Avoid using the following words and language that is biased and insensitive toward race, ethnicity, culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religion, or disability. Remember: People identify and perceive themselves in many different ways.
Do not include information that is not relevant to your topic. See bias-free language.
Female versus woman Preferred term is woman as an adjective. Though “female” refers to one‘s biological identity and is often used in science-related materials, Oberlin’s preferred term is “woman,” which aligns with one's social identity. Kamala Harris is the first woman vice president of the United States. Ursula Burns was the first Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company.
illegal alien Refer to the action not the person. Avoid use of illegal or alien. Use unauthorized immigrant or undocumented student/person.
marginalized Avoid, meaning denotes a person, group, or concept treated as insignificant or peripheral. Instead use underrepresented.
minority Because of its “lesser than” meaning, avoid when possible; do not use minority as a noun in the singular. However, it is acceptable as an adjective in broad references to multiple races other than white in the United States: We will hire more members of minority groups.
Be sure the term is accurate in each circumstance, since what constitutes a racial minority varies by location.
POC, BIPOC, BAME Do not use the shorthand POC, BIPOC or BAME unless necessary in a direct quotation; when used, explain it.
BAME acronym for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic; often used in the U.K., and considered an offensive and unflattering catchall term that allows no room for distinction or individuality.
Third World Avoid use of this term. Developing nations is more appropriate when referring to the economically developing nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America.