<span>During the nineteenth century, the term floaters referred to</span>
I am pretty sure the very rude name that whites had given the African-Americans in the 60's and earlier, was "ni**er."
I hope this helps! (And I do so apologize for the word. It is harsh.)
This question should be in a Filipino section, but I could answer it. Base on the question and in my further research, the word "palaka" is a fillipino word for Frog. I hope you are satisfied with my answer and feel free to ask for more if you have question and further clarifications.
