to think the term 'people of colour' is inaccurate, outdated and not generally used in the UK?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

OP, you are correct that it is not a term that is widely used in the UK. I think, perhaps, because it came about because of America's history of oppressing people who were not white. Racism was enshrined in US law to disenfranchise non white groups:
Slavery,
The Alien and Sedition Acts,
The Chinese Exclusions Act,
1942 Internment of Japanese Americans,
Jim Crow laws,
The Indian Removal Act,
Ban of interracial marriage,
Policies banning anyone other than white people and african americans becoming citizens of the US,
Operation Wetback,
The Day Law...

The list is depressingly long. These laws affected Native Indians, Japanese, Indians, Chinese, Mexicans as well as black people. So in American culture the term 'People of Color' reflects the shared struggle against the 'white oppressor'. Conveying solidarity in three words.

Bell Hooks wrote used the term in her book Killing Rage: Ending Racism
As more people of color raise our consciousness and refuse to be pitted against one another, the forces of neo-colonial white supremacist domination must work harder to divide and conquer.

I've lost track of what the right term is. I'm only in my 40's and the term has changed a lot in my lifetime.

I try not to discuss minorities for fear of getting wrong and offending someone.

Know exactly how you feel Joysmum! I was asked recently my ethnicity - and I was worried about answering that correctly.

I'm only in my twenties and I get worried too because it changes.

I've never heard it used in the UK. I see it used a lot on livejournal and tumblr.

Is mixed race considered rude? I know a friend who describes herself as that and was trolled on her journal for doing so, she was told she was wrong and ignorant for it but it's how she describes herself offline as well as on and she'd never had issues offline.

I use mixed race to describe my kids, FlyingTrue. Nobody has ever had a problem with it.

I can't link, but think Richard Herring - What we should learn from racists, says it all. Brilliant sketch about racism and classifying people.

A woman at work 'pulled me up' because I said mixed raced.

According to the government I'm MWAS.
Don't call me mixed race, person of colour etc. Offensive and ignorant.

How do Americans describe black people who aren't American, like Nigerians? Apart, obviously, to just referring to their nationality. Did Stephen K Amos do something about this?

Mixed heritage is a bit weird as it isn't entirely the same as mixed race. I have a fairly mixed heritage, but am entirely white (if white is a single race).

What is MWAS?

White and Asian

Ethnic Codes

I have no idea of the politically correct term but I would use black for African/West Indian and Asian for Indian/Pakistani and others of indeterminate origin at first sight. I exclude Chinese/Japanese people as they are fairly recognisable. However I rarely need such descriptors and refer to people by name. There are many shades of 'white' too.

Dual heritage I think sounds nice- but if you think about it, aren't we all?

I very much don't think of myself as 'right on' but as explained in my pp, I don't like using any term that has 'colour' in it, as it feels like a negative word, however, if requested to use that term, of course I would use it. It isn't my place to tell anyone what they should call themselves.

I'm a mixed white heritage, and always tick 'mixed white other' on forms. Mixed is a horrible word too. There aren't many nice words to use when describing ethnic backgrounds.

This is the problem though, whilst I know many people who use POC to describe themselves, funlovin personally finds it offensive (as is her right) so it's difficult to get it right for everyone.

Totally agree with BoF(and other's)'s posts.
I'd add that "people of colour" was the term we used in the 80s and 90s working in leftie politics and journalism in the UK.

It does seem to have been overtaken by the term "of .... Heritage"
Nice to see a mention of bel hooks on mumsnet.

I know quite a few black people who use this term to refer to themselves/others. In London.

POC/WOC is standard in research now. I work in global ethics and am supposed to use it when writing papers.

That and BME (black and minority ethnic). There's lots of acronyms...

'People of colour' can use whatever term they wish to describe themselves. If you're white you don't use a term that other people find offensive.

Missing the point terrier. Some people find it offensive, some don't. As this thread has proven. So it's difficult to find a term that people identify with and don't find insulting as a whole.

My point was that you won't find a term that people agree on because not everyone of a specific heritage will identify with one description!

All you can do is use a term that you know to be considered inoffensive and be prepared to apologise/stop using it if someone tells you they are offended by it and ask them what they'd prefer you use.

I've lived in the US for over twenty five years and can assure you "people of colour" is not a phrase heard often here. I have heard it used rarely in media. African American is the more commonly used phrase. I am always amused when poster's come on to speak with great assurance about how something is or is not done in the US.

A certain poster (SGM) had someone telling them how things were in Canada and refused to hear any different even when SGM pointed out that she was Canadian.

I can't comment on the US as I've never been, a load if US people use it on Tumblr though. Although tumblr is the place for buzz words and phrases.