Valuing Diversity

Glossary

The word black is used to describe people from minority ethnic groups which have a shared experience of racism and discrimination and in which a history of subjugation to European colonialism has often been an important factor.

Ethnicity denotes a number of shared characteristics including a shared background or origin, culture, tradition and language. All people, black or white, have an ethnicity, but to distinguish groups whose beliefs and practices are not shared to a significant degree with the majority group the word minority is either placed before or after the word ethnic.

The term used in this booklet is black and minority ethnic which is an inclusive way of seeking to reflect both the common elements and the diversity of those who experience racism.

The word immigrant is used here to refer to any person, irrespective of their skin colour or other physical appearance, who arrives in Scotland with the intention of settling or who after arriving with the intention of staying temporarily eventually becomes a permanent resident. This definition includes immigrants who are white, from places like Europe, North America, Australia or South Africa.

Some people in Scotland use the term second generation Asian, or second generation Scottish Asian, to describe the children of immigrants who have been born in Britain and who therefore have British citizenship by birth. This gives recognition to a distinctive cultural background without denying their Scottish identity and British nationality.

The term race comes from the categorisation of people into different "races" which is a social not a biological definition. The term has often been used to create hierarchies which have discriminated against black and minority ethnic people and can carry negative connotations. However, where there is no suitable alternative, the term will be used in the text.

Racism is used to describe prejudice and discrimination toward black and minority ethnic people on the basis of their skin colour, culture, language or religion. More detailed explanation is given in the section of the text on Racism.

The term black children of mixed parentage refers to children of mixed racial and cultural origins, who have one parent who is white and one who is of a black or minority ethnic background.