Inclusive Language Guide
Inclusive language is respectful, identity-affirming language, which is key to creating a welcoming environment that is antiracist and embraces diversity as a whole. This guide is an evolving tool to help OHSU members and others learn about and use inclusive language.
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American Indian or Alaska Native

“American Indian or Alaska Native” (AI/AN) includes all individuals who identify with any of the original peoples of North America and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. Oregon has nine recognized tribes. Indigenous people use a range of words to describe themselves and prefer various descriptors to be used by others. Some say American Indian or Native American, though both are white European constructs. Most identify with their specific nation, such as a member of the Navajo Nation. Respectful, general terms are Indigenous people or First People. Learn more. (See Mesoamerican Indigenous people under Hispanic/Latino/Latinx.)

Arab and Arabian

Arab is an umbrella term for a pan-ethnic group of people, composed of many ethnicities. Generally, and even more so presently, Arabs descend from member nations of the Arab League, 22 nations and territories formed in 1945. However, there are people who live in Arab countries who do not consider themselves Arabs, such as the Kurds.

Arabs are also not necessarily Arabians. Arabians are people from the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian Peninsula is now home to Arabic peoples, so you could say that Arabians are Arabs, but not all Arabs are Arabians, since many live off of the peninsula. The Arab peoples are united by an identity of a shared culture and history.

Most Arabs speak Arabic, which is a language and not meant to refer to the people, though you could say “Arabic-speaking people.” (See also Middle Easterner.)

Asian

An individual who identifies with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating in the Far East, Southeast Asia or the Indian subcontinent.

Black/African American

The most inclusive term is Black people, denoting a shared sense of identity and experience in this country related to skin color and not narrowing by the gender “men” or “women.” Black people trace their origins to many countries, languages and ethnicities.

African American is technically accurate for individuals and groups who identify as Americans and trace their ancestry to Africa. Afro-Caribbean American denotes people who identify as Americans and trace their ancestry to both Africa and the Caribbean. Caribbean American denotes those who identify as American and solely with Caribbean ancestry. There are many other variations.

An African is a person of African descent. Africans may be various races. Some do not identify with Black or African American culture.

Middle Easterner

A person or a descendant from the Middle East. The Middle Eastern countries are: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Northern Cyprus, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Afghanistan and Pakistan, are not included in the Middle East. These nations, as well as Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and even Djibouti and Somalia, have been referred to as part of the Greater Middle East.

Native Hawaiian

An individual who is Native Hawaiian or is a descendant. They are the aboriginal Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islanders and/or their descendants.

Pacific Islander

An individual who identifies or descends from the Pacific Islands or ancestry. The three major sub-regions include Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. A U.S. Census term, referring to one of eight groups — Fijian, Guamanian, Hawaiian, Northern Mariana Islander, Palauan, Samoan, Tahitian, and Tonga Pilipino.

Persian

Persian can refer to people of Iran and a language. But, when referring to people, Persians are Iranians who speak the Persian language (Farsi). The term Persian people historically meant “from Persis,” which is around Pars, Iran, north of the Persian Gulf. With this definition, not all Iranians are Persians, but all Persians are Iranians, nationally.

However, some now designate Persian people as a pan-ethnic group (like the Arab people). If unclear, describe someone from Iran as Iranian. Also, many Iranians use “Persian” to make a locational, rather than an ethnic, distinction. So there may be non-Persian people (who don’t speak Farsi) whom Iranians deem Persian, as they come from the Persian region. Learn more at teachmideast.com.

Roma, Romany, Romani

The Roma or Romani (also spelled Romany) are a traditionally itinerant ethnic group. Oregon has a large Roma community. They are often called Gypsies, but this is a term with negative connotations of illegal activity, and many Roma do not identify with it. Romany (with a y) usually refers specifically to Romanichals, the native Romani subgroup in England. Learn more about Oregon Roma history.

