In education we use standardized terms when discussing students. Using common terminology when we speak about different groups shows that we speak the language of academia. However, these standardized terms often perpetuate inequity and most often “others” certain groups. When we use these terms in work that is intended to disrupt the status quo, we create a contradictory message between our words and our overall intentions. This guide will help us develop an inclusive, shared vocabulary, allowing our words to match the true intentions of our work.
Language is constantly changing. The terms in this guide could soon be out of date. Even though this guide is comprehensive, there are groups, identities, terms, and nuances we’ve most likely missed. We know this language will not resonate with everyone, and that we will make mistakes as we continue to learn.
We realize that not everyone will agree or identify with the terms we’ve used. These are terms we have chosen to create a shared language for our work around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Have feedback?
Many of the terms listed below are still not representative of the full human experience, and should be used with caution. When possible, ask people how they self-identify.
Do NOT use race or ethnicity as collective nouns, only as adjectives. Example: Do NOT use “the Blacks”, “the Hispanics,” the Asians.” Instead use: Black people, Asian faculty, Hispanic students, etc.
Do NOT hyphenate national origins. Example: Do NOT use Japanese-American, Native-American, African-American Instead use: Japanese American, Native American, African American, etc.
African American and Black are not always synonyms for each other. Many individuals may identify as Black but not African or African American, so it is important to use the words “and/or”. Conversely, some may identify as African American.
Individuals who identify as Afro-Latin (a/o), Afro-LatinX (Afro-Latiné), or Afro-Caribbean may identify as Black but not African or African American. When referring to a specific group, use phrasing like “Black students,” “Black faculty,” “Black communities,” “Black institutions.”
Capitalize the word “Black” in all communications.
Careful. If you use the term “African American” without “Black” it leaves questions about race vs. ethnicity. There are many people who self-identify as white who are from Africa, but have moved to America. As always, ask people how they choose to self-identify.
Last updated
August 29, 2023
Be specific whenever possible. The Diversity Style Guide states: “Alaska Native is an umbrella term that includes Eskimo (Inupiat and Yupik), Alaskan Indians (Athabascan, Haida, Tlingit and Tsimshian) and Aleut.”
Many Alaska Natives prefer to identify with the linguistic terms used within their native languages. For example: Inupiaq or Yupik. Some Alaska Natives also self-identify with the terms “Inuit.”
Many sources suggest NOT grouping Alaska Natives and Native Americans, whenever possible. The Diversity Style Guide stresses that “They are culturally distinct and most prefer to be called Alaska Native instead of being grouped as American Indian.”
Last updated
September 29, 2023
NPR: Why You Probably Shouldn’t Say Eskimo
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/24/475129558/why-you-probably-shouldnt-say-eskimo
Last updated
September 21, 2023
According to the US Census Bureau, the word “Asian” refers to “A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The term Asian is very broad. Rather than using monolithic terms like “Asian,” be specific whenever possible (e.g., Korean, Chinese American, South Asian, East Asian). Some individuals of Indian descent identify with the term “Desi.”
In the year 2000, “Pacific Islanders” were removed from being grouped with people of Asian descent in the census because the distinction did not provide an accurate representation of the Pacific Islander experience.
Last updated
August 29, 2023
BIPOC This term was created to center conversations on police brutality and violence and focus specifically on groups who are most disproportionately impacted, rather than simply saying “People of Color.”
Some use “minoritized groups” because such groups have been defined by others; another option is to use “communities of color.”
WATCH: The origin of the Phrase “Women of Color”
Loretta Ross, Sistersong, Women of Color Repreductive Justice Collective
https://youtu.be/82vl34mi4Iw
This term is still under debate about its meaning and usage. Some suggest that while this term attempts to center certain groups in conversations of police brutality, it still serves to merely view distinct groups as a single amalgamation, defeating its purpose. For example, many Indigenous people identify with their tribe that has a different culture and experience from people in other tribes, yet they are often combined as having a single, monolithic experience. When possible, gather data about communities, instead of aggregating the groups together.
Many sources suggest NOT grouping Alaska Natives and Native Americans, whenever possible. The Diversity Style Guide stresses that “They are culturally distinct and most prefer to be called Alaska Native instead of being grouped as American Indian.”
