non-white
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. Having skin rich in melanin pigments; not of the white racial group. This term describes a person or group of people whose skin color is not pale or light, often used in demographic, sociological, or historical contexts to refer collectively to people who are not considered white. It is a broad categorical term.
Usage
- The term is primarily used in formal, statistical, or academic contexts (e.g., census data, sociological studies) to categorize populations.
- It is often used in contrast to "white." For example:
- Note: While used in formal settings, the term can be considered overly broad and impersonal. More specific terms (e.g., Black, Asian, Indigenous) are often preferred when referring to particular racial or ethnic groups.
Examples
- Adjective:
- The organization advocates for the rights of non-white communities.
- Historically, non-white citizens faced legal discrimination in many countries.
- The study focused on economic disparities between white and non-white households.
Advanced Usage
- The term can function as a compound adjective (e.g., non-white voters) or as a nominalized adjective (e.g., "rights for non-whites"), though the latter usage is less common and can be seen as reductive.
- It is sometimes used in phrases like "people of color," though "people of color" is generally preferred in contemporary discourse as it centers the person first.
Variants and Related Words
- Person of color / People of color (noun): A contemporary term often preferred over "non-white" as it affirms identity rather than defining it in opposition to whiteness.
- BIPOC (noun): An acronym for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, used to highlight the unique experiences of Black and Indigenous peoples.
- Minority (noun/adjective): Often used in demographic contexts, but can be inaccurate in regions or contexts where "non-white" people constitute the majority.
Synonyms
- Colored (adj): An outdated and often offensive term, historically used in contexts like segregation (e.g., "colored water fountain"). Its use is now widely discouraged except in specific historical names (e.g., the NAACP).
- Dark-skinned (adj): Describes skin tone specifically, but is not synonymous with "non-white," as it refers to a physical characteristic rather than a social racial category.
Adjective
- having skin rich in melanin pigments
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- dark-skinned peoples