As we all know, language is a powerful tool that allows us to communicate and understand the world around us. Choosing our words carefully matters because language can influence the way we think, see the world, how we live our lives, and how we interact with others. Inclusive language is language that promotes diversity, inclusion, equity, and equality-- all things that we strive for here at OHR in our quest to end discrimination in the District. As the District, our communities, schools, workspaces, and public accommodations continue to be increasingly diverse, we must use language that accurately and respectively describes this diversity.

OHR is proud to announce the release of the first of several "Inclusive Language Guides." These guides focus on the "big 8" identities of race, ethnicity, disability, age, class/socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religion. The first in this series is the Inclusive Language Guide on Race and Ethnicity, which is a collaborative effort between OHR and the Mayor's Office of Racial Equity (ORE). The guide provides useful definitions, charts, and resources that can aid us in shifting towards inclusive language in our personal and professional lives. Inclusive language benefits us all by allowing people to be their true authentic selves, promoting effective communication, fostering a common understanding, and getting us closer to a more just and equitable society.

The release of these guides come at a perfect moment as we celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month. These two communities, among many others, have been the target of unnecessary and abhorrent violence for centuries. As you’ll learn in our guide, some of our everyday phrases and terms are rooted in racism, anti-Semitism, nativism, and xenophobia. These include the phrases like “no can see/no can do” or “long time no see” which were anti-Asian phrases that originated in the 19^th century as Americans began mocking Asian immigrants, primarily Japanese and Chinese, for using pidgin English. Pidgin English is a simplified version of English that is spoken in many regions around the world. The ever-popular cheer “Hip hip hooray” may also have racist roots. It is said that the term derives from the German phrase “hep hep”, which anti-Semites used during the “Hep Hep” Riots of 1819 and was later used by Nazis to round up Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Anti-Semitism is called history’s oldest hatred. It is an ancient and deeply embedded hostility that dates to the persecution of Jews by the ancient empires of Babylonia, Greece, and Rome. It is considered a form of racism as it supports the idea that Jewish individuals are of a different race.