Diversity Dictionary
A
ADVERSE IMPACT: Under the 'Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures' of the Equal
Employment Opportunity Coordinating Council.
"Adverse impact may be found when a selection process for a particular job or group of jobs results in
the selection of members of any racial, ethnic, or sex group at a lower rate than members of other
groups. The enforcement agencies will generally regard a selection rate for any group which is less than
four fifths (4/5) or eighty percent of the rate for the group with the highest selection rate as constituting
evidence of adverse impact...
Depending on the size of the sample and other factors, however, the enforcement agencies could
measure adverse impact other than by the "80% rule". In a particular case, of course, the final arbiter of
the question would be the federal courts.
AFFECTED CLASS: Any group which continues to suffer the effects of past discriminatory practices.
Affected class status must be determined by analysis or court decision.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: Specific actions in recruitment, hiring, upgrading and other areas designed and
taken for the purpose of eliminating the present effects of past discrimination, or to prevent
discrimination. It is one aspect of the federal government's efforts to ensure equal employment
opportunity. Executive Order 11246 prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against employees
on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, or national origin, and requires contractors to implement
affirmative action plans to increase the participation of minorities and women in the workplace.
Pursuant to federal regulations, affirmative action plans must consist of an equal opportunity policy
statement, an analysis of the current work force, identification of problem areas, the establishment of
goals and timetables for increasing employment opportunities, specific action-oriented programs to
address problem areas, support for community action programs, and the establishment of an internal
audit and reporting system.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN: The written document through which management assures that all
persons have equal opportunities in recruitment, selection, appointment, promotion, training, discipline
and related employment areas. The plan is tailored to the employer's work force and the skills available
in the labor force. It prescribes specific actions, goals, timetables, responsibilities and describes
resources to meet identified needs. The plan is a comprehensive results oriented program designed to
achieve equal employment opportunity rather than merely to assure nondiscrimination.
AFFIRMATIVE RECRUITMENT: Special recruitment efforts undertaken to assure that qualified protected
class members are well represented in the applicant pools for positions from or in which they have been
excluded or substantially underutilized. Such efforts may include contacting organizations and media
with known protected class constituencies. Open job posting and advertising and "equal opportunity
employer" statements necessary in many situations are matters of nondiscrimination rather than
measures of affirmative recruitment.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN: Refers to Black individuals living in the United States with African ancestry. Refers
to individuals of African heritage living in the United States having similar experiences, culture heritage
and ancestry of former slaves.
AGE DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT ACT OF 1964: Prohibits discrimination in employment of
individuals over 40 years of age and older, except in special circumstances.
AGEISM: Discrimination of individuals based on their age, i.e. of the elderly based on the notion that
they are incapable of performing certain functions such as driving, or of the young based on the notion
that they are immature and therefore incapable of performing certain tasks.
ALLY: An individual that supports the struggles of a group; not part of the group him/herself.
AMERICAN INDIAN (NATIVE AMERICAN) OR ALASKAN NATIVE: A person having origin in any of the
original peoples of North America and South America (including Central America), and who maintains
cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition. It includes people who classify
themselves as described below.


American Indian: Includes people who indicate their race as “American Indian,” entered the
name of an Indian tribe, or report such entries as Canadian Indian, French-American Indian, or
Spanish-American Indian.
Alaska Native: Includes written responses of Eskimos, Aleuts, and Alaska Indians as well as
entries such as Arctic Slope, Inupiat, Yupik, Alutiiq, Egegik, and Pribilovian. The Alaska tribes are
the Alaskan Athabaskan, Tlingit, and Haida.
AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990: Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in
employment (Title I), by state and local governments (Title II), in public accommodations (Title III) and in
telecommunications (Title IV).
ANTISEMITISM OR ANTI-SEMITISM: The opposition to, or hatred of, Jews; prejudicial belief in the
"racial" or religious inferiority of Jews. The term itself was first used in 1879.
APPLICANT POOL: All people who have applied for a particular job or group of jobs during one period of
opening. The collection of candidates from whom the selection or selections for available positions may
be made.
ASIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDER: A person having origin in any of the original peoples of the Far East,
Southeast Asia (i.e., Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Vietnamese), the Indian Subcontinent, or the
Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands and Samoa.








