The Word Nerd In Dr. Suess

Where did the word Nerd derive from? The word Nerd was first documented in Dr.Suess’ If I ran the zoo, written in the 1950’s. “And then, just to show them, I'll sail to Ka-Troo and Bring Back an It-Kutch, a Preep, and a Proo, a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too”(, this excerpt from the children story about what this boy would do if he was in charge of a zoo states that he’ll capture a “nerd”. Zoos are a source of entertainment to watch strange creatures that are much different from you. The creatures can be seen as being “other”, thus creating a sense of alienation for the nerd and other species. Geek is a word seen as being interchangeable with nerd, while slightly different in meaning and geek has an actual origin. The word geek is derived from the German word gek, the equivalent of a fool. This negative connotation behind nerd was once possibly very harmful in perhaps the 80’s, but the word has since been claimed by the nerds and the destructive stereotype dismantled.

The meaning of the word nerd has made big changes since being first used in the late 1900’s. Like education scholar, Tracy L. Cross, I agree that nerds “were generally considered as socially inadequate, shy or overbearing, smart…Nerds were also perceived as being very focused on academic endeavors, physically

weak, uninteresting, unnecessary to society, and ultimately undesirable.”(Cross 26). Nerds in simple terms were absolute losers, in stereotypical terms. The perception of nerds has significantly changed since then.
Despite the fact that Anderegg views mostly differ with my own I find some truth in his statement that, “young adult urban hipsters embrace nerd/geek stereotypes and costumes because this is a way of distancing themselves from mainstream America”(50). While yes in a sense nerdiness has been the equivalent to cool and fashionable it’s still an exclusive community that certainly does not allow easy access. Since the 2000’s as Mary Bucholtz, a linguist at the University of California, Santa Barbara, reported, “Nerdiness is largely a matter of racially tinged behavior. People who are considered nerds tend to act in ways that are “hyperwhite” (Benjamin Nugent). These “hyperwhite” nerds are going to the extremes to “distance themselves from mainstream America” (Anderegg), this mainstream America also happens to be heavily influenced by black culture, without choice. The “hyperwhite nerds” conscientiously adhere to using “proper” Greco-Latinate words instead of anything that would remotely associate them with Black vernacular English. From their word choice to their sartorial choices, everything serves a purpose in creating a larger divide.
I remember, when I was a child, my mother took my little sister and I to her job on bring your child to work day. My mother worked at a fortune 500 company, there were not many people of color let alone women of color. I still remember after almost conversation my sister and I had with my mother’s co-workers they were either surprised on how eloquently I spoke or on my extensive vocabulary. The other kids weren’t told this, but they spoke as well as I did for the most part and in the 5th grade, one tends not to really understand subliminal racism. The dumbfounded look on their face when my little sister said she loved to read or that I had a 9th-grade reading level. None of this registered I didn’t understand why my mother was so bothered by their responses until I became older. I wasn’t falling under my stereotype, a black nerd? That is absolutely absurd. But then there I was defying my stereotype. I didn’t fit into this box that was pre-determined for me by society.
People of color are not awarded the epithet, nerd.

For the reason that the new nerdiness, has been cultivated into “an identity perceived as white to the point of excess”, “hyperwhite”, “nerds deny themselves the aura of normality that is usually one of the perks of being white” (Benjamin Nugent). So white nerdiness can now be seen as a way for the white revoke their white privilege and stand up against cultural appropriation of black culture, while at the same time alienating those they are suppose to stand up for. This stigma needs to be changed so that it’s possible to keep your culture intact while also embracing who you are. To do this representation of nerds of color is

crucial.
Nerds of color are not just alienated from their fellow nerds, but sometimes also their own community: their own people of color. Because of the only destructive factor of the nerd stereotype, nerds cannot be black or other minority groups, but “hyperwhite”, thus meaning in case of a black person they must eschew a crucial part of their identity to embrace another part of their identity. To surrender either portion of oneself will cause persecution from one side regardless.
Nerds of color who are women, contrary to popular belief are not mutually exclusive. The underrepresentation of women nerds of color is quite significant to their fellow nerds who are not people of color. For example, when Ann Zimmerman’s Revenge of the Nerds: How Barbie got her geek on, spoke of how adult women wanted to be represented by the doll. Well, when Barbie was done a group of women were represented by this doll. Children of all demographics played with Barbie. From my own personal experience I know the representation of your people is important. There was no Black, Asian, Latina astronaut Barbie or nerd Barbie. The message that was conveyed to me was the representation of your race isn’t important; she’s a woman that’s enough. But I’m a black and women and nerd, this intersectionality is imperative and often overlooked. People sometimes overlook how important it is to see a face like yours in the media, such as when in Adam Serwer’s “What Color is Your Superhero” article stated that, “Black urban youth have always identified [with superheroes], partly because the is downtrodden, and partly because [superheroes] always live in cities” (Jonathan Gray, teacher).The kids can relate because their stories share something in common. Representation is imperative in the process of dismantling the harmful stereotype.
. David Anderegg, psychologist and author, states his view on the negative connotation that the word nerd and geek hold in his excerpt from Nerds: How Dorks, Dweebs, Techies and Trekkies Can Save America (2007). Anderegg claims “nerd and geek stereotypes persist when other stereotypes are fading”, “Adults do not condone racial stereotypes, and when kids use them, they usually run into a heap of trouble” (Nerds: how dorks…), these statements are quite problematic, to me, a women of color. The stereotypes intersect. Again nerds are meant to be white and there is a line to separate the two. He states how parents don’t allow racial stereotypes to persist; this is not always the case. Bao Phi ,poet, in particular states how, “race still touches a deep nerve in the majority of Americans, and the denial of it – this idea that race is no longer a relevant issue –makes it even worse”( Bao Phi), Racism is monstrous problem in America and everywhere else in the world. Without understanding or accepting the fact that racism intersects with so many other harmful forms of discrimination such as sexism, classism, and intellectualism, we can never fully abolish any of these without dismantling racism first.