Race-related writing

AP Stylebook: Resource for race-related coverage

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UPDATE July 28, 2020

The AP Stylebook’s updated race-related coverage guidance is open for public review. No login is needed.

Also AP Stylebook now recommends capitalizing “Black” and “Indigenous” when referring to race. I believe I found and corrected my usage in this article.

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Original post written in November 2019

Because I rarely reference race in my writings — since people are people, I forgot to include it in my post on Equal Folks. I went to my number one source for word usage and grammar The Associated Press Stylebook otherwise known as AP Stylebook. As anticipated, my online AP Stylebook provides an excellent reference point for “race-related coverage.”

Here’s what I found when needing clarity in your story:

• Use “people of color” or “racial minority” when you refer to minority groups in general. Avoid using “minority” to describe an individual.
• When describing people with more than one heritage or country of origin, you can use “biracial” or “multiracial.” Again, make sure the distinction supports your plot or story line; otherwise heritage does not matter.
• Again, if needed for clarity of your story, use “Black” and “white” as an adjective: Black teachers or white teachers.
• Use plural nouns only if limited space such as “…Blacks, whites, Latinos, and Asian Americans.”
• Caucasian is not a synonym for “white.” AP Stylebook suggests avoiding it.
• If under 18 years of age, use Black child. Same goes with “white” and other racial adjectives. If needed for your story, you can use Black girl or boy. Be aware of the historical connotation of the words we choose.
• If over 18, always use man or woman in any race. Using boy or girl can be demeaning because people have been known to use those words to make themselves seem superior.
• If dual heritage, use African American, Asian American, Filipino American, Mexican American, and Native American. AP Style no longer hyphenates the two. Accordingly, only use if the country of origin adds substance or clarity to your story line.
• You need to also avoid using “Orient” or “Oriental.” The correct term for people in the East Asian countries is “Asian.” Use of the term “Indian” will pull your readers to the Asian country of India and their cultural heritage.
• Hispanic refers to a person whose ancestors came from a Spanish speaking culture. Latino (male) and Latina (female) are acceptable; use Latin for gender neutral. According to AP Stylebook, we should be more specific when we can. AP recommends we use Brazilian, Cuban, Mexican American, and Puerto Rican instead.
• When referencing the original inhabitants of a place, use the term “Indigenous.”
• Also, AP Stylebook recommends referencing the tribe of an individual when writing about American Indians or Native Americans. AP Stylebook uses examples of “Navajo commissioner” and, “He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.” Use “Alaska Natives” when referencing Indigenous groups in Alaska. In Canada, native tribes use “First Nation.”

Society of Professional Journalists

Another great reference site on diversity issues comes from the Society of Professional Journalists‘ The Diversity Style Guide. This guide addresses nationalities, age factors, and religion in addition to race. Find out more on their website including additional writing style guides they have produced for professional writers.

I’ve listed additional writing guides and content resources in my post Resources You Can Use. These resources have taken me years to find. Check them out. There may be some link you need to move you forward.

Words matter; use them wisely.

Take care. Jan

P.S. You need an account to access the race-related coverage where I found this information. If you would like your own AP Stylebook access point, you can order online for $29 a year (as of this posting). You can also purchase a hard copy of the book. Either one works. The online version works best for me and my need for searching results through my browser — and desire to be current in my writings. If you write, I recommend you purchase.