Sounds like a context thing:A pygmy elephant is not a racist reference (right?)But " MLK's pygmy protesters " would definitely feel like some racists undertones were presented, intentionally or otherwise.However I don't (precisely) think vegiepygmies are explicitly racist, unless you interpret the pygmy part to suggest "African pygmies, but made of vegetables." Which is weird but...racist? I don't know. I'm not sure it's any weirder or racist than if they were vegievikings or something....unless of course there's something in the etymology/origin of this species that I am completely unfamiliar with?My suspicion is that this is harmless, but my worry is that it will turn in to another red herring to distract from actual, intentional issues of racism....or the use of this word in such intended contexts.