WASP (term) - Revision history

Alex Kosh: /* References */

2024-10-14T04:40:11Z

References

DavidB4-bot: /* Bibliography */HTTP --> HTTPS #3, replaced: http://www.amazon.com → https://www.amazon.com (2)

2019-04-10T00:12:54Z

Bibliography: HTTP --> HTTPS #3, replaced: http://www.amazon.com → https://www.amazon.com (2)

DavidB4-bot: /* External links */HTTP --> HTTPS, replaced: http://www.dailymail.co.uk → https://www.dailymail.co.uk

2019-04-03T22:50:30Z

External links: HTTP --> HTTPS, replaced: http://www.dailymail.co.uk → https://www.dailymail.co.uk

Ukimmoral: /* Irish usage */

2017-06-03T00:45:51Z

Irish usage

DavidB4-bot: /* Fading dominance */Spelling/Grammar Check, typos fixed: , → ,

2016-09-16T16:52:32Z

Fading dominance: Spelling/Grammar Check, typos fixed: , → ,

DavidB4-bot: clean up

2016-09-13T05:52:24Z

clean up

DavidB4-bot: clean up & uniformity

2016-07-13T21:30:06Z

clean up & uniformity

Joaquín Martínez: Reverted edits by Carolsterns (talk) to last revision by BrettSpaz

2012-01-19T01:33:11Z

Reverted edits by Carolsterns (talk) to last revision by BrettSpaz

Carolsterns: Replaced content with "dick"

2012-01-19T01:07:29Z

Replaced content with "dick"

BrettSpaz: i feel the term nasty is a little biased

2011-03-21T20:40:43Z

i feel the term nasty is a little biased

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:40, October 14, 2024
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	[[Category:Dictionary]]		[[Category:Dictionary]]
	[[Category:Ethnicities]]		[[Category:Ethnicities]]
		+	[[Category:Protestants]]

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 *Cookson, Peter W.; Persell, Caroline Hodges. ''Preparing for Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools'' (1985) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/preparing-for-power-americas-elite-boarding-schools-by-peter-w-cookson-caroline-hodges-persell.jsp online edition]
 *Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992"; ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), pp.&nbsp;157–175.
-*  Kaufmann, Eric P. ''The Rise and Fall of Anglo-America'' (2004), scholarly study by sociologist  [http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Anglo-America-Eric-Kaufmann/dp/0674013034/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196247634&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
+*  Kaufmann, Eric P. ''The Rise and Fall of Anglo-America'' (2004), scholarly study by sociologist  [https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Anglo-America-Eric-Kaufmann/dp/0674013034/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196247634&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
 * Kilmer, Joyce. "Our Humor Is Not Anglo-Saxon; T. A. Daly Says it Is 60 per Cent. Celtic; Says Poe Copied Mangan;- Praises "Mr. Dooley" ''New York Times'' August 15, 1915, Sunday Magazine Page SM7,
-*  Longstreth, W. Thacher, and Dan Rottenberg. ''Main Line Wasp: The Education of Thacher Longstreth'' (1990) [http://www.amazon.com/Main-Line-Wasp-Education-Longstreth/dp/0393027805/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196248993&sr=1-12 excerpt and text search]
+*  Longstreth, W. Thacher, and Dan Rottenberg. ''Main Line Wasp: The Education of Thacher Longstreth'' (1990) [https://www.amazon.com/Main-Line-Wasp-Education-Longstreth/dp/0393027805/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196248993&sr=1-12 excerpt and text search]
 * Norri, Juhani. "Labelling of Derogatory Words in Some British and American Dictionaries," ''International Journal of Lexicography'' (2000) 13(2):71-106, discusses WASP and other derogatory words. [http://ijl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/13/2/71 abstract online]
 *King, Florence. ''WASP, Where is Thy Sting?'' (1977)

@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=406108&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770&expand=true#StartComments Anglo-Saxons and Britons]
+*[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=406108&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770&expand=true#StartComments Anglo-Saxons and Britons]
 ----

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ===Irish usage===
-"Anglo-Saxon" was a term favored by the French (to criticize close diplomatic relations between the US and Britain), and by the Irish Catholics, who considered themselves Celtic and resisted Anglo-Saxon (English) rule in Ireland.  Irish American humorist [[Finley Peter Dunne]] popularized the ridicule of "Anglo Saxon" circa 1890-1910, even calling President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] one. Roosevelt insisted he was Dutch, and invited Dunne to the White House for conversation.  "To be genuinely Irish is to challenge WASP dominance," argues Irish politician Tom Hayden.<ref>Tom Hayden, ''Irish on the Inside: In Search of the Soul of Irish America'' (2003) p. 6</ref>   The depiction of the Irish in the films of [[John Ford]] was a counterpoint to WASp standards of rectitude. "The procession of rambunctious and feckless Celts through Ford's films, Irish and otherwise, was meant to cock a snoot at WASP or 'lace-curtain Irish' ideas of respectability."<ref>Luke Gibbons, Keith Hopper, and Gráinne Humphreys, ''The Quiet Man'' (2002) p 13</ref>
+"Anglo-Saxon" was a term favored by the French (to criticize close diplomatic relations between the US and Britain), and by the Irish Catholics, who considered themselves ethnically Celtic and resisted Anglo-Saxon (English) rule in Ireland.  Irish American humorist [[Finley Peter Dunne]] popularized the ridicule of "Anglo Saxon" circa 1890-1910, even calling President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] one. Roosevelt insisted he was Dutch, and invited Dunne to the White House for conversation.  "To be genuinely Irish is to challenge WASP dominance," argues Irish politician Tom Hayden.<ref>Tom Hayden, ''Irish on the Inside: In Search of the Soul of Irish America'' (2003) p. 6</ref>   The depiction of the Irish in the films of [[John Ford]] was a counterpoint to WASp standards of rectitude. "The procession of rambunctious and feckless Celts through Ford's films, Irish and otherwise, was meant to cock a snoot at WASP or 'lace-curtain Irish' ideas of respectability."<ref>Luke Gibbons, Keith Hopper, and Gráinne Humphreys, ''The Quiet Man'' (2002) p 13</ref>
 ===Sociology===

