Interesting definitions on questions that keeping coming up in various circles.

The terms “non-white”, “person of colour”, and “visible minority” mean different things. These categories overlap, but these terms are not interchangeable.

A non-white is a person who is not white. Mixed-raced individuals who are “part white” or “also white” are not “non-whites”; however, they may be visible minorities or people of colour.

A person of colour is a person who self-identifies as a person of colour. A person of colour may pass as white. Rashida Jones self-identifies as black, and she may self-identify as a person of colour. However, she can pass for white and is not a visible minority.

A visible minority is a person who cannot pass as white. A visible minority may be white, in the case of mixed-raced individuals with white ancestry. A visible minority may not necessarily be a person of colour, as there are some visible minorities that do not self-identify as a person of colour. In the Canadian Census, aboriginals are excluded from the “visible minority” category, which is problematic.

Some people think that the term “visible minority” is racist, but the concept of “visible minority” is important to understanding racism. People of colour who can pass for white have fewer barriers compared to people of colour who are visible minorities.

Via Restructure

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