love them! The difference is, it's not violent or really hateful. Some of the older generation still have some hateful distaste for Japanese people because of the events of World War II. Listening to my wife's grand mother talk about those days (she is 87 years old now) it's a stark wake-up call to anyone that thinks those events are over-exploited. Even with all that, I don't think those people intend violence toward them.. just resentment.

I agree with Caligynephiliac comments and the others above. Even though the term may have derogatory lineage, it certainly doesn't mean that now in pop culture.. even just 'HEY YOU!' can be derogatory if used in the right (or wrong) tone. The point is, in HK nobody is gonna stab you, shoot you or hang you for your race.

So I've embraced the term. I've got way too much ego for any insult that someone utters toward me or any of my family/friend to take it personal. Someone shouts 'dew lei lo mo' in my face.. and I laugh so hard the tears run down my legs. Of course if someone intends to lay a finger on my wife, I'll rip out their entrails, tie it around their neck and hang them with them while they are lit on fire with petrol and afterward dump their ashes into a septic tank.

All of that aside, in many cases being a foreigner here gives you more benefits than a local.. and that is where some of the angst comes from.

Some local girls specially look for a foreign boyfriend/husband because they feel it gives them a status boost in society. My wife even admitted she was acting like that when she first started dating me. She always says she can't stand local men.

So in a way, they even have racism against their own race!

Hong Kong'er dislike Mainlanders.. southern Mainlanders dislike northern Mainlanders.. blah blah blah, so-on-and-so-forth.. etc.

I don't know if any of you watch Southpark, but that show in full of derogatory and racist connotations. Pretty much the only reason they can get away with it is because they do it uniformly across the board. They make fun of Jews (ethnic and religiously), but also Christians. They make fun of black people, but also white. The key is that they are making fun of everybody equally. A celebration of the irony of modern society (or the lack thereof).

No matter what you say someone is gonna take offense. When you speak, have in mind who your audience is, if you want to keep out of trouble.

If you don't mind if your face gets kicked in by akka, then feel free throw tact to the wind and say whatever you want!

I have an African-American ex-pat friend who once got into an argument with a local in a restaurant.
He was cursed "Diew ney sey hak chai!" Not heard that one before.
Anyone care to translate what "Chai" means... sorry my cantonese is not that good lol

My wife uses the term all the time refering to me as a stupid qweilo   But I don't see qweilo as offensive I use it talking about myself sometimes or places in HK as qweilo places for example the Belchers in Kenedy town was refered to as a qweilo place because all the foreigners live there.

It means, 'fuck you and go to hell black boy'

'chai' .. literally means boy, or a younger guy.

Pretty bold statement.  Being a NYer with so much different cultures, races, beliefs, etc......I find there is varying levels of racist people from every group.  However as much as there are racists, every once in a while I am surprised by how color blind some people are who appeared to be ethnocentric in personality.

Once I heard a story from a relative in nyc that spoke volumes about the multicultural community of nyc.  He told me once in Chinatown he got in an elevator with a black lady and old chinese granny.  Being a typical old 'heung ha' (country-bumpkin) granny, she made a derogatory remark about the black lady in Canto to my relative and right away the Black lady yelled back at the granny in perfect Canto, 'diu lei lo mo...'  The granny was shocked into speechlessness.  It turns out that Black lady was a Jamaican-Chinese mix who still retain her Chinese cultural background.  

So lessons learned, in multicultural communities like nyc, it is best to stay respectful in the presence of strangers and don't make derogatory remarks in your ethnic language in case the stranger understands you.