dago

Slur for an Italian-American immigrants with origin as follows: In America, port cities were flooded with waves of different immigrant groups, most unable to speak English and unable to hold any but the most menial jobs because of it. But they all wanted to get ahead and learn enough English to become foreman instead of laborers or clerks instead of stockboys. In the case of Italian-Americans they arrived in the wake of a wave of Irish Catholics, who had fought their way through and worked their way into the better jobs the Italians now had their eyes on. To forestall this competition for their jobs the irish did what had been done to them - they made it dangerous for Italian Americans to go out in the evenings to the places where they would have the opportunity to interact with people and learn English and how to get ahead. They addressed Italians as "Day-Goers" mispronounced as "Dagos" both as a racial slur and a form of intimidation.