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ==Fading dominance==
-It was not until after World War II that the networks of privilege and power in the old Protestant establishment began to lose significance. Many reasons have been attributed to the WASP decline and books have been written detailing it. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DB153EF934A25752C0A967958260] Among the reasons often cited is increased competitive pressure as the WASPs themselves opened the doors to competition.  The GI Bill brought higher education to the children of other groups , and the postwar era created ample economic opportunity for a growing new middle class. Nevertheless, white Protestants remain represented in the country's cultural, political, and economic élite.<ref>Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992," ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), p. 164</ref>
+It was not until after World War II that the networks of privilege and power in the old Protestant establishment began to lose significance. Many reasons have been attributed to the WASP decline and books have been written detailing it. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DB153EF934A25752C0A967958260] Among the reasons often cited is increased competitive pressure as the WASPs themselves opened the doors to competition.  The GI Bill brought higher education to the children of other groups, and the postwar era created ample economic opportunity for a growing new middle class. Nevertheless, white Protestants remain represented in the country's cultural, political, and economic élite.<ref>Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992," ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), p. 164</ref>
 In the federal service, once dominated by WASPs—especially the State Department—Catholics and Jews made strong inroads after 1945. Georgetown University, a Catholic school, made a systematic effort to place graduates in diplomatic career tracks, while Princeton University (a WASP bastion), got into trouble with donors because too few of its graduates were entering careers in the federal government.<ref>The princeton debate was not about ethnicity per se. see the attack at [http://www.robertsonvprinceton.org/factsheet/background.php] and Princeton's defense at [http://www.princeton.edu/robertson/about/mission/]</ref> By 2000 there were roughly equal proportions of WASPs and Jews at the elite levels of the federal civil service.<ref>Kaufman (2004) p 220</ref>

