Am I the only one bothered by the term "people of color"?

[Thundercrack85]

I see this term pop up more and more and it's always struck me as an odd term. But it seems to have become widely accepted, and the troubling connotations that come with it aren't going away.

I mean, it seems to essentially divide Americans into two factions, white, and non-white. As if white people and non-white people are monolithic identities. In the case of white people, it seems to imply a people devoid of any culture of ethnic identity. We're not even a shade. We're just the norm. Even if it's meant well (I assume it is) it's basically the term colored all over again. And yet I see it liberally used by progressives.

Is anyone else bothered by the term?

 

[Spooderman]

Nope. The division between whites and non-whites exists because white people have typically had social privileges due to their skin color. It's easier to say PoC than "black, brown, red, & yellow people" anyhow.

 

[DeadPresident]

This thread is going to become a monster, Thunder.

 

[TheBat812]

This is the problem with labeling and peoples over simplifications. There is so much nuance to race in the world and the way groups of people are treated even within races. But until whites as a group refuse to acknowledge the advantages they enjoy in our society and step up for equality, there will always be a divide between whites and the rest.

 

[DeadPresident]

The weird thing about this topic is it makes it seem like privilege is a white thing, when in reality privilege is a status quo thing, which happens to be white in America. As much as I agree people need to admit to how their demography contributes to their lives this white privilege/white vs non-white thing just seems like anti-white rhetoric meant to counter balance the rise of conservative racists. On the whole neither side is doing anything to contribute to the discussion.

It's logical and seems like a red herring, every society or community where the founders are in the majority they enjoy greater status. It's not rocket science and it certainly isn't exclusive to the situation in the USA. Whether it be race, ethnicity or caste, globally there exists a hierarchy of privilege.

 

[NotFadeAway]

So a white kid from a single parent, government dependent trailer of a home in Perry County, Ohio has more privilege than a "POC" in Chicago or New York?

 

[Tanin]

So a white kid from a single parent, government dependent trailer of a home in Perry County, Ohio has more privilege than a "POC" in Chicago or New York?

Thanks to institutional racism in this country the answer to that is yes, that white kid has a better chance.

 

[DeadPresident]

Thanks to institutional racism in this country the answer to that is yes, that white kid has a better chance.

A better chance at what?

This is a fallacy people love to perpetuate. Compare the white kid to other kids of different racial backgrounds to his exact sociocultural and socioeconomic circumstances and you're right, but in the example cited above it's clear there would be marked differences between those circumstances implied by the geographic areas so institutional racism wouldn't play much of a role.

This Chris Rock-ian notion that the most down and out, disabled and impoverished white person somehow has better opportunities than anyone from any other race is disturbing. I know the knives are out for the white devils, but let's apply some reason and logic.

It seems like laymen social sciences would have you believe some random white girl from a trailer park in Detroit has a better chance than Obama's daughters just because she's white.

 

[Tanin]

A better chance at what?

Privilege. NotFadeAway asked about Privilege. How he/she will be treated socially. A white person of almost any status has a better chance of being treated better socially than a POC. Even in a large city.

 

[Schlosser85]

In some circumstances, a minority has a better chance at getting into college, thanks to Affirmative Action and colleges meeting quotas of admitting x number of minority students, sometimes meaning a white applicant with equal or better resume gets passed over because he's white.

IMO Affirmative Action is reverse racism and college admissions should have nothing to do with the race factor. In fact, if I had my way, there would not even be the race question on the application form, so there is no possibility of bias in either direction.

 

[DeadPresident]

Privilege. NotFadeAway asked about Privilege. How he/she will be treated socially. A white person of almost any status has a better chance of being treated better socially than a POC. Even in a large city.

Again, a white person of low status compared to any person of color? And social, economic and cultural factors influence how someone will be treated socially significantly.

Are we comparing apples with apples?

 

[C. Lee]

Am I bothered by the CURRENT popular term "person of color"?

No....because it's just part of the circle of life.

When I was a kid....the acceptable term for a segment of the population was colored. Then it was announced that you must not use that term anymore....you must now use black. Then that also went out of favor....and the new newer term was African American. So....now that some people want to use "people of color"...I just shake my head in amusement...because life is a circle....and everyone is looking for the corner.

 

[chaseter]

In some circumstances, a minority has a better chance at getting into college, thanks to Affirmative Action and colleges meeting quotas of admitting x number of minority students, sometimes meaning a white applicant with equal or better resume gets passed over because he's white.

