Definitions

Race

A social construct used to categorise groups of people, usually based on perceived physical characteristics or shared ancestry.

Racialised categorisations may have characteristics associated with them that have no biological basis, and they have fuelled discrimination, violence and global power imbalances for centuries.

However, the University recognises that racial identity is important to some people and can provide a way for marginalised groups to collectively share support, build community, or protest and tackle prejudice.

Ethnicity

A term used to describe a social group with a shared cultural identity, which may include language, traditions, geographic origin, religion, cultural expression or customs.

An ethnic group can often be chosen by an individual, as opposed to a race, which is often ascribed to a person or group without their input.

General guidance

• Only refer to people’s ethnicity if it is relevant to the context in which you are writing.
• Always avoid and seek to challenge offensive terminology, racial slurs, and any language that uses racial or ethnic stereotypes.
• Avoid using broad terms like ‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic’ or ‘BAME’. Be as specific as possible when referring to a person or group’s background or heritage. (See Broad terminology for more information.)
• If you are writing about or to a particular person, use the language with which they identify themselves. If you’re unsure, ask them what they would prefer.
• Remember that some people identify with more than one ethnic group or a mixed ethnic group.
• It is important to be clear and specific when you are writing about or to international audiences on subjects of ethnicity or race, as the terminology used in other countries will not be the same as in the UK.

Specific terminology

• Do not use racial or ethnic terms as nouns, such as ‘Blacks’ or ‘Asians’. Use adjectives instead: ‘Black people’, ‘people from Asian backgrounds’ or ‘people who identify as Black’.
• Consider whether it is more appropriate to use language like ‘students from Black backgrounds’ rather than ‘Black students’, as some people prefer to put the person first and their ethnic group afterwards.
• You can use ‘background’ or ‘heritage’ to refer to an ethnic group that someone identifies with.
• Some people may use the term ‘racialised’ to describe a group or person that has been unwillingly categorised by others as belonging to a certain ‘race’.
• Capitalise names of all ethnic groups – for example, ‘Black’, ‘South Asian’, ‘White’, ‘Irish Traveller’, ‘Chinese’.
• Use ‘White’ rather than ‘Caucasian’.
• Do not hyphenate compound adjectives or nouns such as ‘African Caribbean’, ‘African American’, ‘Black British’.
• Use ‘African Caribbean’ rather than ‘Afro Caribbean’.
• Use ‘people of mixed heritage’ or ‘people of mixed background’ rather than ‘mixed race people’.
• If you need a list of ethnicities for data collection or reporting (for example, providing choices in a form), you can use this list from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). There is also a list of ethnic groups on the gov.uk website.

Broad terminology

The University recognises the diverse experiences of multiple ethnicities, and we want to reflect this in our writing.

• There is not a universally supported term for referring to minority ethnic groups.
• In the past, the University has used ‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic’ (or ‘BAME’) as a broad umbrella term – for example, for data collection, reporting, or bringing different groups together for purposes like anti-racism.
• Following consultation with people across the University, we will no longer use this term. Some of the reasons include:
  • This terminology encourages a binary approach, which only recognises those who identify as White as a distinct ethnic group.
  • The term is not widely understood, and can include different groups in different contexts.
  • We should use language that acknowledges a greater range of experiences and backgrounds and more accurately represents our University community.
• Instead of using ‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic’ or ‘BAME’, use precise terminology to describe the specific ethnicity of a person or group.
• If it is absolutely necessary to use a broad term, use ‘minority ethnic group’ (not ‘minority group’ or ‘ethnic minority group’).
  • Do not simply replace ‘BAME’ with ‘minority ethnic’. First, always consider whether you can use more specific language.
  • Remember that this term uses ‘minority’ in a UK context, whereas UK minority ethnic groups are often a global majority.
• The terminology ‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic’ / ‘BAME’ may still appear in legacy webpages, publications or other materials. We will continue to update these areas, with the aim of the terminology ‘Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic’ / ‘BAME’ becoming redundant over time.

Terminology relating to ethnicity and race is rapidly evolving. We will continue to consult with our staff and students as we work to refine our approach to writing about ethnicity and race. We will update this guidance in future to reflect the outcome of these discussions.

Further resources

• The University of Bristol is determined to tackling racial discrimination in all its forms. For information about the University’s approach to anti-racism, see our Anti-racism at Bristol webpages. 
• To find further information about behaviour that is not tolerated at the University, and report unacceptable behaviour, visit our pages for students or staff.
• The inclusive writing guidance on nationality may also be useful.