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 While the white Protestant establishment is no longer the sole elite group in American society, it remains a significant presence throughout the nation. The University of California, Berkeley, once a WASP stronghold, has changed radically. Only 30% of its undergraduates in 2007 were of European origin (including WASPs and all other Europeans), with 63% of undergraduates from immigrant families, especially from Asia.<ref>John Aubrey Douglass, Heinke Roebken, and Gregg Thomson. "The Immigrant University: Assessing the Dynamics of Race, Major and Socioeconomic Characteristics at the University of California." (November 2007) [http://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/publications.php?id=291 online edition]</ref>
-WASPs in the Northeast, Midwest, and West were once dominant in the [[U.S. Republican Party, history)|Republican Party]].  they are still present but ethnics, especially Italians are more prevalent. The Democratic party in the cities of the Northeast and Midwest came under Irish Catholic control in the late 19th century. The process was speeded in 1896 when many Democratic WASPs left the Democratic party in protest against the economic radicalism of [[William Jennings Bryan]]. This left a vacuum the Irish immediately filled.
+WASPs in the Northeast, Midwest, and West were once dominant in the [[U.S. Republican Party|Republican Party]].  they are still present but ethnics, especially Italians are more prevalent. The Democratic party in the cities of the Northeast and Midwest came under Irish Catholic control in the late 19th century. The process was speeded in 1896 when many Democratic WASPs left the Democratic party in protest against the economic radicalism of [[William Jennings Bryan]]. This left a vacuum the Irish immediately filled.
 WASPS in much of the 20th century tended toward temperamental conservatism (or "noblesse oblige" progressivism). The old style "Rockefeller Republican" wing of the party favored by WASPs weakened, as most recent successful Republican politicians in the Northeast have been Catholics, such as [[George Pataki]]. Five of the six New England states have recently become reliably Democratic in their presidential voting, with the exception of New Hampshire. White Protestants in the South are largely Republicans. Liberalism or Progressivism has also come to define a certain portion of WASP politics, especially in the Northeast. [http://www.cercles.com/review/r27/kaufmann5.htm]  Prominent WASPs such as [[Howard Dean]] and [[Ned Lamont]] have become visible leaders of the contemporary Democratic party.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''WASP''' is a disparaging term for '''White Anglo-Saxon Protestants'''. The term is commonly used in the United States or Canada, usually in a reference to an apparent elite status. It is usually spelled in capital letters, suggesting the [[wasp|insect]]. The "Anglo-Saxon" part means of English descent, though in common usage people descended from elsewhere in western and northern [[Europe]] are included.
-By contrast, [[Yankee]] refers to New Englanders of English descent, regardless of social status, while WASP includes high status white Southerners.<ref> More generally, Southerners in the U.S. call all Northerners "Yankees", and people outside the U.S. call all Americans "Yankees" or "Yanks."</ref>
+By contrast, [[Yankee]] refers to New Englanders of English descent, regardless of social status, while WASP includes high status white Southerners.<ref>More generally, Southerners in the U.S. call all Northerners "Yankees", and people outside the U.S. call all Americans "Yankees" or "Yanks."</ref>
 The term WASP is usually used in a disparaging or humorous manner, and many dictionaries warn against casual usage.
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ===Irish usage===
-"Anglo-Saxon" was a term favored by the French (to criticize close diplomatic relations between the US and Britain), and by the Irish Catholics, who considered themselves Celtic and resisted Anglo-Saxon (English) rule in Ireland.  Irish American humorist [[Finley Peter Dunne]] popularized the ridicule of "Anglo Saxon" circa 1890-1910, even calling President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] one. Roosevelt insisted he was Dutch, and invited Dunne to the White House for conversation.  "To be genuinely Irish is to challenge WASP dominance," argues Irish politician Tom Hayden.<ref>  Tom Hayden, ''Irish on the Inside: In Search of the Soul of Irish America'' (2003) p. 6 </ref>   The depiction of the Irish in the films of [[John Ford]] was a counterpoint to WASp standards of rectitude. "The procession of rambunctious and feckless Celts through Ford's films, Irish and otherwise, was meant to cock a snoot at WASP or 'lace-curtain Irish' ideas of respectability."<ref> Luke Gibbons, Keith Hopper, and Gráinne Humphreys, ''The Quiet Man'' (2002) p 13 </ref>
+"Anglo-Saxon" was a term favored by the French (to criticize close diplomatic relations between the US and Britain), and by the Irish Catholics, who considered themselves Celtic and resisted Anglo-Saxon (English) rule in Ireland.  Irish American humorist [[Finley Peter Dunne]] popularized the ridicule of "Anglo Saxon" circa 1890-1910, even calling President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] one. Roosevelt insisted he was Dutch, and invited Dunne to the White House for conversation.  "To be genuinely Irish is to challenge WASP dominance," argues Irish politician Tom Hayden.<ref>Tom Hayden, ''Irish on the Inside: In Search of the Soul of Irish America'' (2003) p. 6</ref>   The depiction of the Irish in the films of [[John Ford]] was a counterpoint to WASp standards of rectitude. "The procession of rambunctious and feckless Celts through Ford's films, Irish and otherwise, was meant to cock a snoot at WASP or 'lace-curtain Irish' ideas of respectability."<ref>Luke Gibbons, Keith Hopper, and Gráinne Humphreys, ''The Quiet Man'' (2002) p 13</ref>
 ===Sociology===
@@ Line 24: / Line 24: @@
 ==Culture attributed to WASPs==
-The original ''WASP'' establishment created and dominated the social structure of the United States and its significant institutions when the country's social structure took shape in the 17th century until the 20th century. Many scholars, including researcher Anthony Smith, argue that nations tend to be formed on the basis of a pre-modern ethnic "core" that provides the myths symbols and memories for the modern nation and that WASPs were indeed that core.<ref> see  [http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p40195_index.html]</ref> WASPs still dominate America's prep schools (expensive private high schools, primarily in the Northeast) and to Ivy League universities and prestigious liberal arts colleges, such as Amherst, Williams, Trinity, Middlebury, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby Colleges. Those colleges are overwhelmingly meritocratic, but still favor "legacy" alumni. Students learned skills, habits, and attitudes and formed connections which carried over to the influential spheres of finance, culture, and politics.