Asian Indian: Includes people who indicate their race as “Asian Indian” or identify themselves as
Bengalese, Bharat, Dravidian, East Indian, or Goanese.
Cambodian: Includes people who indicate their race as Cambodian or Cambodia.
Chinese: Includes people who indicate their race as “Chinese” or who identify themselves as
Cantonese, or Chinese American.
Filipino: Includes people who indicate their race as “Filipino” or as Philipino, Philipine, or Filipino
American.
Hmong: Includes people who indicate their race as Hmong, Laohmong, or Mong.
Japanese: Includes people who indicate their race as “Japanese” or as Nipponese or Japanese
American.
Korean: Includes people who indicate their race as “Korean” or Korean American.
Laotian: Includes people who indicate their race as Laotian, Laos, or Lao.



Other Asian: Includes people who indicate their race as Bangladeshi, Burmese, Indonesian,
Pakistani, or Sri Lankan.
Thai: Includes people who indicate their race as Thai, Thailand, or Siamese.
Vietnamese: Includes people who indicate their race as “Vietnamese” or Vietnamese American.
ASSIMILATION: The process whereby a group gradually adopts the characteristics, customs and
attitudes of the prevailing culture.
AVAILABILITY: An estimate of the percentage of minorities and women in the relevant labor market
who are qualified and interested in positions during the term of the affirmative action program. Using a
process that considers eight factors, statistics from outside labor markets and the internal campus work
force are used to determine availability percentages for each job group.
B
BIAS: An inclination of preference, especially one that interferes with impartial judgment.
BICULTURAL: A person who is bicultural has the ability to function effectively and appropriately and can
select appropriate behaviors, values and attitudes within either culture.
BIGOTRY: Prejudice carried to the extreme of overt hatred, often carried to the point of violence.
BISEXUAL - Individuals attracted to members of the male and female sex.
BLACK: A person, not of Hispanic origin, who has origin in any of the black racial groups of the original
peoples of Africa.
BONA FIDE OCCUPATIONAL QUALIFICATION (BFOQ): A minimum qualification that is needed to be able
to perform the duties of a particular job, which would otherwise be unlawful because of its
discriminatory impact based on one's sex, religion, or national origin, etc. Examples are the requirement
that an actor playing the part of a woman be a woman or that a minister of a particular religion be a
member of that particular religion. The concept of BFOQ is interpreted very narrowly by both the EEOC
and the federal courts. Age may be a BFOQ under the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967. Race
is never a BFOQ.
BUSINESS NECESSITY: A legitimate business purpose that justifies an employment practice as valid and
necessary for the effective achievement of the organization's objectives and the safe and efficient
operation of the business.
C
CAUCASIAN (NON-HISPANIC): A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North
Africa, or the Middle East.
CHANGE AGENTS: Change agents are individuals within an organization, at any level. They are educated
about managing diversity, and committed to facilitating change by modeling appropriate behaviors.
They also take every opportunity to ensure that systems, policies and practices are flexible enough to
work for everyone, modifying them as appropriate. Change agents include top leadership, management
and employees at every level. Because managing diversity represents a major change in the
management of human resources, without multi-level change agents implementation will stall. It
requires support from leaders with vision, credibility and authority -- our champions. A managing
diversity champion actively supports the organization's commitment to managing diversity and is seen
by others as a valued member of the current culture and thus has credibility as the organization moves
to the new vision.
CIVIL RIGHTS: Personal rights guaranteed and protected by the Constitution, i.e., freedom of speech,
press, freedom from discrimination.
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964: Prohibits discrimination in programs receiving Federal funds. Title VI:
Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race or national origin in federally-financially assisted programs.
Title VII: Prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or
sex (including pregnancy).