Last updated
August 29, 2023
CBS News: Not all Black people are African American. Here’s the Difference.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/not-all-black-people-are-african-american-what-is-the-difference/
New York Times: Why We’re Capitalizing Black
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/05/insider/capitalized-black.html?.?mc=aud_dev&ad-keywords=auddevgate&gclid=CjwKCAjwwsmLBhACEiwANq-tXCE__sNAIjvZPpQK4npdqNJ4M3ZyXmLNrLDWDr9-WJTRDn-8A7IdoBoCkaYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Last updated
August 30, 2023
New York Times: What is DACA? And Where Does It Stand Now?
https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-daca.html
Last updated
August 30, 2023
American Psychological Association (APA) Style Guide
https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/general-principles
Conscious Style Guide
https://consciousstyleguide.com/
The Diversity Style Guide
https://www.diversitystyleguide.com/
GLAAD Media Reference Guide
https://www.glaad.org/reference
Native American Journalist Association
https://najanewsroom.com/reporting-guides/
National Association of Black Journalists
https://www.nabj.org/page/styleguide
National Center on Disability and Journalism
https://ncdj.org/style-guide/
Last updated
August 30, 2023
The Diversity Style guide suggests that there is no universally accepted definition for Indigenous Peoples. However, “in the case of the United States, tribal membership or citizenship denotes Indigenous identity.”
Be specific whenever and wherever possible. The term “Indigenous Peoples” often encompasses the following identities: Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Meso American Indigenous.
For research demographic data, ask people how they choose to self-identify.
Last updated
October 4, 2023
Pew Research Center: Who is Hispanic?
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/23/who-is-hispanic/
Vox: LatinX is growing in popularity. I made a comic to help you understand why.
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/10/15/20914347/latin-latina-latino-latinx-means
Last updated
August 30, 2023
These terms should not automatically be considered interchangeable. For example, some say that those who identify as “Hispanic” are people who speak Spanish or descend from Spanish speaking countries, like Spain, whereas others say that those who identify as “Latina/o or LatinX or Latine are descendants of Latin America.”
Additionally, the terms LatinX or Latine are used by those who self-identify as gender non-binary, and it provides a gender neutral alternative to “Latina or Latino.” See also Non-binary.
Latine and Latiné (with an accent on the e) are interchangeable.
The term Hispanic often comes with imperialist associations, so some denounce this term because of that history. But some people self-identify as both “Hispanic and Latino/Latina.”
Be specific whenever possible (e.g., Mexican American, Guatemalan, El Salvadorian), rather than using monolithic terms like “Hispanic or Latino.”
“LatinX/Latine”: Linguistically, there is no pronunciation in the Spanish language for the term “LatinX.” There is a movement to use the term “Latine,” which already provides a gender neutral ending in Spanish, offering greater linguistic relevance to Spanish speakers.
LatinX is currently receiving a lot of pushback with people rejecting this term. It is mainly a term used by academic researchers. For research demographic data, ask people how they choose to self-identify.
Last updated
August 29, 2023
Sotto-Santiago Sylk. (2019). Time to Reconsider the Word Minority in Academic Medicine. Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity, 12(1), 72–78.
The Baltimore Sun: ‘Minoritized’ a Violent Word
https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0328-minoritized-word-20190320-story.html
National Association of Hispanic Journalists: Drop the Use of Minority when Referencing Communities of Color
https://nahj.org/2020/08/04/nahj-asks-newsrooms-to-drop-the-use-of-minority/
Last updated
August 30, 2023
These terms offer a more representative expression of people who identify with more than one racial or ethnic background than a term like “biracial” might because it only references two possible racial backgrounds and excludes ethnicity.
Some suggest that these terms (multiracial, biracial, multiethnic, etc.) do not acknowledge the fact that no one comes from a completely homogeneous racial background.
Some suggest the term “mixed” perpetuates stereotypical notions that those with multiple backgrounds are “confused,” or “don’t know who they are, etc.” But some people with this identity prefer “mixed or mixed race” or “biracial.”
For research demographic data, ask people how they choose to self-identify.
