Uncle Tom

Uncle Tom

Als Onkel Tom (engl. uncle tom) werden abwertend Afro-Amerikaner bezeichnet, die sich freiwillig einer weißen Autoritätsperson unterordnen. Dieser Begriff stammt von der Titelfigur des Romans Onkel Toms Hütte (engl. Uncle Tom’s Cabin) von Harriet Beecher Stowe, obwohl darüber gestritten wird, ob sich die Hauptperson selbst in einer solchen Weise verhält.[1]

In der amerikanischen Bürgerrechtsbewegung wurde dieser Ausdruck oft für gemäßigte Bürgerrechtssprecher benutzt.

Unter anderem wurden Booker T. Washington von W.E.B. Du Bois und Martin Luther King von Malcolm X als Onkel Tom bezeichnet. Der Film Addio Onkel Tom spielt ebenfalls auf diese Begriffsnutzung an.

Einzelnachweise

  1. ↑ A New Look at “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, The Tavis Smiley Show, 29. November 2002 (englisch).

Wikimedia Foundation.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Schlagen Sie auch in anderen Wörterbüchern nach:

  • Uncle Tom — servile black man, 1922, somewhat inaccurately in ref. to the humble, pious, but strong willed main character in Harriet Beecher Stowe s novel, Uncle Tom s Cabin (1852). The image implied in the insult perhaps is more traceable to the late 19c.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Uncle Tom — est un personnage fictif des Têtes à claques, il est considéré comme étant le plus connu et le plus populaire de tous les personnages du site internet grâce à son fameux clip Le Willi Waller 2006 . Uncle Tom parle le Franglais (il s exprime en… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Uncle Tom — [ˌʌŋkəl ˈtɔm US ˈta:m] n [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: Uncle Tom black slave in the book Uncle Tom s Cabin (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe] AmE a black person who is too respectful to white people used to show disapproval …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Uncle Tom — Uncle Toms N COUNT (disapproval) In the past, some black people used Uncle Tom to refer to a black man when they disapproved of him because he was too respectful or friendly towards white people. This use could cause offence. To the radical… …   English dictionary

  • Uncle Tom — ☆ Uncle Tom n. [after the main character, an elderly black slave, in Harriet Beecher Stowe s antislavery novel, Uncle Tom s Cabin (1852)] Informal a black whose behavior toward whites is regarded as fawning or servile: a term of contempt Uncle… …   English World dictionary

  • Uncle Tom — Uncle Tomish. Disparaging and Offensive. a black man considered by other blacks to be subservient to or to curry favor with whites. Cf. Aunt Jemima. [1920 25, Amer.; so called after the leading character in Uncle Tom s Cabin] * * * …   Universalium

  • Uncle Tom — This article is about the racial term. For the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, see Uncle Tom s Cabin. For the P. G. Wodehouse character, see Tom Travers. A 1901 stage adaptation of Uncle Tom s Cabin containing mixed elements of Harriet Beecher… …   Wikipedia

  • Uncle Tom — I. noun Etymology: Uncle Tom, pious and faithful black slave in Uncle Tom s Cabin (1851 52) by Harriet Beecher Stowe Date: 1922 1. a black who is overeager to win the approval of whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Uncle Tom —    a black person who defers unduly to whites    From the character in Uncle Tom s Cabin, or, Life among the Lowly, published in 1851:     ... kissed the right asses, moved on up there. Fuckin Uncle Tom shit. (Diehl, 1978)    See also Tom1 …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • Uncle Tom — Un′cle Tom′ n. usage: This term is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as highly insulting. Though usually used of a black person, it occasionally refers to a person of any race who exhibits overly deferential behavior, esp. a female.… …   From formal English to slang

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”