🔤 Race and Ethnicity

Includes terms from Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander to white

← Clear Writing Directory

Introduction | Stereotyping | Race | Gender | Disabilities
Immigration | Religion | Health Conditions | Older Adults

---

Use clear, specific language when race or ethnicity is relevant. Avoid unnecessary or vague references that can reinforce bias or obscure meaning.

Race often refers to physical or social groupings.
Ethnicity refers to cultural background, nationality, or heritage.

Use the term that best fits the context.

When to include race or ethnicity

Race and ethnicity are only one part of a person’s identity.

Include it when it helps explain the story—such as disparities, representation, identity, or lived experience.

Leave it out when it does not add meaning.

Why it matters: Unnecessary references can reinforce stereotypes. Missing relevant context can hide them.

Use:

• Specific, accurate terms: Black, Latino, Vietnamese American

• Capitalized names for racial and ethnic groups

• Context that helps readers understand relevance

Capitalization practices vary across style guides and may evolve over time. This guide follows current Associated Press style.

Avoid:

• Vague or outdated terms: minorities, nonwhite

• Mentioning race or ethnicity when it is not relevant

• Treating any group as a single, uniform “community”

Decision points

How specific should I be?
Use the most specific, accurate term available when it matters. Avoid broad labels if they hide significant differences.

What if I don’t know?
Do not guess. Use a neutral description or leave it out unless it is essential.

When is a general term acceptable?
Use broader terms only when more specific information is not available or not relevant.

Word choice

Avoid using group labels as nouns:

• Black people, not Blacks

• white people, not whites

Avoid imprecise or outdated terms:

• minorities (too broad)

• nonwhite (defines people by what they are not)

Use more specific descriptions when possible: Mexican American, Somali American, Japanese American.

Describing racism

Use the terms racism and racist when they are accurate and supported by facts.

Do not avoid these terms with vague alternatives such as racially charged, racially motivated, or racially tinged.

Be clear about what occurred.

Be precise: Describe the words, actions, or policies involved. Provide context so readers understand why something is described as racist.

Avoid unnecessary labeling: Rather than calling someone a racist, describe the person’s words or actions unless the label is essential and well supported.

Stereotypes and generalizations

Avoid language that suggests all members of a group are the same.

Examples of problematic phrasing include stereotypes such as inscrutable Asian, fiery Spaniard, sleepy Mexican.

Avoid descriptions that reinforce assumptions about behavior, personality, or values.

Examples:

• Better: The policy disproportionately affects Black and Latino neighborhoods.

• Avoid: The policy mostly affects minorities.

• Better: A Korean American business owner

• Avoid: An Asian business owner (when more specific information is relevant)

Related entries

See below: Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander; Black; brown; dual-heritage terms; Hispanic, Latino; Indigenous, American Indian, Native American, Alaska Native; people of color; racial slurs; Roma; white.

← Clear Writing Directory

Introduction | Stereotyping | Race | Gender | Disabilities
Immigration | Religion | Health Conditions | Older Adults

---

Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander

Use as adjectives:

• Asian people, not Asians

• Asian American communities

Use specific terms when possible: Chinese American, Filipino American, Vietnamese American.

Avoid outdated terms such as Oriental.

Use the term preferred by the person or group when known.

Black

Capitalize Black when referring to people in a racial, ethnic, or cultural context.

Use as an adjective: Black people, not Blacks.

African American is also acceptable, primarily in U.S. contexts. Use the term preferred by the person or group when known.

brown

Avoid using brown as a general racial or ethnic descriptor. It is broad, imprecise, and may be unclear or misleading.

Use a more specific term whenever possible.

dual heritage terms

No hyphen for Arab American, Asian American, Mexican American, and other dual-heritage terms. When possible, refer to a person’s country of origin or follow the person’s preference. For example, Lebanese American or Egyptian American instead of Arab American.

Hispanic, Latino

Hispanic and Latino/Latina are widely used in the United States. Preferences vary.

Use more specific terms when possible: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban.

Use gendered or gender-neutral forms (Latino, Latina, Latine) based on context and preference.

Avoid assuming all people prefer the same term.

Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, Alaska Native

Use Indigenous (capitalized) when referring to the original peoples of a region.

Use Indigenous as a broad, inclusive term, especially in global or comparative contexts: Indigenous peoples of North America

In the United States:

• Native American is generally acceptable in broad references.

• American Indian is generally considered outdated, but some tribal members and organizations may use the term.

• Alaska Native refers to Indigenous peoples of Alaska. Avoid Eskimo except in specific Alaska contexts where it is part of a group’s name or preferred usage.

Be precise. Tribal identity is political as well as cultural. When relevant, identify a person’s nation or affiliation.

Use the most specific nation or tribal affiliation when possible: Navajo, Hopi, Muckleshoot. Use Tribe (capitalized) when part of a formal name; otherwise, lowercase.

Preferences vary. Use the term preferred by the person or group when known.

Avoid outdated or offensive terms: squaw, wampum.

To specify someone was born in the United States but isn’t Native American, use native-born.

people of color

Acceptable in broad references to multiple racial or ethnic groups other than white.

Use with care. The term can be seen as imprecise or as grouping diverse people into a single category.

Use more specific terms when possible.

racial slurs

Avoid using racial slurs except when there is a clear and compelling reason, such as reporting or documenting a direct quotation.

When their use is essential:

• Provide context.

• Consider whether partial quotation or paraphrasing will convey the meaning.

• If a full quotation is necessary, consider using partial redaction (for example, first letter plus hyphens).

• Do not sanitize or substitute words—or alter the meaning—of a direct quotation.

Always consider your audience, purpose, and the harm such language may cause.

Roma

Use Roma for the ethnic group.

Some people consider Gypsy offensive. Avoid except in a quotation or when part of a proper name.

Use the term preferred by the person or group when known.

white

Lowercase white when referring to people in a racial or cultural context.

Use as an adjective: white people, not whites

Avoid using the term as a noun.

Why: Unlike terms such as Black, white generally refers to a broad category and is not widely used to describe a shared culture, historical identity, or the experience of discrimination.

Avoid terms such as Caucasian unless in a quotation or when relevant in a specific context.

← Clear Writing Directory

Introduction | Stereotyping | Race | Gender | Disabilities
Immigration | Religion | Health Conditions | Older Adults

---