In American English the term refers to Italians and Italian Americans , especially recent immigrants and others not fully assimilated into Anglo-American culture. Although more commonly used in the early 20th century, "dago" is now considered quite offensive.
Dago is also a derogatory term used in British English to refer to people of Spanish , Italian , or Portuguese origin. It is derived from "Diego", a Spanish name equivalent to English "Jacob". Its use is not as offensive as, for example " Wog " - in fact, the former Chief Executive of the Bradford And Bingley , Christopher Rodriguez, was known to refer to himself as a "swarthy dago".
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