Student Manual (2012-2013 PDF) - Newberry College

Ethnic Bias1. Apply the same test to nationality that one would apply to race. Avoid assuming thingsabout any nationality.2. Such expressions as “backward nations” or even “emerging nations” suggest a hierarchyof values that is inappropriate.3. Bias also exists in geographical stereotypes such as Southern racist, country bumpkin,and Washington politician. Such code words and their implications should be avoided.4. While persons from other nations may speak imperfect or accented English, avoid usingsuch a device to imply that they are uneducated or inferior.5. “American Indian” is an acceptable term for referring to peoples resident on this continentwhen the Europeans arrived. “Native American” is also used, though that term is indisfavor with many Indian groups because the federal government now includes Samoansand Hawaiians in that category. Wherever possible, writers and speakers should refer tospecific tribes and nations (e.g., Navajo, Hopi, Sioux, Seminole). “Alaskan Natives” isan acceptable term for the tribes of that region. The term “squaw” is highly offensive toIndian women. They have babies, not “papooses.” Do not cast Native Americans in themold of the Indian as he or she appears in old western movies.Religion Bias1. Be as precise as possible in referring to teachings, practices, and the history of otherfaiths.2. Be careful in using references to New Testament Jews. There is a long history of bias inChristianity that blames Jews for the death of Jesus and for the persecution of the earlyChurch. Blaming the Jews alone for Jesus’ death ignores the facts that the authoritiescondemning Jesus were Romans, that [Jesus himself and] the earliest Christians wereJews, and that the sins of all humanity led to the Crucifixion.3. Avoid suggesting that God works only through the established Christian church orthrough “orthodox” believers. The result of such a suggestion is that anyone else is considered“against” God.4. In references to the Muslim faith, avoid outmoded terminology and spellings. Currently“Muslim” is preferred to “Moslem,” “Islam” to “Mohammedanism,” “Muhammad” ratherthan “Mohammed” and “Qu’ran” rather than “Koran,” although the latter is still in wideuse. Muslims consider Allah as the same God worshipped by Christians and Jews, andthey revere the Old Testament as a record of God’s acts. Allah is the Arabic word forGod, and is also used by Arab Christians as well as Muslims.Material and Physical Biases[Avoid pejorative and condescending terms in referring to those with physical disabilities.Prefer “persons who are disabled, people with disabilities, or disabled persons” to “thedisabled, crippled, deformed, or invalid.”]41