We Should Stop Saying “People of Color” When We Mean “Black People”

I understand why people in society use the term “people of color”: it replaces the outdated term “colored people” with one that is more…

medium.com|Joshua Adams

“I understand why people in society use the term “people of color”: it replaces the outdated term “colored people” with one that is more personable and palatable; it allows for a kind of political solidarity between the non-white citizens of the country and the world; it acknowledges the ways in which racism and white supremacy affect people from many groups (not just Black people), and is a platform for their collective shared experiences, concerns, etc.

That being said, we need to stop saying “people of color” in instances we mostly (and sometimes only) mean “Black people.”

The public use of the term POC seems to have become less about solidarity, and more concerned with lessening the negative connotations and implicit anti-Black reactions (fear, scorn, disdain, apathy) to Blackness. In popular discourse, POC is often a shorthand for “this issue affects Black people most directly and disproportionately, but other non-white people are affected too, so we need to include them for people to listen and so people to understand we aren’t talking about race as only Black vs. white.”

Saying POC when we mean “Black people” is this concession that there’s a need to describe a marginalized group as “less” Black for in order for people (specifically, but not only, white people) to have empathy for whatever issue being discussed...

black lives matter los angeles led a mass justice rally, 2018. flickr/kengikat

“The use of “person of color” is legitimate and there are plenty of situations where it’s appropriate to use the term. One example is if you are discussing why Hollywood should take greater steps for inclusion and diversity, it makes perfect sense to use “people of color” to describe the issue.

But if you were raising questions about the lack of Native representation in films, using them as an example of how Hollywood needs more “people of color” evades the issue. I’d argue that saying “we need more Native representation in film” is not only a more direct way to address the problem, but it properly centralizes the specific concerns and issues of the Native film community, and directs you to the spaces where the solutions can be found — Native communities.

Several racial and ethnic communities (including white people) are negatively affected by the school-to-prison pipeline or police brutality. However, the oppressive systems which spur these phenomena impact the Black community to a much greater degree (and to an extent were historically designed for that specific outcome). Other groups might face housing discrimination, but the history of redlining in America is a specific response to Black people migrating from the South to northern and western cities.”

read more: joshua adams, 17.10.18.

protestors blocked the 880 freeway in oakland andd climbed on top of a big rig projecting "black lives matter" on its side. flickr/orvised

#language #black #black lives matter #White People #racism #discrimination

citymaus

“people of color”

I’ve always had and still have issue with this term. i will very hesitantly and with much resignation raise my hand when asked by a speaker who is a “person of color” in the audience. and when i see an article which repeats the term “people of color” multiple times, i’m just like, Gyahh!!

the reasoning behind why i hate the term “person/people of color”:

Black and Brown people are OK, but “Yellow people” definitely are not. Not only is Yellow antiquated and offensive/racist, it is technically incorrect because asian people do not have yellow skin.
Where does that leave me and other asian people? We’re almost never mentioned in People of Color talks. “blah blah blah Black and Brown people”... maybe if they’re super cognizant they’ll remember to add “and other folks” or “Asians” at the end. but yeah, it kinda sucks to not be a Color, even if very incorrect and racist-sounding.
If it’s not OK to use the term Yellow, why is it OK to use the term “Brown”? Who are people even referring to when they use the term Brown people? Latinos aren’t totally brown in skin color, either—they vary widely in skin tone. But some Southeast Asians (Indians, Indonesians, etc.) have “brown” skin—are they included? Yet East Asians (Chinese, Korean...) would be excluded.
(I understand why it’s OK to use the term Black despite the fact that black people don’t have black skin color—it’s more like different shades of brown—and I totally get how Black is different from African-American. *and I hate when people conflate the two. A black american is very different from a senegalese-american who arrived as a recent immigrant, for instance.)
Then there’s always that joke, “What’s a white guy after spending too much time in the sun?” “Pink.” or Red. Why not call white people Pink?
And the term “People of Color” implies that people who aren’t, do not have Color. which would lead to a sort of absurd discussion. like, can we all just be Rainbow? anyway...

so... what would i push for instead? MINORITY. NON-WHITE PEOPLE.

how about that? we’re all pretty much at the common understanding this is a White Majority nation. so why not just flip that around so we can completely include everyone who is NOT that?

i don’t know and can’t pinpoint when the term “minority” started to decline in usage to be replaced by “politically correct” term “People of Color”, but I would like the term “minority” to make a comeback.

because it’s true, right? non-white people are still a minority in this county. in terms of power, share of resource distribution, etc, etc..