+The original ''WASP'' establishment created and dominated the social structure of the United States and its significant institutions when the country's social structure took shape in the 17th century until the 20th century. Many scholars, including researcher Anthony Smith, argue that nations tend to be formed on the basis of a pre-modern ethnic "core" that provides the myths symbols and memories for the modern nation and that WASPs were indeed that core.<ref>[http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p40195_index.html see]</ref> WASPs still dominate America's prep schools (expensive private high schools, primarily in the Northeast) and to Ivy League universities and prestigious liberal arts colleges, such as Amherst, Williams, Trinity, Middlebury, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby Colleges. Those colleges are overwhelmingly meritocratic, but still favor "legacy" alumni. Students learned skills, habits, and attitudes and formed connections which carried over to the influential spheres of finance, culture, and politics.
 Social registers and society pages listed the privileged, who mingled in the same private clubs, attended the same churches, and lived in neighborhoods &mdash; Philadelphia's "Main Line", New York City's Upper East Side, and Boston's "Beacon Hill" neighborhoods.
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 It was not until after World War II that the networks of privilege and power in the old Protestant establishment began to lose significance. Many reasons have been attributed to the WASP decline and books have been written detailing it. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DB153EF934A25752C0A967958260] Among the reasons often cited is increased competitive pressure as the WASPs themselves opened the doors to competition.  The GI Bill brought higher education to the children of other groups , and the postwar era created ample economic opportunity for a growing new middle class. Nevertheless, white Protestants remain represented in the country's cultural, political, and economic élite.<ref>Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992," ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), p. 164</ref>
-In the federal service, once dominated by WASPs--especially the State Department--Catholics and Jews made strong inroads after 1945. Georgetown University, a Catholic school, made a systematic effort to place graduates in diplomatic career tracks, while Princeton University (a WASP bastion), got into trouble with donors because too few of its graduates were entering careers in the federal government.<ref> The princeton debate was not about ethnicity per se. see the attack at [http://www.robertsonvprinceton.org/factsheet/background.php] and Princeton's defense at [http://www.princeton.edu/robertson/about/mission/]</ref> By 2000 there were roughly equal proportions of WASPs and Jews at the elite levels of the federal civil service.<ref> Kaufman (2004) p 220</ref>
+In the federal service, once dominated by WASPs—especially the State Department—Catholics and Jews made strong inroads after 1945. Georgetown University, a Catholic school, made a systematic effort to place graduates in diplomatic career tracks, while Princeton University (a WASP bastion), got into trouble with donors because too few of its graduates were entering careers in the federal government.<ref>The princeton debate was not about ethnicity per se. see the attack at [http://www.robertsonvprinceton.org/factsheet/background.php] and Princeton's defense at [http://www.princeton.edu/robertson/about/mission/]</ref> By 2000 there were roughly equal proportions of WASPs and Jews at the elite levels of the federal civil service.<ref>Kaufman (2004) p 220</ref>
-While the white Protestant establishment is no longer the sole elite group in American society, it remains a significant presence throughout the nation. The University of California, Berkeley, once a WASP stronghold, has changed radically. Only 30% of its undergraduates in 2007 were of European origin (including WASPs and all other Europeans), with 63% of undergraduates from immigrant families, especially from Asia.<ref> John Aubrey Douglass, Heinke Roebken, and Gregg Thomson. "The Immigrant University: Assessing the Dynamics of Race, Major and Socioeconomic Characteristics at the University of California." (November 2007) [http://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/publications.php?id=291 online edition]</ref>
+While the white Protestant establishment is no longer the sole elite group in American society, it remains a significant presence throughout the nation. The University of California, Berkeley, once a WASP stronghold, has changed radically. Only 30% of its undergraduates in 2007 were of European origin (including WASPs and all other Europeans), with 63% of undergraduates from immigrant families, especially from Asia.<ref>John Aubrey Douglass, Heinke Roebken, and Gregg Thomson. "The Immigrant University: Assessing the Dynamics of Race, Major and Socioeconomic Characteristics at the University of California." (November 2007) [http://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/publications.php?id=291 online edition]</ref>
 WASPs in the Northeast, Midwest, and West were once dominant in the [[U.S. Republican Party, history)|Republican Party]].  they are still present but ethnics, especially Italians are more prevalent. The Democratic party in the cities of the Northeast and Midwest came under Irish Catholic control in the late 19th century. The process was speeded in 1896 when many Democratic WASPs left the Democratic party in protest against the economic radicalism of [[William Jennings Bryan]]. This left a vacuum the Irish immediately filled.
@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 *Allen, Irving Lewis. ''Unkind Words: Ethnic Labeling from Redskin to Wasp'' (1990) [http://www.questia.com/read/26244244 online edition]
 *Cookson, Peter W.; Persell, Caroline Hodges. ''Preparing for Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools'' (1985) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/preparing-for-power-americas-elite-boarding-schools-by-peter-w-cookson-caroline-hodges-persell.jsp online edition]
-*Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992"; ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), pp. 157-175.
+*Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992"; ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), pp.&nbsp;157–175.
 *  Kaufmann, Eric P. ''The Rise and Fall of Anglo-America'' (2004), scholarly study by sociologist  [http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Anglo-America-Eric-Kaufmann/dp/0674013034/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196247634&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
 * Kilmer, Joyce. "Our Humor Is Not Anglo-Saxon; T. A. Daly Says it Is 60 per Cent. Celtic; Says Poe Copied Mangan;- Praises "Mr. Dooley" ''New York Times'' August 15, 1915, Sunday Magazine Page SM7,
@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 ----
 See also [[Yankee]]
-====references====
+====References====
 <references/>

