We use the term “people of color” to say that someone is not white. Right? But what I truly don’t understand is if we use it to say that someone isn’t white racially, or isn’t white physically.
Ex: I’m biracial. Mexican and white. I know that many consider Mexicans to be people of color. I do, too. However, I am white-passing. I have light skin. I don’t look stereotypically Mexican (we all have the mental image of a Mexican, don’t lie). And for that, I’m not sure if the term “people of color” applies to me.
To me, this reflects the flaws in our social construct called race. Do we even know what we are naming when we call people Black, white, Latino, Asian, or Native? Are we naming their origin? Their skin color? The way they speak? The people they are surrounded by? The borders are so fuzzy.
No Right Answer 