Russians and Russian Old Believers

It is appropriate to use the phrase “a person from Russia” to refer to people (regardless of religion) who hail from this country. But coming from Russia can be different from identifying ethnically as Russian. Russia, like China, is home to many ethnicities, such as Chechan or Tatar. “He comes from Russia” is appropriate, but “he is Russian” may be inaccurate. A subset identifies as Russian Orthodox Old Believers (starovery). They are descendants of medieval Russians who refused to adopt the mid-17th century church reforms, viewing them as sacrilegious. Therefore, the Old Believers are also referred to as Old Ritualists (staroobryadtsy). Many Russian Old Believers live in Oregon. Learn more about Old Believers in Oregon.

AFAB and AMAB

Acronyms for assigned female at birth and assigned male at birth.

Agender

A general term to describe someone who has no gender.

Ally

Any non-LGBTQ person who helps or supports an LGBTQ person or the LGBTQ community; also used in the context of race, as in “white ally” to people of color, or, “white accomplice.”

Assigned gender

The gender a person is identified as at birth, usually based on their anatomy.

Cisgender

People who identify with their assigned gender. From the Latin prefix cis-, which means “on this side of,” as opposed to trans-, which means “on the other side of.”

Gender-affirming surgery

Any surgery that changes a person’s body to align with the person’s gender identity. This may involve chest reconstruction (commonly called top surgery), genital reconstruction (also called bottom surgery) and other physical changes.

Gender dysphoria

A person’s deep dissatisfaction, anxiety or distress about the disparity between their gender identity and assigned gender. Not all transgender people have dysphoria.

Gender expression

The external ways in which people show their gender. This could be through their name, pronouns, appearance, voice, mannerisms and other means. Transgender people’s gender expression often matches their gender identity. But gender expression doesn’t always fit society’s defined roles.

Gender fluid

This means having a gender identity that changes — long term, day to day or on any other timeline.

Gender identity

A person’s inner sense of their gender, whether it’s male, female, a combination of both, fluid or neither. Transgender people’s gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth. Your gender identity may not be obvious to other people.

Gender nonconforming

A descriptive term for people whose gender identity or expression doesn’t fit traditional male and female roles and behavior. It doesn’t necessarily mean transgender. For example, someone who was assigned male at birth and who identifies as male but whose gender expression does not fit traditional male roles may consider themselves gender nonconforming but not transgender.

Genderqueer

Another term for gender nonconforming.

Intersex

This is an umbrella term to describe people born with chromosomes, hormones and/or anatomy that is not typically male or female. Intersex people can be any gender, including transgender or gender nonbinary.

Multigender

Identifying as two or more genders. People who identify as two genders may call themselves bigender.

Nonbinary

Anyone who identifies as neither male nor female. Some nonbinary people consider themselves transgender; others do not.

Transgender

An umbrella term to describe people whose gender identity or gender expression is different from the gender they were assigned at birth. Not all transgender people change their bodies with hormones or surgery, and not all match their gender identity with their gender expression. Transgender is sometimes shortened to trans. Neither is used as a noun.

Transition

The process of aligning gender expression with gender identity. Transition is different for every transgender person. Some make social changes, such as using a different name and pronouns, or wearing different clothes. Some use hormone therapy to change themselves physically and emotionally. Others choose surgery. Many choose a combination. Transitioning may be public, including telling family, friends and co-workers. It may include changing your name and gender on legal documents. Or it may be private.

Ableism

Discrimination in favor of people who are able-bodied. “After your meeting, will you run down to my office to pick up the documents?”

Able-bodied

A person without a physical disability.

Ageism

Discrimination based on age – usually negatively stereotyping older adults or the aging process but also patronizing or underestimating the abilities of younger people. Learn more on Wikipedia.

Autism spectrum disorder

A complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. The effects and severity differ in each person. Preferred general language is a person with autism spectrum disorder or a person on the autism spectrum, but many in this community refer to themselves as autistic people. (See above reference in the Principles section to people-first versus identity-first language)

Autism spectrum disorder now includes the neurodevelopmental disorder called Asperger’s syndrome, named for the German pediatrician Hans Asperger. Dr. Asperger played a pioneering role in the understanding of autism during the 1930s and 1940s, but has been proven, in recent years, to have used the designation to deem some children as intelligent and others as unfit, signing the paperwork for them to go to a Nazi hospital where children were euthanized.

