The Diversity of Language on the topic of Diversity
An intriguing challenge that often arises when we have conversations about ethnic diversity is the challenge of what words to use.
Case in point, our upcoming Diverse Pastor Projects had a subtitle using the phrase "people of color" which is a hotly debated phrase. Some people love it. Some people hate it. Some people are indifferent because even if they are an ethnic minority, the color of their skin is white and not a color. But then, isn't white a color too?!
There are so many words that can offend people that sometimes the individuals who are attempting to cross cultures become frozen with fear at using the wrong ones and so use none at all.
People who are part of this conversation come from hugely different life spaces, and here are just a few:
- Rich versus Poor versus the Big Pile in the Middle
- Over educated versus Under educated versus Education stinks
- International Scholars versus Working Immigrants versus Domestic Citizens
- First generation, Second generation, 1.5 generation or even a lost generation
- Age versus Youth
Even the level of conversation we have in our churches about race and diversity can't be agreed upon. One person will respond, "If one more person asks me how it feels to be a black woman in this church, I'm going to punch them," while another says, "If one more person tells me they never even notice I am a Chinese person because I'm just like them, I'm walking out."
Yet, even in this confusion and disagreement, I find there is tremendous encouragement in looking at the light of the Gospel and seeing the reality of God's Kingdom coming to Earth. That is one language that speaks to us all: the laying down of a life for others and the total healing that God can perform on our broken world.
We may not always find harmony in the number or kinds of words we use to talk to each other, but I think in this truth about God's love for us, we can find an unbreakable unity of the Spirit and the courage we need to press past barriers that might arise between us:
ROMANS 8:31-39
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us allhow will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who diedmore than that, who was raised to lifeis at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation [including using the wrong racial reconciliation words!], will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Comments
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I agree with the posts but I also think that we as a society are putting too much on trying to be "politically correct" when we address people of other colors or nationalities. We are a country that has come along way as far as segragation, but it seems as though we have stopped with de-segration. We are all guilty of saying "colored-people" when we should not see a color at all. Why does it have to be a "white", "colored", "mexican", or "chinese" person? Is it really that hard to come to terms that we are all just humans? The United States forgets all too quickly how it was founded - with people from all walks of life. The white people, the black people, the persian's, the spaniards - we are a melting pot but we are so focused on drawing lines to show what color our skin is.
As a society, we need to challenge ourselves to greater indifferences. "People of color" is an out-dated phrase concerned too much with actuality. I agree there are too many words that can offend people, and I too freeze up trying to "watch" what I say in front of strangers when talking about diversity. Although diversity is such an important topic, I have to think back to my elementary school days. I remember my teacher reminding the class, "We should all get along, no matter what color you are." and then assigning the class to paint a picture of all different kinds of people. That painting included blue, orange, green etc, colors today we would probably not affiliate with "people of color." This shows how peculiar our society becomes with age. I understand words can hurt, but society has to look forward, beyond the minor discrepancies. God teaches us to accept everyone, just as he does.
people see the color they dont understand their language
I think that as a society we focus so much on trying to be politically correct. We worry that we will offend people if we say something that is not politically correct especially when we use words to refer to a certain minority group. When people say “People of color” I don’t get offended because I don’t believe people say that phrase to offend minorities. I take it as including all people that are not white. But I can see how some people could get offended by it because it separates whites from minorities