Usually, when we do posts like this it’s because the AP Stylebook has come up with a new rule, such as don’t use “illegal immigrant” in a news story you’re writing about illegal immigrants. Capitalize Black but don’t capitalize white because, you know, white supremacists would like that.
It turns out that Stanford University has something called the Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative, and the Wall Street Journal has an opinion piece about it Monday. Among those words that have been deemed harmful, and therefore pegged for elimination on all university documents and websites, are “American,” “immigrant,” and “master,” among others.
WSJ editorial: Call yourself an “American”? Please don’t. It’s on Stanford’s new index of forbidden words.https://t.co/SfU6mXoQsj
— Elliot Kaufman (@ElliotKaufman6) December 19, 2022
Why American?
Call yourself an “American”? Please don’t. Better to say “U.S. citizen,” per the bias hunters, lest you slight the rest of the Americas. “Immigrant” is also out, with “person who has immigrated” as the approved alternative. It’s the iron law of academic writing: Why use one word when four will do?
You can’t “master” your subject at Stanford any longer; in case you hadn’t heard, the school instructs that “historically, masters enslaved people.” And don’t dare design a “blind study,” which “unintentionally perpetuates that disability is somehow abnormal or negative, furthering an ableist culture.” Blind studies are good and useful, but never mind; “masked study” is to be preferred. Follow the science.
It was 2020 when alleged sports website Deadspin argued that the Masters golf tournament needed a name change:
We’ve Lived with 'The Masters' Name Long Enough https://t.co/ayIF4CVGeb via @deadspin
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) June 22, 2020
So don’t use American to describe yourself as a U.S. citizen or you might upset Canadians and Mexicans, who are also Americans.
https://twitter.com/craigbrucesmith/status/1604998459852980225
challenging times for Native Americans and African-Americans
— Adam Kissel (@kissel_adam) December 20, 2022
New guide says using 'American' can 'insinuate that the US is the most important country in the Americas.' https://t.co/tImyYxtR6l
— Byron York (@ByronYork) December 19, 2022
How about Central North American.
— Jeff Schervone (@JeffSchervone) December 20, 2022
I am an American and Stanford's list can't stop me.
— Deanna Irwin (@deannamirwin) December 20, 2022
The United States of America is the only country in either North or South America that uses the word America in its official title. We are, therefore, Americans.
— Ron From NM (@Ron_From_NM) December 20, 2022
Serious question: how many countries in the Americas have the word "America" in the name of their country? What else are we supposed to call ourselves?
— TheRealJoeFL65 (@TheRealJoeFL65) December 20, 2022
Give me a break. People call themselves African and European all the time.
— Anti-Socialist (@Grump462) December 19, 2022
This is so mental I'm embarrassed for them.
Pure lunacy.
— Teresa NC (@_pcantagonista) December 20, 2022
We need to make sure people who would like to become immigrants know they’re headed for the U.S. border and not America.
Related:
AP Stylebook explains why decision to use lowercase for ‘white’ was ‘more complicated’ than choice to capitalize ‘Black’ https://t.co/b3UuYQAug0
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 29, 2020