*though, yes, there are underserved poor white populations, as well. and in that situation you could say “minorities and underserved white population”.

another thing: There’s a blog on tumblr called @fyeahpoconbicycles. while i support this blog in concept.. i always get irked because:

a japanese woman in japan is NOT a Person of Color.
a kenyan man in kenya is NOT a Person of Color.
and so on and so forth.
white/anglo-saxon imperialist influence aside, if you ask these people if they identify with the term “Person of Color”, they would have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.

japanese mom cycling with kids in tokyo: NOT “People of Color”—unless they are immigrants living in America. flickr/tohru_nishimura

thoughts? white people, do you like using the term People of Color? People of Color, do you have this logic conundrum, too? any other asians feel excluded by this term because we’re “Yellow” and no one directly mentions us that way? or should i shut up because apparently Asians Are Doing Just Fine They Get Good Grades and Good Jobs and No One Needs To Care About Them?

#race #black #people #White People #Asian #language

citymaus

Before “Accident,” Deadly Driving Was “Homicide By Automobile”

www.streetsblog.net

In the early 20th century “chauffeur” was synonymous with “motorist,” and by 1906 Life Magazine had had enough of them.

In a column titled “Get After the Chauffeurs,” Life reported on a two-vehicle crash in Central Park that killed several people, including the driver who caused the collision. “That one got his dues,” the magazine said. “His reckless driving was a crime. The result was homicide. If he had not been killed he should have been sent to State’s prison.”

The column questions why reckless chauffeurs go unpenalized for their “antics,” and compares “homicide by automobile” to “homicide with a gun.”

From Life:

“There will be some legitimate automobile accidents, just as there are runaway-horse accidents, but they should be few. Horses are irresponsible, and cannot be punished for running away. Chauffeurs, as a rule, are very imperfectly responsible, but they can be punished for running away and held accountable for the harm they do.”

via streetsblog, 06.08.15.

#driving #Cars #media #culture #safety #death #language

citymaus

Why Asian Americans Might Not Talk About Ferguson

thesaltcollective.org

the first time i've heard these two terms in the same sentence, ascribing to asian-americans:

In the story of a white cop’s killing of a black teen, Asian-Americans may at first seem irrelevant. They are neither white nor black; they assume the benefits of non-blackness, but also the burdens of non-whiteness.

Why Ferguson Should Matter to Asian-Americans. timemag, 26.11.14.

...So when you have all of these factors at play and something like Ferguson happens, it isn’t terribly surprising that many Asian Americans stay quiet. People’s responses vary considerably, of course, but when you consider all of these factors — the cultural value of not causing a stir, the immigrant attitudes of looking out for ourselves and wanting to be accepted, not wanting to be associated with people lower than us on the social food chain — it’s almost remarkable that Asian Americans have spoken up at all.

read more: by liz lin, thesaltcollective.

article shared by this guy on fb, adding in his own commentary:

At times, it is not that we cannot have a conversation about race and racism, but it is almost overly true that Asian-American activists live double lives (like myself) — demanding justice when we are in community and online, yet bowing our head in silence when our parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents talk about race; we march & be in struggle with those who are oppressed, yet quickly eat our dinners at home as to avoid any conversations (and eye contact) with our parents and family members about the injustices we see and experience. We smile, agree with what they say, rush to our rooms, close our doors, & then go online to express our activism.

Many do not understand, that for Asian Americans activists, sometimes the most violent place is in their own homes with their own family members.

being asian-american.. so tough v____v;;;

don't wanna be hella white also don't wanna seem anti-black don't wanna be hella asian either and say nothing

i don't know about any other asian languages, *and i warn you that the next thing you read might shock you*, but in cantonese, people colloquially refer to black people as "black monster/demon" (huk gwigh). and white people as "monster/demon old" (literal translation) (gwi lo) (can be contextualized additionally, for example, to gwi muy "monster/demon young girl"). oh, i've even heard muslim people being referred to as "wrap head (head-wrapped) monster/demon" (bao tuw gwigh)

one time i got mad at my mom for saying that dumb shit, like why can't you just say 'white PERSON', 'black PERSON'??! (bak yun, huk yun). so now she doesn't say that dumb shit anymore, but more chinese-y relatives still do. but i feel like i can't confront them as easily because I'm not so close to them and they have much more limited contact with people of other races.

the language used in discourse is extremely important to changing prejudices and behavior.

that's my little addition to this discussion. ponder on.

#ferguson #asian #chinese #race #activism #language

citymaus

In English the Dutch will say things like: “Cyclists in the Netherlands do not wear special clothes for cycling” (because in their minds only ‘racers’ do that). And “No cyclist in the Netherlands wears a helmet” (since only sports cyclists do). Forgetting that in English cyclist is a more generic term than fietser in Dutch is.

good un-confusing article explaining the difference in meanings of "cyclist" and "fietser" in english and dutch. bicycledutch, 28.05.12.

#dutch #netherlands #holland #cyclists #culture #cycling #language