Last updated
August 29, 2023
See also Indigenous Peoples One sector of Indigenous peoples in the United States (e.g. Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians are also considered Indigenous Peoples). The Diversity Style Guide suggests that there is no universally accepted definition for Indigenous. However, “in the case of the United States, tribal membership or citizenship denotes Indigenous identity.”
Something to consider: some say that the term “Native American” was merely created out of political correctness that still, while a valiant effort, denies the reality of what these groups would like to self-identify as. See notes for more on this.
Be specific whenever and wherever possible. Many people self-identify in terms of their tribal name (e.g., Navajo, Quileute, Lakota, etc. rather than a monolithic term like “Native American.”
Last updated
August 29, 2023
See also Indigenous Peoples.
According to the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence: “Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander” includes Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Guamanian or Chamorro, Fijian, Tongan, or Marshallese peoples and encompasses the people within the United States jurisdictions of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia.”
A person might not identify as Native Hawaiian while still identifying as a Pacific Islander.
Many census documents group together Asian and Pacific Islanders, but some Pacific Islanders suggest that these identities are separate and by grouping them, we ignore or erase the culture and heritage of Pacific Islanders and how those lived experiences differ from the Asian experience.
Last updated
August 29, 2023
National Public Radio (NPR): Today’s College Students Aren’t Who You Think They Are
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/09/04/638561407/todays-college-students-arent-who-you-think-they-are
Last updated
August 30, 2023
Sometimes referred to as the MENA region, including peoples from “Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Western Sahara and Yemen.”
Many census records and forms classify “Middle Easterners” and “North Africans” as white. However, considering historic, geographic, and cultural distinctions, many individuals from these communities prefer not to be identified. This is an act that could be considered as an erasure of a community—just something to consider and keep in mind when grouping people.
Some people from these countries/regions do NOT see the North African and Middle Eastern regions as one and the same.
Last updated
August 29, 2023
National Public Radio (NPR): Census Bureau: No Middle Eastern or North African Checkbox
https://www.npr.org/2020/03/10/813922175/census-bureau-no-middle-eastern-or-north-african-check-box
Last updated
August 30, 2023
Amnesty International: Refugees, Asylum-Seekers, Migrants
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/refugees-asylum-seekers-and-migrants/
BBC News: Asylum Seekers, Migrants, or Refugees: Which Word is Correct?
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46747502
BBC News: The Battle Over the Words Used to Describe Migrants
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34061097
Washington Post: Is it Time to Ditch the Word Migrant?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/08/24/is-it-time-to-ditch-the-word-migrant/
Last updated
August 30, 2023
Associated Press (AP): Why we will lowercase white
https://blog.ap.org/announcements/why-we-will-lowercase-white
University of Minnesota: Time to Phase Out “Caucasian”
https://med.umn.edu/news-events/time-phase-out-caucasian
Last updated
August 30, 2023
According to the Diversity Style Guide, “white” refers to “People who share a lineage that can be traced directly or indirectly to Europe.”
Following the guidance of the AP style guide, at WGU Labs, we lowercase the term “white” when referencing individuals who self-identify with this group. Because of the associations that capitalizing the word “white” holds with white supremacy and white supremacist groups, we choose to distance ourselves from these connotations that do not align with the mission of Labs.
We acknowledge that some suggest that not capitalizing the word “white,” like you would with other identities, suggests that “white” is not a race or that it centers whiteness as a default. We acknowledge that “white” is a race with distinct culture, and we do not prescribe to the notion that “white” is the standard or an unmarked category for which all other groups are compared or judged against. We do not want our writing to be misinterpreted or misconstrued, so we lowercase the word “white.”
We understand there are some exceptions to this capitalization guideline for well-thought-out and valid reasons..
Example:
Some may still use Caucasian, but at Labs we do not: from Andrea Westby, University of Minnesota, “Literally speaking, ‘Caucasian’ refers to people from the Caucasus mountain region, which includes Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, parts of north Iran, and central southern Russia. This is a geographical ancestry term, which could have implications for genetics if used precisely. ‘Caucasian’ is a throwback to the racist classification system defined by German anatomist Johann Blumenbach in the late 1700s. Blumenbach differentiated five human races, which he also stratified by perceived beauty (and thus value).”
Last updated
February 9, 2024