Post from Chelsea's Blog:
Racial Language and AP Style
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Tonight I am working on an editorial for our Campus Progress sponsored magazine, The InterActivist. Our staff decided to deviate from AP guidelines when it comes to racial identification. After talking to professors in the diversity studies and cultural education departments, we chose to capitalize "Black" and "White" as they refer to racial identities, not just colors. Also, we chose to move away from Hispanic, as the word is imperial and colonial in itself, describing the Conquistadors that raped and pillaged the indigenous Americans. Does anyone have any ideas on these issues? Should AP style be changed? Does anyone have any language preferences? These conflicts are always so interesting to me.

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Latino
By Sam Boyd Nov 3rd 2007 at 10:50 pm EDT
I happen to know the LA Times has a policy of using Latino rather than Hispanic.
  
I like the sound of Latino
By Superduperficial Nov 4th 2007 at 1:37 am EDT
better than Hispanic, myself.

Though if you're reporting on people in Latin America, be forewarned -- their popular ways of classifying ethnicity are very, very different than ours. It's an incredibly complex topic.
  
How about
By Jim D Nov 4th 2007 at 4:32 pm EST
Why not ask the Latino student groups on your campus what they'd prefer? If you find the word Hispanic colonial, then it's a little inconsistent to choose the new label for them. Obviously professors will have one opinion, but the paper should also serve the students. Also, I'm curious as to why they would prefer Black and White capitalized. I'm not against it; I just have no idea what the reasons would be.
  
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