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Current PC words to describe different races

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andracill:
In my current WIP, I have a group of boys which are made up of many races -- and they're celebrating this fact.  I'm not sure what the current words are for different races these days (I don't want to use anything even remotely offensive).  I tend to use (and hear around this area) 'black' or 'latino/a' or 'Asian', but I'm not sure if these are country-wide or still inoffensive.  Unfortunately, because of the makeup of this group (and the fact that they're proud of their different cultural and racial backgrounds), I can't just leave it to the readers' imagination.

Any suggestions?  They all come from Michigan, if that helps at all.  Thanks :)

missy t:
i've lived in canada and the US (although, never in michigan!) and the black people I know describe themselves as "black." i had a black friend who grew up in the washington, dc, area and not only did she and her family always use "black," they thought that people who used what i thought was the politically correct term of "african-american" were trying too hard to be politically correct.

amongst asians and latinos, i've noticed people are specific about where exactly their families hailed from. eg: my korean friend describes her ethnicity when asked as "korean" not "asian" although she was born here. same with latinos i've met--they'll say "we're colombian" not "we're latino"

i imagine you'll get a bunch of different answers from blueboarders and as long as you're not using derogatory terms, you should be fine :)

MysteryRobin:
I would agree that Asian could be more specific. I have a lot of Asian friends who will reference the fact that they're Asian, but if they are interested in their heritage, will also talk about being Chinese or Korean, etc. For instance, a friend of mine who is Chinese sends her kids to Chinese school on Saturdays and is active in the greater Chinese community, is well versed in the different regions of Chinese food, makes fun of her husband's "peasant" Cantonese nose...etc. So while she'll talk about being Asian, it's also important that she's Chinese.

I also have a friend who has always described herself as Mexican, not the more generic Latina...

Franzilla:
My husband would never say Latino and he's from Chile. One of my good friends from El Salvador would also not describe herself as a Latina. But they may be exceptions. As the others have said, they'd be more specific.

ello:
As long as you don't use the term oriental, Asian is a good catchall. Especially when people don't know which specific Asian country the person's background is. Then Asian is the best way to go. But if you are talking specifically about your POC characters, then the more specific you are the better! Good luck!

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