IMO Affirmative Action is reverse racism and college admissions should have nothing to do with the race factor. In fact, if I had my way, there would not even be the race question on the application form, so there is no possibility of bias in either direction.

I agree.

States even have it for a lot of their State jobs. My wife works for a state's Medicaid system and its 80% minority workers there. That's the new institutionalized racism and people are proud of that?

 

[Spooderman]

I don't like the term "reverse racism". Just call it what it is- racism.

 

[chamber-music]

In some circumstances, a minority has a better chance at getting into college, thanks to Affirmative Action and colleges meeting quotas of admitting x number of minority students, sometimes meaning a white applicant with equal or better resume gets passed over because he's white.

IMO Affirmative Action is reverse racism and college admissions should have nothing to do with the race factor. In fact, if I had my way, there would not even be the race question on the application form, so there is no possibility of bias in either direction.

There are actually plenty of administration studies that showed minorities don't actually get accepted to colleges over white people disproportionately due to affirmative action or quotas.

It is a myth that gets brought up a lot.

The Supreme Court has even ruled race-based affirmative action cannot be an overriding factor for admissions at public universities or used in formulaic ways.

Even if it was true Caucasians are statistically still far more likely to attend top colleges than many other minority groups.

Even if you didn't ask your race or ethnicity on applications there would still be other ways to be prejudice against certain applicants.

It has been proven in multiple studies that certain 'ethnic' sounding names elicit less favourable response on job applications than traditional Western names do.

 

[Schlosser85]

Letting a person into college solely because they're a minority race just to meet some quota, or giving them a job for the same reason, is not progress, it's just cheap pandering.

It's a Band-Aid on the underlying problems.

True progress and true racial equality will be when no one's race is a factor in whether they get a job or are admitted to a college, whatever their race may be.

Which is why, like I said earlier, I don't think they should even have the question on application or enrollment forms.

 

[Blind_Lawyer]

A better chance at what?

This is a fallacy people love to perpetuate. Compare the white kid to other kids of different racial backgrounds to his exact sociocultural and socioeconomic circumstances and you're right, but in the example cited above it's clear there would be marked differences between those circumstances implied by the geographic areas so institutional racism wouldn't play much of a role.

This Chris Rock-ian notion that the most down and out, disabled and impoverished white person somehow has better opportunities than anyone from any other race is disturbing. I know the knives are out for the white devils, but let's apply some reason and logic.

It seems like laymen social sciences would have you believe some random white girl from a trailer park in Detroit has a better chance than Obama's daughters just because she's white.

I don't think that's what they're saying. You seem to be arguing opportunity while they are saying privilege.

If a rich black kid who recently graduated from Harvard and a poor white kid recently paroled both walk into--say--a clothing store, which kid do you think the clerk is going to watch closer?

A rich person is always going to have more opportunity--regardless of race. But a white person, just by virtue of being white, gets to move freely about the country without ever raising any suspicion.

And if a white guy gets pulled over in a nice car, he isn't expected to explain how he got it. That's white privilege.

Every game is a home game.

 

[chamber-music]

I never said they should let anyone have a job based on race or admitted in to college based on race to meet quotas.

There isn't any real evidence that any of those things are happening. Even if there is a possibility of this happening I think the number of cases would be very very low.

I think the myth that a number of minorities are only getting accepted to colleges due to quotas is very disrespectful to all those hard working students who get accepted.

Fact: Only one-third of colleges and universities in the United States consider an applicant’s race as a factor when reviewing applications.

Fact: Colleges and universities are prohibited from using different standards when evaluating applications from students of different races. Where race is considered in the application process, it constitutes only a small part of the admission decision. Before race is ever factored in to an admission decision, a student’s grades and test scores are evaluated. Only those academically qualified to attend are considered for
admission.

Fact: Colleges do not use quotas to achieve diversity through admission. Colleges and universities have been prohibited from using quotas since 1978, when the Supreme Court ruled this activity unconstitutional.

The whole minorities are taking white peoples college places due to quotas conspiracy is just plain silly. You hear it every year from ******** students who didn't get accepted into a certain college and borderlines on scapegoat at best and out right racism at worst.

Let's not kid are selves and believe we are living in a meritocracy to begin with.

 

[DeadPresident]

I don't think that's what they're saying. You seem to be arguing opportunity while they are saying privilege.

