chigger

Etymology 1

From chigoe, likely from a Cariban language term such as Galibi Carib siko (“chigoe”) (early recorded variant chico), from Proto-Cariban *tikô.

noun

1. A chigoe (Tunga penetrans), a kind of flea found in tropical climates.
2. A harvest mite, a very small, red mite endemic to the Midwestern and Southeastern US, the infestation of which causes intense itching.

Etymology 2

Blend of chink + nigger

noun

1. (US, slang, derogatory, offensive) An East Asian person who behaves in ways similar to a stereotypical urban African American.
   —He's not black, Stacia Jacobs who smelled like pee said. —He's yellow and black. He's a chigger. Do you know what a chigger is? It's a chink and a nigger. 2007, James Boice, MVP: A Novel, Simon and Schuster, page 37