Just Politics

[ForReal]

A little Ellis Island history and how certain groups became known as Kikes and Wops.

KIKES
"The word kike was born on Ellis Island, when Jewish immigrants who were illiterate (or could not use Roman-English letters), when asked to sign the entry-forms with the customary 'X,' refused -- and instead made a circle. The Yiddish word for 'circle' is kikel (pronounced KY - kel), and for 'little circle,' kikeleh. Before long the immigration inspectors were calling anyone who signed with an 'O' instead of an 'X' a kikel or kikeleh or kikee or, finally and succinctly, kike."

WOPS

Many Italian immigrants arrived at Ellis Island without passports or "without papers". Thusly, Popular etymology gives the origin as "WithOut Passport", although some believe the acronym derived from "WithOut Papers" or "Without Official Papers", suggesting illegal immigration. This folk etymology sometimes combines the term with "guinea" to form "Giny Wop," with Giny being an acronym for Going Into New York, hence "Going Into New York Without Official Papers".