people of color

[Sonja L. Lanehart]

I just went to a talk last week by sociologist Patricia Hill Collins
who said she does not use the term 'people of color' because it
conflates histories and identities in a way that is inaccurate and
not representative. I heard similar things about the term 'minority'
also though. But I do understand from her and others that just
because you have 'color' doesn't mean you have suffered great
injustice or oppression as a people or that you identify with such
experiences.

As for the phrasing of the term itself, I too remember questioning
its use while a student at the University of Michigan because I did
see it as just another name for 'colored people.'    --Sonja


>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)


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Sonja L. Lanehart
Department of English      706-542-2260 (office)
University of Georgia      706-542-1261 (messages)
300 Park Hall              706-542-2181 (fax)
Athens, GA 30605-6205      lanehart at arches.uga.edu
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