Body weight

People of higher weight experience discrimination and stigma as a result of living in a larger body. A 2020 review analyzed 33 studies related to people’s preferences around weightrelated terminology. It identified the terms obese and fat as the least acceptable among study participants (Puhl, 2020). However, some people of higher weight have reclaimed the term “fat” and self-identify this way (Meadows & Daníelsdóttir, 2016). If a person of higher weight encourages you to describe them as fat, then it is appropriate to do as asked, otherwise “higher weight” or “larger body” are preferred.

This does not change the recommendation to avoid using the term to describe someone unless encouraged to do so by that person.

Deaf person

A person who is part of the Deaf community. The Deaf community has its own culture, language(s). See the Diversity Style Guide for more information.

Hard of hearing

A phrase used to describe a person usually with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Hidden/invisible disability

A non-obvious/hidden/invisible condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including people with non-obvious visual or auditory disabilities or repetitive strain injury. Learn more about hidden/invisible disabilities.

Neurodiverse

An adjective most often used to describe autistic people or other people who have neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behavior.

Neurotypical

An adjective used to describe people who have typical developmental, intellectual and cognitive abilities. Generally used in contrast with people who are neurodiverse.

Obvious disability

A manifestation of the body that indicates some type of disability.

Person with a disability/people with disabilities

This represents person-first language; see the person, not the disability. Widely, but not universally used in the community for people with disabilities. For example, Deaf people and autistic (neurodiverse people) prefer the respective adjectives to proceed the word people. People with disabilities are not all the same.

Sanism (mentalism)

A type of discrimination and oppression against a mental trait or condition a person has or is judged to have. The discrimination/oppression often occurs through common phrases, i.e.; “crazy talk,” “mental case,” “lunatic,” “wacky,” “nuts,” etc.

Substance use disorder

A disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal medication or drug. Use instead of “addicted to drugs” or “drug addict.”

Accessibility

The extent to which a facility is readily approachable and usable by individuals with disabilities, particularly such areas as the residence halls, classrooms, and public areas.

Age-ism

Prejudiced thoughts and discriminatory actions based on differences in age; usually that of younger persons against older.

Ally

Someone who makes the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on gender, class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice, understanding that it is in their own interest to end all forms of oppression, even those that they may benefit from in concrete ways.

Anti-racist

An anti-racist is a person supporting antiracist policy through their actions or expressing antiracist ideas. This includes the expression or ideas that racial groups are equals and do not need developing, and supporting policies that reduce racial inequity.

Anti-Black

The Council for Democratizing Education defines anti-Blackness as being a two-part formation that both voids Blackness of value, while systematically marginalizing Black people and their issues. The first form of anti-Blackness is overt racism. Beneath this anti-Black racism is the covert structural and systemic racism, which categorically predetermines the socioeconomic status of Blacks in this country. The structure is held in place by anti-Black policies, institutions, and ideologies.

Active bystander

Someone who intervenes to stop, assist or constructively address inappropriate or harmful behavior, language or situations.

Bias

A subjective opinion, preference, prejudice, or inclination, often formed without reasonable justification that influences the ability of an individual or group to evaluate a situation objectively or accurately.

Brave space

Honors and invites full engagement from individuals who are vulnerable while also setting the expectation that there could be an oppressive moment that the facilitator and allies have a responsibility to address.

Bystander

Someone who witnesses or is made aware of behavior, language, or situations that are or could be inappropriate or harmful to the community.

Color blind

The belief in treating everyone “equally” by treating everyone the same; based on the presumption that differences are by definition bad or problematic, and therefore best ignored (i.e., “I don’t see race, gender, etc.”).

Color-ism

A form of prejudice or discrimination in which people are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color.

Cultural competence

The ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures, more of a learned/taught condition.

Cultural humility

An interpersonal stance that is open to individuals and communities of varying cultures, in relation to aspects of the cultural identity most important to the person. Cultural humility can include a life-long commitment to self-critique about differences in culture and a commitment to be aware of and actively mitigate power imbalances between cultures.

Cultural white privilege

A set of dominant cultural assumptions about what is good, normal or appropriate that reflects Western European white worldviews and dismisses or demonizes other worldviews.