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:33, January 19, 2012
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	~~dick~~	+	'''WASP''' is a disparaging term for '''White Anglo-Saxon Protestants'''. The term is commonly used in the United States or Canada, usually in a reference to an apparent elite status. It is usually spelled in capital letters, suggesting the [[wasp\|insect]]. The "Anglo-Saxon" part means of English descent, though in common usage people descended from elsewhere in western and northern [[Europe]] are included.
		+
		+	By contrast, [[Yankee]] refers to New Englanders of English descent, regardless of social status, while WASP includes high status white Southerners.<ref> More generally, Southerners in the U.S. call all Northerners "Yankees", and people outside the U.S. call all Americans "Yankees" or "Yanks."</ref>
		+
		+	The term WASP is usually used in a disparaging or humorous manner, and many dictionaries warn against casual usage.
		+	A class factor is implicit, so that working class whites are not usually called WASPs. By the 21st century, less than 25% of the American population is of English descent, yet they continue to have disproportionate influence over major American institutions, especially cultural, educational, business and financial ones.
		+
		+
		+	==Usage==
		+	People seldom call themselves WASPs; the term is typically used by outsiders, often with a negative undertone.
		+
		+	===Irish usage===
		+	"Anglo-Saxon" was a term favored by the French (to criticize close diplomatic relations between the US and Britain), and by the Irish Catholics, who considered themselves Celtic and resisted Anglo-Saxon (English) rule in Ireland. Irish American humorist [[Finley Peter Dunne]] popularized the ridicule of "Anglo Saxon" circa 1890-1910, even calling President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] one. Roosevelt insisted he was Dutch, and invited Dunne to the White House for conversation. "To be genuinely Irish is to challenge WASP dominance," argues Irish politician Tom Hayden.<ref> Tom Hayden, ''Irish on the Inside: In Search of the Soul of Irish America'' (2003) p. 6 </ref> The depiction of the Irish in the films of [[John Ford]] was a counterpoint to WASp standards of rectitude. "The procession of rambunctious and feckless Celts through Ford's films, Irish and otherwise, was meant to cock a snoot at WASP or 'lace-curtain Irish' ideas of respectability."<ref> Luke Gibbons, Keith Hopper, and Gráinne Humphreys, ''The Quiet Man'' (2002) p 13 </ref>
		+
		+	===Sociology===
		+	WASP was popularized by sociologist and [[University of Pennsylvania]] professor E. Digby Baltzell in his 1964 book ''The Protestant Establishment: Aristocracy & Caste in America''. However, its first recorded use was by Andrew Hacker in 1957.<ref>Andrew Hacker, 1957, ''American Political Science Review'' 51:1009-1026. WASP was also used by Erdman B. Palmore in ''The American Journal of Sociology'' in 1962.</ref>
		+
		+	The original use of WASP denoted either an ethnic group, or the culture, customs, and heritage of early Western European settlers in what is today the United States. The [[New England]] Yankee elite were almost exclusively of English extraction.
		+
		+	WASPs vary in religion, from secular to Episcopalian, [[Presbyterian]], Congregational, [[Baptist]] and [[Methodist]]. [[George H. W. Bush]] and [[George W. Bush]] fit the WASP profile exactly. [[John Forbes Kerry]] fits the profile except he is Catholic. Barack Obama, while WASP on his mother's side, is never called a WASP. [[Catholic]]s, [[Mormon]]s and [[Jew]]s are not called WASPs, nor are people of Hispanic or [[Asia]]n descent.
		+
		+
		+	In the western and southwestern U.S., "Anglo" is often used to contrast Americans of European ancestry from [[Latino history\|Hispanics]] of Mexican ancestry.
		+
		+	==Culture attributed to WASPs==
		+	The original ''WASP'' establishment created and dominated the social structure of the United States and its significant institutions when the country's social structure took shape in the 17th century until the 20th century. Many scholars, including researcher Anthony Smith, argue that nations tend to be formed on the basis of a pre-modern ethnic "core" that provides the myths symbols and memories for the modern nation and that WASPs were indeed that core.<ref> see [http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p40195_index.html]</ref> WASPs still dominate America's prep schools (expensive private high schools, primarily in the Northeast) and to Ivy League universities and prestigious liberal arts colleges, such as Amherst, Williams, Trinity, Middlebury, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby Colleges. Those colleges are overwhelmingly meritocratic, but still favor "legacy" alumni. Students learned skills, habits, and attitudes and formed connections which carried over to the influential spheres of finance, culture, and politics.
		+
		+	Social registers and society pages listed the privileged, who mingled in the same private clubs, attended the same churches, and lived in neighborhoods — Philadelphia's "Main Line", New York City's Upper East Side, and Boston's "Beacon Hill" neighborhoods.
		+
		+	==Fading dominance==
		+	It was not until after World War II that the networks of privilege and power in the old Protestant establishment began to lose significance. Many reasons have been attributed to the WASP decline and books have been written detailing it. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DB153EF934A25752C0A967958260] Among the reasons often cited is increased competitive pressure as the WASPs themselves opened the doors to competition. The GI Bill brought higher education to the children of other groups , and the postwar era created ample economic opportunity for a growing new middle class. Nevertheless, white Protestants remain represented in the country's cultural, political, and economic élite.<ref>Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992," ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), p. 164</ref>
		+
		+	In the federal service, once dominated by WASPs--especially the State Department--Catholics and Jews made strong inroads after 1945. Georgetown University, a Catholic school, made a systematic effort to place graduates in diplomatic career tracks, while Princeton University (a WASP bastion), got into trouble with donors because too few of its graduates were entering careers in the federal government.<ref> The princeton debate was not about ethnicity per se. see the attack at [http://www.robertsonvprinceton.org/factsheet/background.php] and Princeton's defense at [http://www.princeton.edu/robertson/about/mission/]</ref> By 2000 there were roughly equal proportions of WASPs and Jews at the elite levels of the federal civil service.<ref> Kaufman (2004) p 220</ref>
		+
		+
		+	While the white Protestant establishment is no longer the sole elite group in American society, it remains a significant presence throughout the nation. The University of California, Berkeley, once a WASP stronghold, has changed radically. Only 30% of its undergraduates in 2007 were of European origin (including WASPs and all other Europeans), with 63% of undergraduates from immigrant families, especially from Asia.<ref> John Aubrey Douglass, Heinke Roebken, and Gregg Thomson. "The Immigrant University: Assessing the Dynamics of Race, Major and Socioeconomic Characteristics at the University of California." (November 2007) [http://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/publications.php?id=291 online edition]</ref>
