playwhite, noun

Origin:
See play sense 1.
During the apartheid era: a Coloured person who has succeeded in being accepted as a White person; vensterkie, see venster kies. Also attributive. See also play sense 1, white noun sense 2.
1952 Manuel & Van de Haer in Drum Aug. 6These ‘Colourpeans,’ as they have been dubbed, can never hope to fool their own people. They are easily recognised for what they are, but most Coloureds are not malicious and allow these ‘Playwhites’ to have things their own way.
1956 A. Sampson Drum 205Harry was only one of thousands of ‘playwhites’, as they call the light-skinned Coloureds who ‘pass for white’ and break away from the Coloured world.
1956 A. Sampson Drum 210Whites scorned playwhites, playwhites scorned Coloureds, Coloureds scorned natives, light Coloureds scorned dark Coloureds.
1963 K. Mackenzie Dragon to Kill 137He..danced well and told her stories about the antics of the play-white Coloureds.
1975 Drum 22 Apr. 4When offered a palace He said without malice, I’m not a play-White, I’m a muntu.
1976 A. Small in Sunday Times 10 Oct.The time has come for the Coloured man in the street, to decide once and for all whether he is going to align himself with Black consciousness or the play-White system...What about Black consciousness and the ‘play-white’ coloured?
1988 J. Heyns in Sunday Times 3 July (Extra) 2The play-whites of Cape Town nonchalantly sauntered through the turnstiles in style...That was apartheid’s finest hour. On stage were black-painted white faces entertaining white-painted brown faces.
a Coloured person who has succeeded in being accepted as a White person; vensterkie, see venster kies. Also attributive.
Derivatives:
Hence play whitism noun phrase.
1976 Drum JuneIn the front rows the coloured kids converse with their white counterparts with no sham of play whitism. It is common..to hear ‘Hey whitey, move up one seat.’
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19521988

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play whitism

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play-play, adjectiveadj.plein, nounn.
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