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Sambo (Ethnic Slur)Sambo is an derogatory term for an African American. It is generally thought that the term was taken from the main character in the children's book The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman, in 1898. It was the story of a boy who outwitted a group of hungry tigers. Although Bannerman set the story in India - as can be seen by the presence of tigers and the reference to ghee - critics contend that the illustrations portray Sambo and his parents as iconic, racist "darky" stereotypes (see blackface). In any case, it is undisputed that the term "Sambo" fell into popular use as a derogatory, marginalizing term for African Americans in the early and middle 20th century. Although no longer widely used, the term is still considered strongly offensive. "Sambo", sometimes spelled "zambo", is thought to be a variant of a Foulah word meaning "uncle," and was used to denote a person of mixed African and Arawak (Taino) ancestry in some parts of the Caribbean; "zambo'" is still the Spanish word for a person of mixed African and Native American descent. From slavery to the present, "uncle" has been used in the American South by whites as a condescending and pejorative term for elderly black men. Later, the book was renamed The Story of Little Babaji, and the racist caricatures changed to more realistic and ethnically appropriate depictions. The once-popular "Sambo's" restaurant chain suffered from its association with the word, although it was named after the chain's co-owners, Samuel Battistone and Newell Bohnett. Reference Boskin, Joseph. Sambo. 1986. New York: Oxford University Press Goings, Kenneth: Mammy and Uncle Mose: Black Collectibles and American Stereotyping. 1994. Bloomington: Indiana University Press ISBN 0253325927 External links e-texts of The Story of Little Black Sambo:
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