"Whoops, we misspoke! The term "Asians" generally refers to Asians and Pacific Islanders (not "Pacific Asian Islanders"). Sorry. Thanks for your understanding!"
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Welcome to Denglisch Docs!
Race is a sensitive and controversial topic. So, vocabulary is key. Let’s talk about some appropriate words and terms you can use to converse about race in English.
The word “race” refers to the inherited characteristics of person or a group of people based on their physical features. In the U.S., the government uses the following racial categories: White, Black (or African-American), Asian, American Indian (or Alaska Native), and Native Hawaiian (or Other Pacific Islander).
If you want to know what someone’s race or ancestral background is, you can ask, “What is your racial background?” or “What is your racial makeup?” In response, a person may reply, “I’m White,” or “I’m Asian,” or will use one of the other categories.
People who are from more than one racial group may say, “I’m biracial (multiracial, of mixed heritage, of dual heritage, of mixed-race, of mixed-ethnicity, or mixed).” Some people still use the word “mulatto.” However, it’s becoming outdated because of its ties to slavery. Also, be careful not to confuse “biracial” with “interracial,” which is the term we use to describe relationships between individuals from different racial groups. For example, you can say, “Dan is in an interracial marriage.”
Although government organizations use the terms “American Indian” or “Alaska Native,” we don’t use the word “Indian” when referring to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. We use the term “Native American,” so you can say, “I’m going the Native American cultural festival tonight?” instead of “I’m going to the Indian powwow.” This is because the word “Indian” reinforces racial stereotypes.
By the way, a powwow is a sacred social gathering held by many North American indigenous communities. The word “indigenous” means native, living and existing naturally in a particular region or environment. For instance, you could say, “Berbers are indigenous to North Africa,” or “Besides Arabic, Moroccans speak various indigenous languages.”
You can still use the term “Indian” when talking about people from India and South Asia, or about Indo-Caribbean people, who are Caribbean people with roots in India.
When referring to people of European descent, we generally use the term “White people.” For example, you might say, “John is the tall White guy that works in sales,” or “I think this White girl with short hair is really cute.” Some still use the term “Caucasian” to refer to White people, others think the term “Caucasian” is a bit antiquated, which means outdated or old-fashioned.
The term “Asian” refers to Asians and Pacific Asian Islanders, which includes anyone from the continent of Asia and its surrounding islands. People of Asian descent who are born in America can be called Asian Americans or Asian Pacific Americans.” However, because of the diversity of this group, it’s best to refer to people by ethnicity, which means their cultural identification.
For example, you can say, “Bruce Lee wasn’t Japanese. He was Chinese,” “Kim Hyun-joong is my favorite Korean K-Pop artist,” or “Kamala Harris is half Asian Indian and half Jamaican.”
Being specific is key. So instead of asking someone, “Do you like Asian food?” say, “Do you like Chinese food, Korean food, or Vietnamese cuisine?”
With regard to people of African ancestry, we use the terms African, African American, or Black, which is a broad term for all people with ancestral origins in the African continent. So, you can say, “Nelson Mandela’s not African American. He was African.” Malcolm X was a great African American leader.”
When referring to Black people as a collective group, it’s alright to say, “A lot of Black people celebrate Juneteenth.” But don’t say, “the Blacks celebrate Juneteenth,” because it’s impersonal and offensive.
As you know, race can be a sensitive topic in any language. However, the terms you’ve learned today will help you communicate about it tactfully and confidently. And if you want to completely master your English language skills around the topic of race, check out our other videos for more essential vocabulary related to race, ethnicity, and complexion.
