Hey peeps,
If you haven't heard the podcast Code Switch on NPR, I highly recommend it. The latest episode touched on the uses of acronyms such as P.O.C. or B.I.P.O.C. and offered different opinions on what may be labels some of us are offended by and or take pride in being a part of.
I wanted to get your opinions on this as well. As the episode states:
What do we mean when we say "people of color"? Why do some of us identify with that term? Why does it annoy so many other people? Is it time to say RIP to POC? And, if so, is BIPOC the new kid on the block, or is that term also one we should be careful about using?
What are your thoughts?
First, I think if anyone intends to use acronyms and labels, they need to research and understand what they mean and use them appropriately. I also think it depends where you live in the world. I tend to favor BIPOC more because it IS more inclusive and here in the U.S., Black and Indigenous people are continually erased and neglected from American society. We live in a white-centric society so I think these acronyms and labels serve as an additional reminder that WE ARE HERE and WE MATTER. I also believe these acronyms help to build and strengthen non-white communities. I personally don't have an issue with either, but I do think the media and everyday people can get lazy when using these terms. My suggestion is be specific! If you are talking about Black issues, say Black- same goes for Indigenous-Americans, Latinx, Asian-American, etc. Each race has a history and a voice and we don't want to overshadow that. Thanks for the podcast recommendation and for bringing this topic forward!
Thanks for this great conversation starter. I have always distrusted and disliked the term POC due to the fact that it glosses over the pervasiveness of anti-Blackness that exists in other POC /immigrant communities. Since this counties inception anti-Blackness has been used and THE stepping stone of assimilation for other groups.
I definitely agree! We won't be able to move forward until we can start being specific and we understand the struggles and history of each group. You also bring up a great point, maybe by using terms like POC and BIPOC we are doing the work for white people by giving them a blanket term to refer to any group that is non-white? Maybe this is where the laziness and over-generalization comes into play? Our society has always worked at making white people feel more comfortable during conversations about race and maybe POC and BIPOC are contributors to that? Just some thoughts.
Ooooh, that's interesting. Creating these in order to make white people feel more comfortable and almost provide them an escape from having to deal with their own deficiencies when it comes to conversations about race and identity.
Truth! To add to the faults that "POC" brings with it, I know of people who identify with any "white adjacent" group feeling excluded from the label of POC. It's almost like by creating a supposed "inclusive" label like POC, it actually is very close-minded and creates more separation between the subsets which make up the greater non-white majority. I know many East/West/South Asians find themselves not included when people reference "persons of color", which also then makes me question the POC in BIPOC. When that term is used, are we just saying Black, Indigenous, and Latinx most of the time?
Great point! I think those questions need to be asked. What are we really saying and WHO are we referring to when using POC and BIPOC? Or, who do we INTEND to address when using those terms?