		+
		+	WASPs in the Northeast, Midwest, and West were once dominant in the [[U.S. Republican Party, history)\|Republican Party]]. they are still present but ethnics, especially Italians are more prevalent. The Democratic party in the cities of the Northeast and Midwest came under Irish Catholic control in the late 19th century. The process was speeded in 1896 when many Democratic WASPs left the Democratic party in protest against the economic radicalism of [[William Jennings Bryan]]. This left a vacuum the Irish immediately filled.
		+
		+	WASPS in much of the 20th century tended toward temperamental conservatism (or "noblesse oblige" progressivism). The old style "Rockefeller Republican" wing of the party favored by WASPs weakened, as most recent successful Republican politicians in the Northeast have been Catholics, such as [[George Pataki]]. Five of the six New England states have recently become reliably Democratic in their presidential voting, with the exception of New Hampshire. White Protestants in the South are largely Republicans. Liberalism or Progressivism has also come to define a certain portion of WASP politics, especially in the Northeast. [http://www.cercles.com/review/r27/kaufmann5.htm] Prominent WASPs such as [[Howard Dean]] and [[Ned Lamont]] have become visible leaders of the contemporary Democratic party.
		+
		+	==Bibliography==
		+	*Allen, Irving Lewis. ''Unkind Words: Ethnic Labeling from Redskin to Wasp'' (1990) [http://www.questia.com/read/26244244 online edition]
		+	*Cookson, Peter W.; Persell, Caroline Hodges. ''Preparing for Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools'' (1985) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/preparing-for-power-americas-elite-boarding-schools-by-peter-w-cookson-caroline-hodges-persell.jsp online edition]
		+	*Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992"; ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), pp. 157-175.
		+	* Kaufmann, Eric P. ''The Rise and Fall of Anglo-America'' (2004), scholarly study by sociologist [http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Anglo-America-Eric-Kaufmann/dp/0674013034/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196247634&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
		+	* Kilmer, Joyce. "Our Humor Is Not Anglo-Saxon; T. A. Daly Says it Is 60 per Cent. Celtic; Says Poe Copied Mangan;- Praises "Mr. Dooley" ''New York Times'' August 15, 1915, Sunday Magazine Page SM7,
		+	* Longstreth, W. Thacher, and Dan Rottenberg. ''Main Line Wasp: The Education of Thacher Longstreth'' (1990) [http://www.amazon.com/Main-Line-Wasp-Education-Longstreth/dp/0393027805/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196248993&sr=1-12 excerpt and text search]
		+	* Norri, Juhani. "Labelling of Derogatory Words in Some British and American Dictionaries," ''International Journal of Lexicography'' (2000) 13(2):71-106, discusses WASP and other derogatory words. [http://ijl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/13/2/71 abstract online]
		+	*King, Florence. ''WASP, Where is Thy Sting?'' (1977)
		+	*Pyle, Ralph E. ''Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment'' (1996)
		+	* Salk, Susanna. ''A Privileged Life: Celebrating Wasp Style'' (2007)
		+	*Schrag, Peter. ''The Decline of the WASP'' (1970)
		+
		+	==External links==
		+	*[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=406108&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770&expand=true#StartComments Anglo-Saxons and Britons]
		+
		+	----
		+	See also [[Yankee]]
		+	====references====
		+	<references/>
		+
		+	[[Category:United States History]]
		+	[[Category:Sociology]]
		+	[[Category:Slang Terms]]
		+	[[Category:Dictionary]]
		+	[[Category:Ethnicities]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:07, January 19, 2012
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	'''WASP''' is a disparaging term for '''White Anglo-Saxon Protestants'''. The term is commonly used in the United States or Canada, usually in a reference to an apparent elite status. It is usually spelled in capital letters, suggesting the [[wasp\|insect]]. The "Anglo-Saxon" part means of English descent, though in common usage people descended from elsewhere in western and northern [[Europe]] are included.	+	dick
−
−	By contrast, [[Yankee]] refers to New Englanders of English descent, regardless of social status, while WASP includes high status white Southerners.<ref> More generally, Southerners in the U.S. call all Northerners "Yankees", and people outside the U.S. call all Americans "Yankees" or "Yanks."</ref>
−
−	~~The term WASP is usually used in a disparaging or humorous manner, and many dictionaries warn against casual usage.~~
−	A class factor is implicit, so that working class whites are not usually called WASPs. By the 21st century, less than 25% of the American population is of English descent, yet they continue to have disproportionate influence over major American institutions, especially cultural, educational, business and financial ones.
−
−
−	~~==Usage==~~
−	~~People seldom call themselves WASPs; the term is typically used by outsiders, often with a negative undertone.~~
−
−	~~===Irish usage===~~
−	"Anglo-Saxon" was a term favored by the French (to criticize close diplomatic relations between the US and Britain), and by the Irish Catholics, who considered themselves Celtic and resisted Anglo-Saxon (English) rule in Ireland. Irish American humorist [[Finley Peter Dunne]] popularized the ridicule of "Anglo Saxon" circa 1890-1910, even calling President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] one. Roosevelt insisted he was Dutch, and invited Dunne to the White House for conversation. "To be genuinely Irish is to challenge WASP dominance," argues Irish politician Tom Hayden.<ref> Tom Hayden, ''Irish on the Inside: In Search of the Soul of Irish America'' (2003) p. 6 </ref> The depiction of the Irish in the films of [[John Ford]] was a counterpoint to WASp standards of rectitude. "The procession of rambunctious and feckless Celts through Ford's films, Irish and otherwise, was meant to cock a snoot at WASP or 'lace-curtain Irish' ideas of respectability."<ref> Luke Gibbons, Keith Hopper, and Gráinne Humphreys, ''The Quiet Man'' (2002) p 13 </ref>
−
−	~~===Sociology===~~
−	WASP was popularized by sociologist and [[University of Pennsylvania]] professor E. Digby Baltzell in his 1964 book ''The Protestant Establishment: Aristocracy & Caste in America''. However, its first recorded use was by Andrew Hacker in 1957.<ref>Andrew Hacker, 1957, ''American Political Science Review'' 51:1009-1026. WASP was also used by Erdman B. Palmore in ''The American Journal of Sociology'' in 1962.</ref>
−
−	The original use of WASP denoted either an ethnic group, or the culture, customs, and heritage of early Western European settlers in what is today the United States. The [[New England]] Yankee elite were almost exclusively of English extraction.
−
−	WASPs vary in religion, from secular to Episcopalian, [[Presbyterian]], Congregational, [[Baptist]] and [[Methodist]]. [[George H. W. Bush]] and [[George W. Bush]] fit the WASP profile exactly. [[John Forbes Kerry]] fits the profile except he is Catholic. Barack Obama, while WASP on his mother's side, is never called a WASP. [[Catholic]]s, [[Mormon]]s and [[Jew]]s are not called WASPs, nor are people of Hispanic or [[Asia]]n descent.
−
−
−	~~In the western and southwestern U.S., "Anglo" is often used to contrast Americans of European ancestry from [[Latino history\|Hispanics]] of Mexican ancestry.~~
