Hi Harper,

First of all, I’d like to thank you for following Made Up Words. I hope to clear up this misunderstanding and keep you as a reader! The term “people of color” refers simply to those who are not white. A cursory search around the Internet will reveal this. Via Wikipedia, for example: “Person of color (plural: people of color, persons of color, sometimes informally abbreviated POC) is a term used primarily in the United States to describe any person who is not white. The term encompasses all non-white groups, emphasizing common experiences of racism.”

I think, perhaps, you’re thinking of the term “colored people,” which is, indeed, offensive. In the 1970s, racial justice activists in the US began to use the term “people of color,” and by the time I graduated from college in the late 80s, it was commonly used.

I am a proud person of color (Filipino-American), and I embrace referring to myself in this way because it allows me to identify with all Asian Americans, Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans, et al. and to be part of a multiracial movement that works to create change. Parenthetically, as a writer, I also happen to find the term quite graceful and dignified. I don’t like to be defined as what I am not, i.e. non-white, but rather as what I am: a person of color.

Does this response address your concerns, Harper? I hope you’ll let me know.