Are BAME or POC appropriate terms?

BAME stands for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, BME stands for Black and Minority Ethnic, BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, and POC stands for People of Colour.

For decades, acronyms were given to non-white groups, such as BAME, BME, BIPOC, and POC. These terms were to create easy references and groupings, commonly used in data compilation and by businesses to refer to their non-white employees.

The conversation critiquing these terms were prompted by the Black Lives Matter protests in May 2020. This led authorities and corporations to evaluate these terms and their effectiveness in being sensitive to non-white groups.

In March 2022, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities recommended that the government stop using the term BAME. The British government has decided to use the term "ethnic minorities" instead. The issue with BAME, BME, and BIPOC is that these terms place more emphasis on certain groups over others, such as Black and Asian in BAME.

In the Evening Standard, Natasha Mwansa raised some enlightening points about these terms. She suggests that grouping minorities may paint a shared experience among very different ethnic groups. Each ethnic group has distinct experiences, shaped by their cultural influences, community, and day-to-day life in the country they have settled in.

She clarified that "grouping ethnicities also infers whiteness as the status quo, with everyone else fitting into the ‘other’ box, reduced to letters and generalisations." It can also suggest that whiteness is the norm, creating a need to generalise anyone who doesn’t fit into that box of 'whiteness.'

I noticed how the word ‘Black’ was often avoided and replaced with acronyms as if people were afraid of it. These acronyms seemed to demonise the identifying term and created animosity around it. The attempts to recognise diversity ultimately led to racial insensitivity.

This discussion went mainstream after the Black Lives Matter protests, which highlighted that the protests were necessary not just to fight for better treatment for Black people but to call for fairer approaches from corporations and authorities towards all non-white groups. While society is often claimed to be too sensitive, I believe it is simply under pressure to be socially aware and culturally sensitive. After the long colonial history of countries like the UK and the US, this is a necessary and long-awaited change.

This debate has sparked a broader discussion among the public, giving people from non-white ethnicities the opportunity to feel more comfortable expressing their opinions on race. The answer to what the safest term is is complicated. Creating terms to refer to non-white groups will always be an issue, as it unintentionally plays into the system of white superiority by alienating any terms that fit outside ‘white.’

It is always best to use specific terms when necessary rather than broad terms that generalise. Many guides are available online provided by governments and other public bodies, explaining how to use the appropriate terms when referring to different groups.

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