to think the term 'people of colour' is inaccurate, outdated and not generally used in the UK?

[poorincashrichinlove]

It came up in a fbook (sorry) post by an American. I asked if the term was usual in the States and she replied that 'people of colour' was considered polite there. Fair enough. I was then further corrected by someone in the UK who said that it's a description that's normally used here in the UK. I disagree. AIBU?

I've heard it used a lot here now

YANBU.

Definitely an Americanism. Although it may not cause massive offence if used here; it would make you sound... American.

I used to hear it years ago & occasionally here if the setting has an American influence.

Definitely an American thing. I feel that any blanket term for 'everybody that isn't white' is offensive tbh.

It's kind of the same as saying 'coloured' which I don't think black people like. I just say black or Asian or whatever. I did once have a black boyfriend and he said the correct thing to say is 'black'! White people don't mind white so whats the difference?

I imagine it's similar to the idea in the disability rights movement (mostly in America) of using the term "people with disabilities" because it's what they call "people first language" and shows they are people before they are disabled. I hate it and use the term "disabled person" but am frequently picked up by American people in online spaces who tell me to describe myself as a "person with a disability" because I'm more than my disability. One of the many reasons why I'm glad I don't live in America.

I've heard People of Colour used a lot online. Never in person here in the UK. That said I'm not sure what the correct term should be.

Halle Berry referred to herself as a "woman of colour" when collecting her Oscar a few years back. I've never heard anyone else use the phrase before or since, assumed it was American.

Me too cund. It's my observation that in the UK we are more specific e.g. Mediteranean, Indian etc.

Very much an American thing, and i don't think it's considered outdated there. The Americans I know who say it are all progressive types. To me it sounds horribly awkward, but it seems to be pretty widely used there.

I disagree that it's offensive, as what it is trying to convey is the idea of people who do not enjoy white privilege in society, rather than a physically descriptive term. And it definitely is used more in America, although I think there is some crossover now in the days of people debating and exchanging political ideas on the internet.

I wouldn't use it and would see it as offensive. I wouldn't use coloured either. My DH used coloured until I made him stop. We are in NI though and that's what they seem to use in certain areas here (when they are actually being polite and not racist).

CundtBake - that's my view also.

Zebra people feel they can "tell you how to describe yourself"? Yeah. Fuck that!

Can understand why some people may consider "people of colour" to be offensive - it does rather imply that being "colourless" ie white is the default, and any different shade is "other" or special.

Very American.

The origin of the word 'coloured' as a negative description eg "it really coloured my opinion of him" makes anything using that word sound negative to me.

Perhaps in the US it has been fully reappropriated to be a positive term now? I still wouldn't use it unless specifically asked to by the person I was speaking about.

It's an American term, and I get the impression that it's intended for use when you want to flag up a general issue about race, not for describing an individual. So an individual might describe themselves as Chinese-American, but make a general point about the experience of People of Color in school in the US.

At work (in the UK), we say 'BaME' (Black and Minority Ethnic) to refer to the audiences for certain projects, but we wouldn't describe an individual student at BaME.

I think it is one of those terms that people use to try not to offend. It seems daft to me, if you describe someone's ethnicity it isn't offensive to use the correct term. I'm white. I have no issue being called white, although a good friend of mine who is black affectionately refers to me as 'milky'.

I definitely don't see it as offensive. It's used to describe a group or individual who you may not know the origins of or to generalise across experience.

It's nothing like saying 'coloured'

"person first language" is used in the UK quite widely. more commonly among HCPs and in medical and research literature perhaps, but it is used

though of course people can identify themselves however they like

BOFster has it correct. The term was coined as an alternative to 'minority', 'coloured', 'non-white' etc. It is supposed to be a positive term, it is supposed to be an inclusive term for all those people who have suffered racism by white people. Martin Luther King Jnr used a similar term in his "I have Dream Speech" of Aug 1963...

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned

Clearly there a lot of people on here who are 'right on' but have no clue. It is a term used by many of my US friends who are not white as a way of showing solidarity.

BOF is right.

Also in the US "black" is generally considered quite rude. "African American" is correct if you are talking about an individual.

It's really just different norms, no need to be snobbish. Many British terms sound rude to American ears, but so long as the term is accepted by the community to which it refers and doesn't have any hideous baggage attached, I don't see the problem.

As someone of 50+, I was brought up in the UK to used 'coloured' as it was polite. 'Black' was an absolute no-no.

Things have changed - but on the rare occasions that type of description is necessary (as opposed to Jo in my department, or who I play squash with), I do always worry about saying the wrong thing unintentionally.

I don't have a problem with differing cultural terminologies. I was merely saying that 'people of colour' is not a termthat is generally used in the UK.

I remember my mixed race cousin saying aged 12, on hearing that the new PC term was 'mixed heritage' - "What? That makes me sound like a house!"

It's tricky to keep abreast of these things sometimes, but I think sticking to black, white and mixed race works pretty well. Although I genuinely have no idea how to refer to people of Asian descent, since I find it very difficult to tell the difference between Chinese/Japanese/Malaysian/Korean etc., and Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi etc. Grateful for any advice!

Loads of black people use this to describe themselves.

I don't think it's outdated or inaccurate, it is used more in America than the uk but I've still certainly heard it used quite often here

Although I genuinely have no idea how to refer to people of Asian descent, since I find it very difficult to tell the difference between Chinese/Japanese/Malaysian/Korean etc., and Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi etc. Grateful for any advice!

Stackslady, i have once or twice heard the term South Asian used to refer to people of Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi descent. But come to think of it, I don't think I've heard a person with that background use it to describe themselves, so I'm not sure if it's appropriate terminology or not.