people of color & Chicano

[Indigo Som]

Reading some of these other posts I thought maybe I should clarify the way
I & my PC pals use "people of color".

1) In contrast to "colored people": the distinction that I've always
understood is that the "people" in "colored people" are totally defined by
being "colored". The "people" in "people of color" come first; they are
people first. Therefore "people of color" is a liberating term, has more
agency associated w/ it vs. "colored people" who are "colored" before they
are "people". (Slight tangent -- this reminds me of the preference for
"Black people" instead of "Blacks". ) Of course then there is the casual
"reclaiming" use of "colored people" but that's a (slightly) different
discussion.

2) In contrast to specific terms like Chinese American or Chicano, &c.: we
PC folks would ideally prefer to be specific in referring to ourselves, but
use "people of color" for, as far as I can tell, 2 (related) reasons:
convenience & coalition. Convenience in referring to the possibly endless
permutations of a mixed group: "Eritrean American, Cantonese immigrant,
Sansei, Newyorican, Menominee, Cherokee and Dominican women" vs. "women of
color". Coalition -- to emphasize the idea that we face many common
struggles & experiences, especially regarding racism.

Another tangent: speaking of Chicano, I think it's very interesting that,
out of all the umbrella terms for groups of people of color (African
American, Asian American, &c.), there is such vehement disagreement with
the generally-accepted/mainstream term "Hispanic" for this group of people.
The super-PC crowd I know finds "Hispanic" totally offensive (not quite as
bad as "Oriental" or "Negro" but getting there), preferring "Chicano" or
"Latino" (& the rrrreally radical chicks go for "Xicana"!) but you don't
have to go very far at all to find plenty of Mexican Americans who think of
"Chicano" as quaint or retro, colloquial, downright strange, or even
offensive -- & lots of other folks who don't even know what you're talking
about. (Personally I still can't even bring myself to say "Hispanic"
although I have almost totally given up on "correcting" other people who
say it, except in avowedly PC contexts.) In contrast, the most radical
Asian Americans & African Americans use the same terms as the mainstream --
or at least don't take the same kind of offense at the mainstream terms.
Even the recently discussed Native American vs. Indian debate doesn't seem
remotely as intense as the Chicano thing. Mexican American seems the most
neutral & generally acceptable, but that still leaves us with the problem
of how to refer to all those other people from South & Central American &
parts of the Caribbean.

If anybody wants to know why "Hispanic" is offensive I'll be glad to
explain that too, but I've rambled enough for today!

Indigo "I live in a bubble & I like it" Som :)