Generalizations about racial and ethnic groups can result in especially harmful stereotyping. To build common ground, then, avoid language that ignores differences not only among individual members of a race or ethnic group but also among subgroups. Writers must be aware, for instance, of the diverse places from which Americans of Spanish-speaking ancestry have come.

When writing about an ethnic or racial group, how can you refer to that group in terms that its members actually desire? Doing so is sometimes not an easy task, for terms can change often and vary widely.

The word colored, for example, was once widely used in the United States to refer to Americans of African ancestry. By the 1950s, the preferred term had become Negro. This changed in the 1960s, however, as black came to be preferred by most, though certainly not all, members of that community. Since the late 1980s, both black—sometimes capitalized (Black)—and African American have been widely used.

The word Oriental, once used to refer to people of East Asian descent, is now often considered offensive. At the University of California at Berkeley, the Oriental Languages Department is now known as the East Asian Languages Department. One advocate of the change explained that Oriental is appropriate for objects—like rugs—but not for people.

Once widely preferred, the term Native American is being challenged by those who argue that the most appropriate way to refer to indigenous peoples is by the specific name of the tribe or pueblo, such as Chippewa or Diné. Many indigenous peoples once referred to as Eskimos now prefer Inuit or a specific term such as Tlingit. It has also become fairly common for tribal groups to refer to themselves as Indians or Indian tribes.

Among Americans of Spanish-speaking descent, the preferred terms of reference are many: Chicano/Chicana, Hispanic, Latin American, Latino/Latina, Mexican American, Dominican, and Puerto Rican, to name but a few.

Clearly, then, ethnic terminology changes often enough to challenge the most careful writers—including writers who belong to the groups they are writing about. Consider your words carefully, seek information about ways members of groups refer to themselves (or ask about preferences), but don’t expect one person to speak for all members of a group or expect unanimity on such terms. Finally, check any term you are unsure of in a current dictionary. Random House Webster’s College Dictionary includes particularly helpful usage notes about racial and ethnic designations.