people of color

[Natalie Maynor]

Alice Faber wrote:

> On the Wesleyan campus, "students of color" seems to be the cover term for
> non-white students. I've been associated with the University on and off for
> about 10 years; when I first encountered this usage, I thought it
> self-consciously PC, but I've heard enough students of varying ethnic
> backgrounds (African American, Latino, Asian American, etc) use it quite
> naturally. As Indigo suggests, there may be a generational aspect to this.

The first time I encountered "people of color" (as current usage) was
in a manuscript I was reviewing for a book on intercultural communication.
My reaction was the opposite of Alice's reaction to "students of color."
My immediate reaction was amazement that somebody would use what sounded
to me like a sarcastic rendering of "colored people."  Then I realized
that that wasn't what was going on.  I don't hear the term very often,
though.
   --Natalie Maynor (maynor at ra.msstate.edu)