Bohunk

I am of Bohemian heritage and grew up in Milwaukee WI. Lots of Germans in Milwaukee with all the breweries. High born Germans, who owned much of the city, could be very derogatory to the Central European nationalities. Even low born Germans made comments in my neighborhood. We had so many different CEs living on a 6 block parameter, we had to be careful which bar we walked into alone. Pool stick bar fights could break out easy enough. With a bar/tap on pretty much each corner of the blocks, there was no problem claiming one for your own. They had great names too. Not just the factory beer On Tap sign. We would identify them by the nationality and knew others called us the bohunk tap. There was the kraut tap, the polack etc..

Like other in groups, we'd call each other bohunks. That was ok, but if you ain't one, you'd get pounded. Racist stuff certainly, but back in the day when you've got nothing but dead end blue collar jobs working for the meat packers, tool and die factories or the rough and ready smelting business down in what we called Pig Town, a cold one or 10 each with a sidecar at the end of the day was the way it went. You had to blame someone for your misery.

Still does, which I why I got out.

At the home local tap, 'Hey! What are you krauts doing in here. Why don't you get your ass back to your own place!"
Reply: " Whadda ya talkin about? You invited us down for a game of 9 ball. Stupid bohunks!"
That crazy bohunk went down to the polack bar and got the s&%t beat outta him.

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