Do I count as a Person Of Colour?

Well one thing's for sure, you're a minority to me What with your use of the word "Colour" People that use the Queen's English are very few in my country lol

As for your actual question, you're probably for all intents and purposes just viewed as white, now when it comes to legal documentation or applications/resumes, that's when it starts to make a bit of sway.

But to be fair, it doesn't really matter what color/breed/age/gender you are, you're you, and that's all that should matter

 

First, I should say that I have never heard of Asians being counted as "persons of color". I'm not saying it doesn't happen...and maybe it's different in the UK...but the "color" in question (at least in venues I've experienced) tends to be brown, and Southeast Asians are seen as having more golden than brown skin. Gold is still a color, sure. But so is pink (the color of my skin) (in that nobody is completely invisible, we are *all* persons of color by that argument). But regardless of POC-status, Asians certainly *do* count as racial minorities in places where the majority is not Asian (such as the UK...or the US). Anyway, I'm sure people can quibble or outright say I'm wrong about this...it matters not a whit to me, nor do I think it's relevant to your real question.

I *think* your real question is not one of definition or technicality, but one of identity. If you have Southeast Asian ancestry, then you have every right to identify as a person of SE Asian descent. It sounds like in your case, this diversity is invisible. That doesn't make it less valid. As a queer woman, my diversity is invisible...it doesn't mean I'm not part of a minority group...it just means that you can't tell that by looking at me. So yeah, it makes sense that people would look at you and assume you are in a minority group...but they'd be wrong about that. And you should feel free to correct people (gently, politely, since their misunderstanding was a reasonable one) who incorrectly label you as "white/caucasian", and to mark "SE Asian descent" on forms, etc.

On the other hand, if you really thought of yourself as white/caucasian...if that was the group with whom you identified...and you passed as one...then I'd see no harm in specifying that on forms either; and certainly no obligation to correct people who see you that way.

 

It's just spelt like that in the UK. For "British English" it would be spelt colour where as in "American English" it's spelt color. It's just a cultural thing.

Kind of like words we spell with S in British English tend to be spelt with Z in American English Like "organised" compared to "organized".

And certain spellings like

British English: Through
American English: Thru

 

Well first off, lemme address that I'm aware of the differences between our two English dialects lol

Also, another point is that while the word "Thru" is an acceptable term used here, it's mostly just used in things like McDonald's drive through signs. Other than that, it's pretty accepted that the word "through" is the most used and accepted version used, and if you were to use the other in an application or formal letter, you might get a sideways glance lol. I'd assume it's used in your country as well though

Anyway, that was just my off-topic rant on the English language :lol:

 

Asians are POC.

People of color is a term that is used to describe the collection of races that have been distinctly deemed non-White or othered on a sociological scale. It is not about holding up paint swatches to the skin of others. Albino people of color are still people of color. White passing Black and Latino people are still Black and Latino. Asians with light skin are no less Asian than Asians with brown skin. Partly because race is not simply a matter of color; and partly because these individuals are still non-White and classified as others on a sociological scale.

As someone who is mixed Black person with a name that was derived from a French name, I know exactly what you are feeling. What a lot of people don't understanding is that it is not the fact that you might not have guessed that someone's racial background or heritage, it is the fact that, especially when it comes to people of color, people are so eager to disregard what they would rather not see.

The amount of times that people have explicitly asked me what my background is and I am told people that I am also Cherokee and French and the response is "But you're really only Black". My name is literally a French name with an additional accent and I am told that "Well, it just sounded like a Black name." As if Black French people haven't existed for centuries. White individuals can be a quarter Polish, a quarter Irish, a quarter Hungarian, etc, and their identity is never up for debate; however, those who are racially Black, Asian, Latino, or mixed it suddenly becomes your job to prove to people that you are anything more than what they believe a Black, Asian, or Latino person is.

My primary recommendation would be to look on the bright side and use this as a way to weed out the ignorant people that you encounter on a regular basis. Comments such as these make it very clear who you would rather not waste your time with so use them as red flag.

 

Yeah, I've only seen it on McDonald's and other fast food companies. I just presumed that it was just the American spelling of the word for general purposes, my mistake. :icon_redf

 

Well, better question: Does it matter? Be whoever you want to be, regardless of colo(u)r.

seeing the long replies above I'm already getting bore without even reading them...yeah - *the west and their race problems again...*

 

It's funny actually, was just thinking the other day of posting on WAYT how hilarious it is to see people of Southern or Eastern European descent saying they're only attracted to "other White people."

Not too long ago Southern and Eastern Europeans weren't considered "White." Cracks me up.

Anyhow, I'm with lemons, does it really matter?

 

Asians and multiracial people are people of color, so yes, even if you do have "passing privilege". The fact that you don't relate to whiteness at all is a dead giveaway, I think. Obviously, you're going to be affected differently by issues other minority members face, either directly or indirectly. Suppose a family member is attacked because of their ethnicity, religion, or appearance.

 

Well yeah...just a couple of points about EE: Slavs come from Poland which is very northern and also from Finland.
One can claim the white-Scandinavians are actually darker compared to people from EE since all the scandinavian-descended people I've seen have a slightly "reddish" tone on their skin...no idea is this is due to inability to tan or just natural skin, but it's definitely not as white as someone from say Moscow will be.

Plus: What is considered somewhere doesn't matter. The Americans considered the "japs"(as they called them...) to be bad during ww2 and the nazis considered the jews to be "not worthy of living" - it matters only if these people were correct not the consideration resulting from their personal opinion.

 

While honestly I don't think about the color of someone's skin, I'd say a "person of color" has to do with your complexion more than your ethnicity.

 

1. When I read the term "Person of color", I thought immediately of blue and orange.

2. Cultural shocks, duh!

3. +1 vote for lemons for *the west and their race problems again...* :lol:

 

I'm the same kind of mix as you. I'm half french and half south east asian. Some people refer to it as hapa. I've met many hapa people and there is so much variety in appearance within the group - some may have purely asian features and skin tone, while at first glance others may not look asian at all. Personally, I don't think my skin is dark enough for me to consider myself a person of color, even though I'm referred to as asian within my circle of friends. If I need to state my ethnicity, I will go with "mixed" or I will check off both the "white" and "s.e. asian" boxes. But, within my family, I have a sister who has darker brown skin (same parents). I think she could refer to herself as a person of color if she chose to.

I don't know if there is any rigorous definition for the POC label. I don't think it's as simple as skin tone either. For instance, a white person with a really dark suntan would not be a person of color. In my opinion, the term POC, implies that you are part of a group of people that has been historically discriminated against because of the color of their skin.

 

You count as a person of color. I have a cousin who is half black and half white and looks completely white. She identifies very strongly with being a person of color. There is a club for women of color at my school and they are always encouraging all women of color, including asian and mixed race to join. As a person who appears white, you may sometimes be treated better than people who don't look white, but that doesn't change the history of your family or the fact that you have an Asian parent. Anyway, greetings from a fellow biracial person!

 

Technically speaking, you definitely count as a person of color. However, it's always important to remember your privelege as a white-passing person. I have the same issue. I'm of Jewish descent, which makes me a person of color, but I look white, so I don't face as much discrimination as someone who actually appears non-white (though I do experience a little of it because I wear a traditional head-wrap).