Seven weeks and at least nineteen hours of diversity conversations later, I still don’t know what wording to use.
I was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, a place that lacks the racial diversity of the United States. So I apologize ahead of time if this issue is plan as day for others but it’s gotten to be extremely complicated for me.
I know that this is a sensitive issue for many, which is exactly why I need help. I apologize ahead of time if anything I write is insensitive or plain offensive. I can assure you it’s not meant to be that way. If anything it stems from lack of experience or knowledge. Not that it’s an excuse, but it is the truth.
Ok, with that disclaimer I’ll explain my dilemma. I am about to start teaching in a school where I am racially in the minority, and people seem to claim that the reference issue will come up quite often. As in, how do I refer to each racial group?
If I say African American, I’m assuming the person’s family originated in Africa. What if they are not from there? The same goes for European American. Let’s not forget Latin American or Asian American. What if the student’s not even American, like me?
I’ve been told black is offensive but white is not. Caucasian sounds way too odd to me. Latino also assumes Latin American roots. I’m not sure if Hispanic is offensive or not. Don’t even get me started on the word colored. White is the sum of all colors and black is that lack of any, so I can’t even figure out how that terminology began.
I genuinely don’t know what to do and would be open to any and all advice on this issue. I am extremely concerned that in my lack of knowledge I’m going to offend someone and that’s the last thing I want to do. I am obviously not going to refer to my students or their parents by their skin color, so that’s not the context in which I fear the issue will come up. I am thinking of a case where we’re reading a book or talking about a third party and his or her race becomes a part of conversation. I don’t want to avoid the issue because I don’t know what the right words to use, but I also don’t want to offend anyone.
So I am open to suggestions. What wording is the best? Which one would be least likely to offend anyone? What’s my safest bet?
Your pet peeve struck a chord with me, and I espcially liked this very astute insight of yours: “In today’s world, I always have to reconstruct my ideas and opinions about things. What might have appeared as obvious to me yesterday becomes really complicated today.”
I don’t know what occasioned your writing this piece, but, if it makes you feel a little better, I think that there are a lot of people out there who keep having to reconstruct their idead and opinions daily. Some do it with grace, as you seem to be doing it; and some bristle at having to to it — and it seems that you have run into someone from this latter category.