−
−	~~==Culture attributed to WASPs==~~
−	The original ''WASP'' establishment created and dominated the social structure of the United States and its significant institutions when the country's social structure took shape in the 17th century until the 20th century. Many scholars, including researcher Anthony Smith, argue that nations tend to be formed on the basis of a pre-modern ethnic "core" that provides the myths symbols and memories for the modern nation and that WASPs were indeed that core.<ref> see [http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p40195_index.html]</ref> WASPs still dominate America's prep schools (expensive private high schools, primarily in the Northeast) and to Ivy League universities and prestigious liberal arts colleges, such as Amherst, Williams, Trinity, Middlebury, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Wellesley, Wesleyan, Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby Colleges. Those colleges are overwhelmingly meritocratic, but still favor "legacy" alumni. Students learned skills, habits, and attitudes and formed connections which carried over to the influential spheres of finance, culture, and politics.
−
−	Social registers and society pages listed the privileged, who mingled in the same private clubs, attended the same churches, and lived in neighborhoods — Philadelphia's "Main Line", New York City's Upper East Side, and Boston's "Beacon Hill" neighborhoods.
−
−	~~==Fading dominance==~~
−	It was not until after World War II that the networks of privilege and power in the old Protestant establishment began to lose significance. Many reasons have been attributed to the WASP decline and books have been written detailing it. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DB153EF934A25752C0A967958260] Among the reasons often cited is increased competitive pressure as the WASPs themselves opened the doors to competition. The GI Bill brought higher education to the children of other groups , and the postwar era created ample economic opportunity for a growing new middle class. Nevertheless, white Protestants remain represented in the country's cultural, political, and economic élite.<ref>Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992," ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), p. 164</ref>
−
−	In the federal service, once dominated by WASPs--especially the State Department--Catholics and Jews made strong inroads after 1945. Georgetown University, a Catholic school, made a systematic effort to place graduates in diplomatic career tracks, while Princeton University (a WASP bastion), got into trouble with donors because too few of its graduates were entering careers in the federal government.<ref> The princeton debate was not about ethnicity per se. see the attack at [http://www.robertsonvprinceton.org/factsheet/background.php] and Princeton's defense at [http://www.princeton.edu/robertson/about/mission/]</ref> By 2000 there were roughly equal proportions of WASPs and Jews at the elite levels of the federal civil service.<ref> Kaufman (2004) p 220</ref>
−
−
−	While the white Protestant establishment is no longer the sole elite group in American society, it remains a significant presence throughout the nation. The University of California, Berkeley, once a WASP stronghold, has changed radically. Only 30% of its undergraduates in 2007 were of European origin (including WASPs and all other Europeans), with 63% of undergraduates from immigrant families, especially from Asia.<ref> John Aubrey Douglass, Heinke Roebken, and Gregg Thomson. "The Immigrant University: Assessing the Dynamics of Race, Major and Socioeconomic Characteristics at the University of California." (November 2007) [http://cshe.berkeley.edu/publications/publications.php?id=291 online edition]</ref>
−
−	WASPs in the Northeast, Midwest, and West were once dominant in the [[U.S. Republican Party, history)\|Republican Party]]. they are still present but ethnics, especially Italians are more prevalent. The Democratic party in the cities of the Northeast and Midwest came under Irish Catholic control in the late 19th century. The process was speeded in 1896 when many Democratic WASPs left the Democratic party in protest against the economic radicalism of [[William Jennings Bryan]]. This left a vacuum the Irish immediately filled.
−
−	WASPS in much of the 20th century tended toward temperamental conservatism (or "noblesse oblige" progressivism). The old style "Rockefeller Republican" wing of the party favored by WASPs weakened, as most recent successful Republican politicians in the Northeast have been Catholics, such as [[George Pataki]]. Five of the six New England states have recently become reliably Democratic in their presidential voting, with the exception of New Hampshire. White Protestants in the South are largely Republicans. Liberalism or Progressivism has also come to define a certain portion of WASP politics, especially in the Northeast. [http://www.cercles.com/review/r27/kaufmann5.htm] Prominent WASPs such as [[Howard Dean]] and [[Ned Lamont]] have become visible leaders of the contemporary Democratic party.
−
−	~~==Bibliography==~~
−	*Allen, Irving Lewis. ''Unkind Words: Ethnic Labeling from Redskin to Wasp'' (1990) [http://www.questia.com/read/26244244 online edition]
−	*Cookson, Peter W.; Persell, Caroline Hodges. ''Preparing for Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools'' (1985) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/preparing-for-power-americas-elite-boarding-schools-by-peter-w-cookson-caroline-hodges-persell.jsp online edition]
−	*Davidson, James D.; Pyle, Ralph E.; Reyes, David V.: "Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment, 1930-1992"; ''Social Forces'', Vol. 74, No. 1. (September., 1995), pp. 157-175.
−	* Kaufmann, Eric P. ''The Rise and Fall of Anglo-America'' (2004), scholarly study by sociologist [http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Anglo-America-Eric-Kaufmann/dp/0674013034/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196247634&sr=1-17 excerpt and text search]
−	* Kilmer, Joyce. "Our Humor Is Not Anglo-Saxon; T. A. Daly Says it Is 60 per Cent. Celtic; Says Poe Copied Mangan;- Praises "Mr. Dooley" ''New York Times'' August 15, 1915, Sunday Magazine Page SM7,
−	* Longstreth, W. Thacher, and Dan Rottenberg. ''Main Line Wasp: The Education of Thacher Longstreth'' (1990) [http://www.amazon.com/Main-Line-Wasp-Education-Longstreth/dp/0393027805/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196248993&sr=1-12 excerpt and text search]
−	* Norri, Juhani. "Labelling of Derogatory Words in Some British and American Dictionaries," ''International Journal of Lexicography'' (2000) 13(2):71-106, discusses WASP and other derogatory words. [http://ijl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/13/2/71 abstract online]
−	*King, Florence. ''WASP, Where is Thy Sting?'' (1977)
−	*Pyle, Ralph E. ''Persistence and Change in the Protestant Establishment'' (1996)
−	* Salk, Susanna. ''A Privileged Life: Celebrating Wasp Style'' (2007)
−	*Schrag, Peter. ''The Decline of the WASP'' (1970)
−
−	~~==External links==~~
−	*[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=406108&in_page_id=1770&in_page_id=1770&expand=true#StartComments Anglo-Saxons and Britons]
−
−	~~----~~
−	~~See also [[Yankee]]~~
−	~~====references====~~
−	~~<references/>~~
−
−	~~[[Category:United States History]]~~
−	~~[[Category:Sociology]]~~
−	~~[[Category:Slang Terms]]~~
−	~~[[Category:Dictionary]]~~
−	~~[[Category:Ethnicities]]~~