Discrimination

Actions based on conscious or unconscious prejudice that favor one group over others in the provision of goods, services or opportunities. The unequal treatment of members of various groups based on race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, and/or other categories.

Equality

Treating everyone the same way, often while assuming that everyone also starts out on equal footing or with the same opportunities.

Equity

Working toward fair outcomes for people or groups by treating them in ways that address their unique advantages or barriers.

Hate crime

Hate crime legislation often defines a hate crime as a crime motivated by the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.

Inclusion

The act of creating involvement, environments and empowerment in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate with equal access to opportunities and resources embrace differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people.

Individual racism

Beliefs, attitudes, and action of individuals that support or perpetuate racism in a conscious and unconscious ways.

Interpersonal racism

Slurs, biases, or hateful works and actions.

Institutional racism

Institutional racism refers specifically to the ways in which institutional policies and practices create different outcomes for different racial groups. The institutional policies may never mention any racial group, but their effect is to create advantages for whites, oppression, and disadvantage for people from groups classified as people of color.

Karen

Slang for a white woman who is extremely aware of her privilege and uses it as a weapon against individuals who identify with minoritized groups.

Ken

Slang for white male who is extremely aware of his privilege and uses it as a weapon against individuals who identify with minoritized groups.

Micro-aggressions

Commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory racial slights. These messages may be sent verbally, (“You speak good English”), non-verbally (clutching one’s purse more tightly around people from certain race/ethnicity) or environmentally (symbols like the confederate flag or using Native American mascots). Such communications are usually outside the level of conscious awareness of perpetrators.

Micro-insults

Verbal and nonverbal communications that subtly convey rudeness and insensitivity and demean a person’s racial heritage or identity. An example is an employee who asks a colleague of color how she got her job, implying she may have landed it through an affirmative action or quota system.

Micro-invalidation

Communications that subtly exclude negate or nullify the thoughts, feelings or experiential reality of a person of color. For instance, white individuals often ask Asian-Americans where they were born, conveying the message that they are perpetual foreigners in their own land.

Model minority

Refers to a minority ethnic, racial, or religious group whose members achieve a higher degree of success than the population average. This success is typically measured in income, education, and related factors such as low crime rate and high family stability.

Privilege

Unearned social power accorded by the formal and informal institutions of society to ALL members of a dominant group.

Racist

One who is supporting a racist policy through their actions or interaction or expressing a racist idea.

Racial profiling

The use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense.

Safe space

Refers to an environment in which everyone feels comfortable expressing themselves and participating fully, without fear of attack, ridicule or denial of experience.

Structural white privilege

A system of white domination that creates and maintains belief systems that make current racial advantages and disadvantages seem normal. The system includes powerful incentives for maintaining white privilege and its consequences, and powerful negative consequences for trying to interrupt white privilege or reduce its consequences in meaningful ways. The system includes internal and external manifestations at the individual, interpersonal, cultural and institutional levels.

System of oppression

Conscious and unconscious, non-random, and organized harassment, discrimination, exploitation, discrimination, prejudice and other forms of unequal treatment that impact different groups.

Token-ism

Hiring or seeking to have representation such as a few women and/or racial or ethnic minority persons to appear inclusive while remaining mono-cultural.

Unconscious bias (implicit bias)

Social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing.

Whiteness

A broad social construction that embraces the white culture, history, ideology, racialization, expressions, and economic, experiences, epistemology, and emotions and behaviors and nonetheless reaps material, political, economic, and structural benefits for those socially deemed white.

White fragility

A state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable [for white people], triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium.

White privilege

As a member of the dominant group, a white person may have greater access or availability to resources because of being white in the U.S. Life may be structured around not having to daily think about skin color and the questions, looks, and hurdles that individuals of color endure and overcome. White privilege may be less recognizable to some white people because of gender, age, sexual orientation, economic class or physical or mental ability, but it remains a reality because of one’s membership in the white dominant group.

White supremacy

White supremacy is a historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations and individuals of color by white individuals and nations of the European continent for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power and privilege.