Jap is an English abbreviation of the word "Japanese." Today it is generally regarded as an
ethnic slur among Japanese minority populations in other countries, although English-speaking countries differ in the degree to which they consider the term offensive. In the United States,
Japanese Americans have come to find the term controversial or offensive, even when used as an abbreviation. In the past, Jap was not considered primarily offensive; however, during and after the events of
World War II, the term became derogatory.
