People of the Global Majority: Redefining Identity Separate From Whiteness
My sense of identity has undergone many changes over the years. Growing up, I identified as Indian-American, South Asian-American, or Asian-American. Living with this hyphenated identity meant constantly navigating between two worlds, balancing the traditions and values of my heritage with the societal norms and expectations of the country my parents moved to. While this dual identity can be enriching, offering a unique perspective and broader cultural understanding, it also comes with challenges, like feeling out of place in both cultures and facing stereotypes from both sides.
This duality eventually influenced my decision to spend much of my twenties living overseas, shaping my understanding of my identity within a larger context. I began identifying as a person of color in college, where I worked in Student of Color Recruitment at Amherst College. Through this job, friendships with other students of color, and courses in Black Studies, Political Science, and History, I developed a deeper understanding of the racialization of non-white people in America.
All of this helped me realize how white supremacy has created false “racial” categories that serve to divide humanity. While racism and racialization are real, race itself is a construct of white supremacy. Language shapes and reflects our consciousness, so when the words we use to define ourselves are filtered through the lens of white supremacy, it becomes difficult to break free from white supremacist ideas. This is true even of terms that are meant to be uplifting, including “person of color.”
While “people of color” is meant to help non-white people define themselves, the term is ultimately centered around whiteness, even as it aims to affirm non-white identities. It perpetuates the harmful notion that whiteness is the default, implying that white people have no specific race. This term situates non-white people in relation to whiteness, rather than liberating them from it. I find it deeply uncomfortable to have my identity defined in relation to whiteness, especially when it positions whiteness as normal and my ethnic and cultural identity as deviant.
Additionally, many of my Asian American, Latinx American, and Black American friends who have visited or lived in their heritage countries report feeling liberated by blending in and not being singled out for their race. The term “people of color” centers the American experience, which is not relatable to many non-white people globally. While white supremacy and racism impact societies worldwide, most non-white people outside the U.S. do not live as minorities in white-dominant societies.
With all of this in mind, I’ve begun moving away from using the term “people of color.” As an alternative, I’ve embraced “people of the global majority” (PGM) as a more affirming and inclusive label. This term redefines non-white identities independent of whiteness, decentering and rendering it irrelevant. It affirms non-white people’s inherent power as the majority of the world’s population, as PGM make up 85% of the global population. This contrasts with the term “minorities,” which reflects their position in American racial hierarchy. As such, reframing non-white people’s identities in this way is often more empowering and reflects a more global reality.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that the term “people of color” doesn’t still have value: in an American context, not everyone who falls under the banner of “people of the global majority” have had experiences that were equal or comparable, meaning that it isn’t a perfect term for every situation. However, there is value in having more options that more adequately reflect people’s lived experiences. While it might not be a perfect term, PGM helps promote global solidarity against white supremacy without the cultural erasure that often accompanies the term POC, enabling a more multifaceted and inclusive narrative.
My hope is that “people of color” and “people of the global majority” can coexist in an increasingly global and intersectional racial discourse. If you’re inspired, consider using the term PGM in your conversations on race, equity, and liberation, and consider identifying as a person of the global majority if it resonates with you. Everyone should have access to language that accurately reflects their unique experiences, and I believe that for many, “people of the global majority” does just that.
References
Hawthorne, Britt. “Who Are People of the Global Majority and Why It Matters | Britt Hawthorne.” Britt Hawthorne, 29 Sept. 2023, britthawthorne.com/blog/people-global-majority.
Lim, Daniel. “I’m Embracing the Term ‘People of the Global Majority.’” Medium, 14 Dec. 2021, regenerative.medium.com/im-embracing-the-term-people-of-the-global-majority-abd1c1251241.
White, Nadine. “What Is ‘Global Majority’ and Why Is It Replacing ‘BAME’?” The Independent, 17 May 2024, www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/global-majority-bame-explained-national-trust-b2546898.html.
Meena Srinivasan is a contemplative leader, celebrated speaker, accomplished author, and visionary edupreneur. She is an educator-activist at heart, consistently championing the fusion of Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, and Belonging. Meena was featured as one of 2022’s 10 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement in Mindful Magazine and is the Executive Director of Transformative Educational Leadership (TEL)™ an organization that supports educational leaders in building more compassionate and just schools. A former public school administrator and National Board Certified Teacher, Meena is the creative force behind the SEL Every Day Online Courses, an instructor of graduate level Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) courses at UC Berkeley and the CEO of Karuna Consulting, LLC, an organization that takes its name from the Sanskrit word ‘Karuna,’ signifying compassion. Karuna Consulting is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) driven by a profound mission: to foster a more compassionate world through Meena’s keynotes, professional learning, coaching, and consulting services. She is the author of numerous publications including Teach, Breathe, Learn and SEL Every Day. The latter was honored as one of 2019’s Favorite Books for Educators by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Her TEDx talk on Tenderness is one of the most popular TEDx talks of 2024 (with over 2 million views). Meena has been practicing yoga and meditation for over 25 years, is an ordained Zen Buddhist and serves on the Board of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation. Learn more at meenasrinivasan.com.