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:40, March 21, 2011
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	'''WASP''' is a disparaging term for '''White Anglo-Saxon Protestants'''. The term is commonly used in the United States or Canada, usually in a reference to an apparent elite status. It is usually spelled in capital letters, suggesting the ~~nasty~~ [[wasp\|insect]]. The "Anglo-Saxon" part means of English descent, though in common usage people descended from elsewhere in western and northern [[Europe]] are included.	+	'''WASP''' is a disparaging term for '''White Anglo-Saxon Protestants'''. The term is commonly used in the United States or Canada, usually in a reference to an apparent elite status. It is usually spelled in capital letters, suggesting the [[wasp\|insect]]. The "Anglo-Saxon" part means of English descent, though in common usage people descended from elsewhere in western and northern [[Europe]] are included.

	By contrast, [[Yankee]] refers to New Englanders of English descent, regardless of social status, while WASP includes high status white Southerners.<ref> More generally, Southerners in the U.S. call all Northerners "Yankees", and people outside the U.S. call all Americans "Yankees" or "Yanks."</ref>		By contrast, [[Yankee]] refers to New Englanders of English descent, regardless of social status, while WASP includes high status white Southerners.<ref> More generally, Southerners in the U.S. call all Northerners "Yankees", and people outside the U.S. call all Americans "Yankees" or "Yanks."</ref>