Submitted by MagicRaptor t3_xwxaqx in history
cuicocha t1_irao0iw wrote
Reply to comment by Uptown_NOLA in Where did the English language REALLY come from? by MagicRaptor
Another well-read American here. This is the first I ever heard of Anglo-Saxon being a racist buzzword (as described here). Not denying that it exists, just that the racist buzzword use is not how I'm used to hearing it used. The racist use seems illogical to me because the term excludes Germanic or Nordic heritage, which modern racists usually are fine with.
I've heard Anglo-Saxon used in a few senses in American writing, none of which make any sense or actually pertain to Anglo-Saxon ethnicity (i.e., not Norman, Norse, or Celtic):
- In global politics, "Anglo-Saxon world" basically meaning the close ties between US, UK, Australia, NZ, and Canada
- Especially in the northeastern US, describing white families with British colonial roots, as opposed to heritage in post-independence immigrants (as in White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, "WASP"), usually with the implication of upper class, "respectability", education, and a certain uptightness or reserve
- In the southwestern US, "Anglo" meaning English-speaking Americans with roots elsewhere in the US, as opposed to the hispanic and indigenous people who were already there before the Mexican-American war (not common anymore in my experience).
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