Michael--How do you address the problem?

Thanks.

Andrea

On Mar 18, 2008, at 2:49 PM, Michael Tate wrote:


> David, Katherine, others: 

>  

> At an open-mike session following a Native American Education Success 

> Recognition Dinner a couple of years ago, the largely Native American 

> audience was challenged with coming up with terms to signify dominant 

> culture people using the “people of color” pattern.  This was all in 

> the spirit of good-natured ribbing, because everyone there  certainly 

> appreciated all the help that non-Indians have provided and continue 

> to provide to Indian kids. 

>  

> Some of the terms do help to show why a term like “people of color” is 

> so imprecise and makes people  uncomfortable:  “people who can’t jump, 

> people of the suburbs, people of the RV, people who live to work, 

> people of plastic, people of the frown”, etc. 

>  

> The stereotype of not being able to jump, always frowning, coming from 

> the suburbs, living to work , etc.  which dominant culture  people 

> might recognize, but probably wouldn’t want to be described as.  These 

> associations are  a caricature in the same way that “people of color” 

> is a caricature.

>  

> I’ve always found it interesting that the names people give themselves 

> always seems to have the word  “people” in  them, like Squaxin, a 

> tribe here on Puget Sound in Washington State  which means “people of 

> the water”.

>  

> Michael

>  

>  

> From: povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov 

> [mailto:povertyracewomen-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Katherine

> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:00 AM

> To: The Poverty, Race,Women and Literacy Discussion List

> Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 1960] Re: words

>  

> David, how do we know, then, what words to use on lists like these?

>  

> Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt

> www.luxuriouschoices.net

>> ----- Original Message -----

>> From: David J. Rosen

>> To: The Poverty, Race,Women and Literacy Discussion List

>> Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:49 AM

>> Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 1955] words

>>  

>> Colleagues,

>>  

>> Some thoughts on words like "minority," "people of color," and what 

>> groups of people should be called:

>>  

>> •  Several years ago an African American legislator in Massachusetts 

>> explained that just as no legislator wants to be in the "minority" 

>> party -- the party out of power -- African Americans do not want to 

>> be referred to as "minorities".  Of course, some "minorities" in the 

>> U.S. are an overwhelming "majority" in other counties, and in the 

>> world as a whole.

>>  

>> •  The term "People of color" is a strategy for unifying those in the 

>> U.S. who face discrimination based on the color of their skin, or not 

>> being white. "People of color" is an inclusive term, one that is 

>> intended to build alliances of groups with shared goals or 

>> perspectives.

>>  

>> •  People should be called what they want to be called.  Some people 

>> in the U.S. prefer to be called "black," some "African American," 

>> some "person of color". Some prefer "Hispanic," some "Latino." Some 

>> "European-Americans"  or "Caucasians" like to be referred to with 

>> hyphenated names like "Italian-American" . In other countries, that 

>> differs greatly. If you don't know, the best way to know what group 

>> name a person prefers is to ask her/him. 

>>  

>> David J. Rosen

>> djrosen at comcast.net

>>  

>>  

>>  

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