Guide to Inclusive Language
Adelphi is a welcoming and inclusive campus and community that respects and honors different religions, abilities, preferences and backgrounds, and the language we use reflects this.
Words have the power to unite or divide us, to make your audience feel accepted or rejected. We’ve created this guide to provide all members of the Adelphi community with the current inclusive language terminology. We will update this guide as the terminology evolves.
The words and phrases in this guide are recommendations. As a general rule, ask the individual or group what terms they prefer and use those.
Request assistance fromUniversity Communications and Marketingif you are unsure about language; the rules around correct language change and evolve over time. You may also seek assistance from ourOffice for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.
African American/Black
In general, useBlack(capitalized), notblack,when referring to people of African descent. When referring to a specific group or individual, use the term they prefer, such as Black, African American,African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latino or other. Refer to groups asBlack students,Black faculty members, etc., notBlacks.
Antisemitic
Useantisemitic,notanti-Semitic,asSemitismis a pseudoscientific racial classification.
Asian, Asian American, Pacific Islander
Asianrefers to people who are citizens of countries in the Far East, Southeast Asia or the Indian subcontinent, or to describe people of Asian descent. Asian Americans trace their origins to these regions.
Pacific Islandersincludes Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Guamanian, Fijian and other peoples of the Pacific Island nations.
UseAsian/Pacific IslanderorAsian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)when referring to this population in its entirety. Otherwise, use the preferred term of the individual or group.
Hispanic / Latino/a / LatinX
Hispanicrefers to people from Spanish-speaking countries.Latino/a/LatinXis a person of Latin American descent who can be of any background or language. Therefore, people from Chile, Guatemala or Cuba who speak Spanish are both Hispanic and Latino/a/LatinX. Brazilians who speak Portuguese are Latino/a/LatinX, not Hispanic, and Spanish-speaking people in Spain and outside Latin America are Hispanic but not Latino/a/LatinX.
In general, our style isHispanic, but use the term preferred by the individual or group, who may identify as, for example, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Mexican American or Cuban American. If the individual or group does not identify as either Latino or Latina, the gender-neutral termLatinXcan be used.
Indigenous
CapitalizeIndigenouswhen referring to the original inhabitants of an area.
National Origins
Do not hyphenate national origins even if they are used as adjectives.Irish American, Polish American, Japanese American.
Native American, American Indian
Native Americanis preferred unless the individual or group specifies otherwise:She is a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. In general, use the termIndianto refer to people from India.
People of Color
People of colorrefers to individuals or groups who do not identify as white. Do not use the termminority. Refer instead topeople of color,students of color, etc., orunderservedorunderrepresented populations.
White
The termwhitewhen referring to Caucasians remains lowercased. While Black people throughout share a cultural identity and experience of discrimination, white people generally do not share a history and culture, nor the experience of being discriminated against because of skin color.
Use the inclusive termLGBTQIA+,which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender, questioning or queer,intersex, and asexual/agender/allies, and others.
Use the singularthey当提及未指明性别的人时。跨性别者也可能有自己喜欢的代词。For example,Justin Vivian Bonduses the nonbinary pronoun “they,” or more simply “V,” rather than the traditional “he” and “she.”Ask your subjects and use the pronouns they prefer.
Noun Usage
Use gender-neutral nouns.
| Instead of | Use |
|---|---|
|
|
Pronouns
Plural pronouns are becoming more widely accepted as gender-neutral singular pronouns. It is permissible to rewrite using a form oftheyif you cannot rephrase your sentence to be plural rather than singular.
| Instead of | Use |
|---|---|
| Each author was chosen based on his or her research | Authors were chosen based on their research. |
When this is not possible, use the singularthey:
If your child registers after this date, they will have to make up the additional work.
Use the singularthey当提及未指明性别的人时。
First-year/freshmen
We now use the termfirst-yearas a noun and adjective to describe students entering college. If necessary for clarity, includefreshmenin parentheses: >a first-year (freshman); first-year students (freshmen).
| Instead of | Use |
|---|---|
| Freshman | First-year |
Underclassmen/Upperclassmen
Replace underclassmen with first-years and sophomores and upperclassmen with juniors and seniors.
Use the termsurvivorto describe those who have experienced gender-based violence.
Unless an official title or direct quote from a person or historical document, use the termsenslaved person, enslaver,andenslavementinstead ofslave, slave ownerandslaveryto acknowledge the humanity of those were or are enslaved, both past and present.
今天仍有许多人被奴役。这家人是四个人的奴隶。
But:The spokesperson for Anti-Slavery International said, “Slavery did not end with the nineteenth century.”
Aside from referring to master’s degrees, try to avoid usingmasteras a noun or a verb. Terms such asexpert, become proficient in,orbecome skilled incan be used instead.
询问你的采访对象，他们是喜欢人称第一语言还是身份第一语言。以人为本的语言强调了某人首先是一个人的概念:aperson with a disability; peopleon the autism spectrum.Identity-first language emphasizes that a disability is an intrinsic part of a person’s identity:a disabled person; anautisticorautistic person. If there is no preference, or when speaking in general, use person-first language. Avoid outdated, offensive words such ashandicapped.
Use the termaccessiblerather thandisabledorhandicappedto refer to facilities: We use the New York-state approved termaccessible parking.
Wheelchairs: The termwheelchair useris recommended.Wheelchair-boundorconfined to a wheelchair是不允许的。
Avoid the termsspecial needsorspecial educationunless when using the formal name of an organization or when referring to government or educational programming or legal matters. Instead, aim to be specific about the needs or services you’re writing about. If necessary, the termfunctional needscan be used.
Neurodiversity指的是人类大脑在学习、社交、行为和处理情绪方面的变化。Do not use the termneurodiverseto describe an individual: a person can be described as eitherneurotypical, meaning someone whose brain functions within standard norms in how they learn, behave, socialize and process emotions, orneurodivergent—someone whose brain functions differently, for example, a person with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, obsessive compulsive disorder or bipolar disorder.
避免使用拼图符号，因为一些自闭症患者觉得它令人反感。彩虹无限符号被认为是自闭症和神经多样性的一个更积极的象征。