If a rich black kid who recently graduated from Harvard and a poor white kid recently paroled both walk into--say--a clothing store, which kid do you think the clerk is going to watch closer?

A rich person is always going to have more opportunity--regardless of race. But a white person, just by virtue of being white, gets to move freely about the country without ever raising any suspicion.

And if a white guy gets pulled over in a nice car, he isn't expected to explain how he got it. That's white privilege.

Every game is a home game.

Yeah, I don't disagree. I just think people like to think these fictitious scenarios are more prevalent than they really are. Like every white person is upper middle class in the states, like a sketchy looking white kid doing something dodgy isn't going to get looked at because he's white. If a white kid gets pulled over in a nice car but something seems off about him or he plainly doesn't belong in it, it'll raise logical questions.

There seems to be a lot of theoretical argument that goes into this kind of "social" privilege. Now if we're talking economic or legal privilege, I can't argue there. There are definitely marked biases in those areas, but that's due to structural mechanisms. It becomes difficult to have an amicable conversation when people blame individuals for privilege received top-down instead of trying to address the underlying problems. The vibe I pick up from people is that the white privilege thing is something that's on a personal, one on one basis rather than a systemic issue. And ironically the concept that anyone with white skin embodies some kind of innate privilege not only reproduces the problematic concept that whiteness in and of itself is somehow "good", but it also operates on the same premise that other faulty stereotypes do.

The thinly veiled racism and antagonism of whites in the USA doesn't seem like the best way to equalize existing disparity, even though it is justified and a logical response. I understand some people get defensive and I accept that, but the only way a disparate system gets fixed is through amicable dialogue IMO. People trying to get their way using emotion rarely works, there needs to be some reason. But **** it, I'm not even in the US so people can go about it how they want.

 

[DeadPresident]

I don't like the term "reverse racism". Just call it what it is- racism.

Also, this can't be said enough. The term reverse racism implies that the first, only and original kind of racism is white on black. Because obviously the concept didn't exist until the 1800s in the USA

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Sometimes it's appropriate to describe non-white people for statistical reasons.

And minorities doesn't really apply unless you're only describing only persons of color in Europe or North America.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

And I'd say white privilege exist when it comes to the police and employment but not in all areas.

It should still be acknowledged though.

 

[Mightmitenot]

I see this term pop up more and more and it's always struck me as an odd term. But it seems to have become widely accepted, and the troubling connotations that come with it aren't going away.

I mean, it seems to essentially divide Americans into two factions, white, and non-white. As if white people and non-white people are monolithic identities. In the case of white people, it seems to imply a people devoid of any culture of ethnic identity. We're not even a shade. We're just the norm. Even if it's meant well (I assume it is) it's basically the term colored all over again. And yet I see it liberally used by progressives.

Is anyone else bothered by the term?

It dates back to a euphemism for "Negro" back at the turn of the previous century. "Colored Persons" is the "CP" in NAACP, f'rex.

 

[coluanprime]

I never said they should let anyone have a job based on race or admitted in to college based on race to meet quotas.

There isn't any real evidence that any of those things are happening. Even if there is a possibility of this happening I think the number of cases would be very very low.

I think the myth that a number of minorities are only getting accepted to colleges due to quotas is very disrespectful to all those hard working students who get accepted.

Fact: Only one-third of colleges and universities in the United States consider an applicant’s race as a factor when reviewing applications.

Fact: Colleges and universities are prohibited from using different standards when evaluating applications from students of different races. Where race is considered in the application process, it constitutes only a small part of the admission decision. Before race is ever factored in to an admission decision, a student’s grades and test scores are evaluated. Only those academically qualified to attend are considered for
admission.

Fact: Colleges do not use quotas to achieve diversity through admission. Colleges and universities have been prohibited from using quotas since 1978, when the Supreme Court ruled this activity unconstitutional.

The whole minorities are taking white peoples college places due to quotas conspiracy is just plain silly. You hear it every year from ******** students who didn't get accepted into a certain college and borderlines on scapegoat at best and out right racism at worst.

Let's not kid are selves and believe we are living in a meritocracy to begin with.

Yay! Somebody actually knows history...
In all seriousness, the term POC seems like it started out because it was easier to say than a list, but is annoying because it lumps every together as if white is default and then there are the non-whites.

 

[chaseter]

Fact: colleges can use race as an admission tool to 'diversify' the student body. The NAACP is against race neutral approaches.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...niversities-admissions-supreme-court/2452703/