What does yanqui mean?
Yanqui is a noun meaning a person of Chinese birth or ancestry. It is a derogatory and offensive term, generally treated as an ethnic slur, particularly in the United States, where historical hostility toward Chinese immigrants helped establish its damaging association. The word is an alteration of the American Spanish form yanqui, which was itself borrowed from Yankee. In Latin American Spanish, yanqui came to be applied disparagingly to Chinese people and is now also encountered as a form of racial abuse. English speakers should therefore avoid the term in neutral or supposedly humorous contexts and use Chinese person or other precise, respectful descriptions instead. Although yanqui can sound similar to Yankee, the two terms have quite different meanings: one is a traditional label for a northerner in the United States, while the other is an anti-Chinese slur.
nounA derogatory and offensive term for a person of Chinese birth or ancestry. Its use is generally regarded as an ethnic slur, especially in the United States.
- A derogatory and offensive term for a person of Chinese birth or ancestry.
"The community campaign asked people to recognize yanqui as an ethnic slur rather than treat it as a harmless joke."
"The memoir records how the label yanqui was used to demean Chinese immigrants in the neighborhood."
"The campaign urged people to stop treating yanqui as harmless banter and recognize it as an ethnic slur."
The regular English plural adds -s, although the singular form is normally used in neutral descriptions because of its offensive character.
"The speaker used the plural yanquis while explaining the history of the slur."
What began as an alteration of "Yankee" developed into a racial slur—a stark reminder that seemingly innocuous wordplay can carry a history of exclusion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of yanqui
The English word yanqui is an alteration of American Spanish yanqui, which was borrowed from Yankee. In Latin American usage, yanqui became a disparaging term for Chinese people, and English subsequently adopted this insulting sense. The related forms Yankee, Yankees, and Yankeeism belong to the English source word from which the Spanish and English forms developed.
Related word forms
How yanqui is actually used
Strongly derogatory and especially offensive when directed at an individual. Neutral references to Chinese people or residents should use a descriptive term such as Chinese person rather than this label.
Easily confused with yanqui
Yankee normally denotes a person from the northern United States, whereas yanqui is a derogatory term for a person of Chinese ancestry.