Twinkie (slur)
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Twinkie is a slur used by some American Indians to refer to a European American, with little or no social or blood links to any tribe, who claims to be an American Indian. Particularly applies to those who claim to be shaman, healers, or other prominent respected positions in Indian culture. They frequently request money or donations to become part of their organization or to attend ceremonies. They sometimes have websites full of mismatched and/or incorrect symbols and facts borrowed from books or pop culture images of Indian culture. Many of these groups are essentially selling fraudulent ceremonies and feel good ideas. They try to incorporate New Age ideas such as "Energy Healing", "Atlantis" and Tantric sex into a fanciful Native American spirituality.
Twinkieism is seen by many as an example of cultural appropriation. Used this way it is a humorous comment and not a racial slur. Natives who fall for New Age falsehoods may also be teased as being "twinkies."
Another use of Twinkie can be in describing an Asian American who has become completely integrated into White American, or mainstream American culture, thus losing their traditional Asian values. A reference to "Twinkie" can be seen in the 2004 film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, where Harold, a Korean American, is referred to as a "Twinkie." This term is derived from the snack food Twinkie and means "yellow on the outside, white on the inside." A similar term is banana. It is also used as a slur against biracial people of both Asian and White descent.
