A term developed by African slaves in the early nineteenth century to describe the poor, landless whites with whom they dwelt in the South. According to historian Eugene Genovese, author of Roll Jordan Roll: The World the Slaves Made, slaves developed the term as a way of looking down at poor whites, who lived in abject economic poverty, often in worse conditions than those inhabited by the slaves themselves. Although the poor whites were not considered property like the slaves, the slaves chose to view the so-called "white trash" as inferior to themselves, and members of a social echelon lower than the one they occupied themselves. (Genovese, 20-30; 58) This information does not necessarily change the the contemporary Urban Dictionary definition of the term, but it does change the term's origins and etemology. Rather than being a term made by the middle and upper class whites to define even the poor of their race as better than all non-whites, "white trash" was a term developed by poor non-whites, Afro-American slaves to contemptuously distance themselves from poor whites, whose social station they believed was even worse than their own.
Tom (a white male) : Look at those poor white people standing in line at the unemployment office, that should be proof enough that not all white people are wealthy.
John (a black male) : Indeed. They are what my great great grandmother would call White trash. I don't agree with the term myself; I'm just telling you what she would have said.
John (a black male) : Indeed. They are what my great great grandmother would call White trash. I don't agree with the term myself; I'm just telling you what she would have said.
by The past is calling April 18, 2018
Get the White trashmug. by Frederick Yeo November 15, 2023
Get the White Housemug. by RedK1NG March 7, 2021
Get the White trashmug. by supman69 May 3, 2022
Get the julian whitemug. by Joe dirtè nigga May 24, 2018
Get the White Champagnemug. Some of the most hated people. They get treated like shit even though straight white men are the people who invented most of everything in the entire world.
Jerry: Dumbass cisgender neurotypical heterosexual white skinned men, i hate them!
Bill Gates (a Straight White Man): Nobody cares
Bill Gates (a Straight White Man): Nobody cares
by Lexfunni October 16, 2023
Get the Straight White Manmug. When white boys idolize the token white guy in predominantly black subcultures and scenes, especially hip hop and basketball.
by theonlykfc April 28, 2023
Get the White Boy Syndromemug.