White Anglo-Saxon Protestant

WASP is a term which originated in the United States. It is an acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

The term does not have a precise definition and can be used to describe greatly differing sociological and cultural groups. The WASP acronym originated in reference to White Americans with a history in the upper class establishment, who are alleged to form a powerful elite. However working class whites in the U.S. are not necessarily referred to as WASPs, even if they are Protestants of Anglo-Saxon descent. The word white is redundant, since Anglo-Saxons — whether in the strict or popular sense of the term — are always white. "WASP" is used in Canada in much the same way as it is used in the U.S.A.

Today, in the U.S. the term white Christian male has come into use, as a result of diminished discrimination against Catholics and other non-WASP white males. The term WASP also includes women, who regardless of ethnic heritage may face some extent of gender-based discrimination.

Strictly speaking, many people now referred to as "WASPs" are not Anglo-Saxon, that is the descendants of some Germanic peoples, who settled in Britain between the 5th century and the Norman Conquest. According to some sources, Anglo-Saxon ancestry is not even dominant in England, which is generally regarded as the Anglo-Saxon heartland. However, in modern North American usage, WASPs may include Protestants, from Dutch, German, Huguenot (French Protestant), Scandinavian, Scottish, Scots-Irish and Welsh backgrounds. Therefore, the term "WASP" is sometimes applied to individuals who are technically non-Anglo-Saxons, including people with:

Usage of the term WASP has grown in other English-speaking countries, such as Canada and Australia, which were settled by members of similar ethnic groups. Beyond the English-speaking world, the term is sometimes used in a metaphorical sense, to refer to perceived elite social groups.