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1991: Amends Civil Rights Act of 1964 by adding the protected category of
"disability" and provides for appropriate remedies for intentional discrimination and unlawful
harassment in the work place. The 1991 Act does not affect court-ordered remedies, affirmative action,
or conciliation agreements, which are in accordance with the law.
CLASS: Category of division based on social, economic, or occupational status; members of a class are
theoretically assumed to possess similar cultural, political and economic characteristics and principles.
CLASS ACTION: A civil action brought by one or more individuals on behalf of themselves and "all others
similarly situated" (or equivalent language). The purpose of a class action is to secure a judicial remedy
which not only eliminates a wrong committed against an individual, and compensates him or her for the
effects of that wrong, but which also provides such remedies for all others in a definable class who have
suffered as a result of the same practice or practices. The technical legal requirements and definition of
a class in federal court proceedings are contained in Rule 23 (b) of the Federal Rules of Procedure.
CLASSISM: Any attitude or institutional practice which subordinates people due to income, occupation,
education and/or their economic condition. A biased or discriminatory attitude based on distinctions
made between social or economic classes.
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR): The code contains Presidential executive orders and
regulations based on those orders, federal laws, and other federal regulations. Related matters are
grouped together. Title 41 CFR Chapter 60, for example, deals with the various Department of Labor EEO
regulations and guidelines concerning federal government contractors.
COMPARABLE WORTH: Payment of wages based on the value of the work performed taking into
consideration such factors as education, training, skills, experience, effort, responsibility and working
conditions. This issue is raised particularly in comparing the salaries paid for occupations that are
traditionally female to salaries paid for those that are traditionally male.
COMPLIANCE: Federal contractors are obligated to comply with federal laws and regulations regarding
affirmative action. These obligations include ensuring diverse pools of applicants for positions;
developing and maintaining affirmative action plans which identify areas of underutilization of
minorities and women; and demonstrating good faith efforts to eliminate underutilization.
COMPLIANCE AGENCY: Any local, state, or federal government agency which administers laws or
regulations in the EEO field.
CROSS-CULTURAL: The interaction, communication, or other processes between people or entities from
two or more different cultures.
CULTURAL COMPETENCE: The ability to function effectively in a society of culture variation. A set of
congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system or agency or among a group
of professionals and enables that system, agency, or group to work effectively in multicultural situations.
CULTURAL CONDITIONING: The unconscious process by which we are socialized to adopt the way of
thinking of our own group.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY: Developing organizational processes that are inclusionary rather than
exclusionary for cultural conformity.
CULTURE: The collective behavior patterns, communication styles, beliefs, concepts, values, institutions,
standards, and other factors unique to a community that are socially transmitted to individuals and to
which individuals are expected to conform. A common system of values, behaviors, beliefs and
relationships that create a sense of community among individuals. Culture is complex and dynamic, and
can change over time.
D
DIASPORA: A historical dispersion or spreading of a group of people deriving from similar origins, i.e.
the African Diaspora includes African Americans, Africans, Caribbeans, Afro-Russians, Black Brazilians,
Afro Latinos etc...
DIFFERENTIAL VALIDATION: Validation of test at different score levels for different classes of people.
This is not tantamount to "lowering standards" for one or more groups to favor them over others.
Differential validation occurs only where lower test scores by one class actually do predict a level of job
performance equivalent to that predicted by the higher scores of another class.
DISABLED INDIVIDUAL: Any person who:



has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities;
has a record of such impairment; or
is regarded as having such an impairment.
The following are general definitions as to the meaning of 'disability'

Physical or Mental Impairment means
o any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss
affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal;
special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive;
digestive; genito-urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine;
o any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain
syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities. The term
'physical or mental impairment' includes, but is not limited to, such diseases and
conditions as orthopedic, visual, speech and hearing impairments, cerebral palsy,
epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, mental
retardation, emotional illness, drug addiction and alcoholism.




Major Life Activities - functions such as caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking,
seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working.
Has a Record of Such - an impairment means has a history of a mental or physical impairment
that substantially limits one or more life activities.
Is Regarded as Having an Impairment o has a physical or mental impairment that does not substantially limit major life activities
but that is treated by an employer as constituting such a limitation;
o has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities only as
a result of the attitudes of others toward such impairment;
o has none of the impairments defined above but is treated by an employer as having
such an impairment.
Substantially Limits means the degree the impairment affects employability. A handicapped
individual who is likely to experience difficulty in securing, retaining or advancing in employment
will be considered substantially limited.
DISABLED VETERAN: A person entitled to disability compensation under laws administered by the U.S.
Veteran's Administration for a disability rate of 30 percent or more, or a person whose discharge or
release from active duty was for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
DISADVANTAGED: A historically oppressed group having less than sufficient resources to fund all of
basic needs; without expendable income. A group characterized by disproportionate economic, social,
and political disadvantages.
DISCRIMINATION: An intentional or unintentional act which adversely affects employment
opportunities because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, marital status, or national origin, or other
factors such as age. Illegal treatment of a person or group (either intentional or unintentional) based on
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap, or veteran's status. The term also includes the failure
to remedy the effects of past discrimination. The systematic, intended or unintended, denial of
recognition, power, privilege, and opportunity to certain people based on the groups to which they
belong. Making decisions in prejudicial manner that may exclude or deny opportunity; making
distinctions based on racial, ethnic, or distinguishing features such as usage, religious identification of
disability. Combination of prejudice (superiority/inferiority belief system) and institutional power, the
power to impose that system on others. Destructive "isms" (racism, sexism, ageism, ethnocentrism,
handicapism, homophobism, etc.) Use of institutional power to reinforce biased belief systems and to
disadvantage others.
DISPARATE EFFECT OR DISPARATE IMPACT: The result of an employment policy, practice, or procedure
that, in practical application, has less favorable consequences for a protected class than for the
dominant group.
DISPARATE TREATMENT: Employment practices such as the use of tests or educational requirements,
fair and neutral on their face, which are applied or administered in an unfair manner. An example would
be using an "old boy network" to hire for jobs even though the positions have been posted.
DIVERSE SUPPLIER: a U.S. citizen that owns a business certified as small, minority, or woman-owned.
DIVERSITY: All the ways we differ as individuals. It includes visible differences such as age, gender,
ethnicity and physical appearance; as well as underlying differences such as thought styles, religion,
nationality, socio-economic status, belief systems, sexual orientation and education. The presence of
different ethnic backgrounds, cultures, religions, sexual orientations, abilities, thought processes, values,
etc. Diversity is any collective mixture characterized by similarities and differences. It can refer to
people, organizations, systems, etc. As a consequence, diversity can be defined as, or limited to, any
dimension such as workforce diversity or functional diversity.
DOMESTIC PARTNER: Unmarried partners who share living quarters. Typically used in connection with
legal and insurance matters related to gay and lesbian couples.
E
ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED: This term refers to a person who is at or below 125% of the federal
poverty guideline. (Note: does not apply to non-U.S. citizens).
EEO-4 REPORT: The annual report which state and local government employers must file with the EEOC
regarding the sex and minority status of their work force by job category and salary intervals. Those
required to file include:



All states.
All other political jurisdictions which have 100 or more employees.
An annual sample (rotated each year) of those political jurisdictions which have 15-99
employees.
EIGHT-FACTOR ANALYSIS: Current government regulations require that, in performing availability
analyses, an organization must "consider" at least eight designated factors. Referred to as the "8-Factor
Analysis," they include the following for minorities:








the minority population of the labor area surrounding the facility;
the size of the minority unemployment force in the labor area surrounding the facility;
the percentage of the minority work force as compared with the total work force in the
immediate labor area;
the general availability of minorities having requisite skills in the immediate labor area;
the availability of minorities having the requisite skills in an area in which the contractor can
reasonably recruit;
the availability of promotable and transferable minorities within the contractor's organization;
the existence of training institutions capable of training persons in the requisite skills;
the degree of training which the contractor is reasonably able to undertake as a means of
making all job classes available to minorities
The above factors for women are identical to those for minorities except that the availability of "women
seeking employment in the labor or recruitment area" is substituted for "the minority population in the
labor area surrounding the facility" in Factor 1. Availability is determined for each job group by
weighting each of the above factors in accordance with each factor's significance to that job group.
EMIGRANT: One who leaves his/her country of origin to reside in a foreign country.
EMPLOYEE: Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964, as amended:
" . . . an individual employed by an employer except that the term 'employee' shall not include any
person elected to public office in any State or political subdivision of any State or any person chosen by
such officer to be on such officer's personal staff, or an appointee on the policy making level or an
immediate adviser with respect to the exercise of the constitutional or legal powers of the office. The
exemption set forth in the preceding sentence shall not include employees subject to the civil service
laws of a State Government, governmental agency or political subdivision."
EMPLOYER: Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended:
" . . . a person engaged in an industry affecting commerce who has fifteen or more employees for each
working day in each of twenty or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year." The
U.S. Government and its wholly owned corporations, Indian tribes, certain departments of the District of
Columbia Government, and tax exempt, bona fide private membership clubs are excluded from the
definition.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: Where all personnel activities are conducted so as to assure
equal access in all phases of the employment process. Employment decisions are based solely on the
individual merit and fitness of applicants and employees related to specific jobs, without regard to race,
color, religion, sex, age, national origin, handicapping conditions, marital status or criminal record.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC): The federal government agency mandated
to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. The Commission has five members, each
appointed to a five year term by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of
Congress. The Federal Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity has the power to bring suits,
subpoena witnesses, issue guidelines which have the force of law, render decisions, provide legal
assistance to complainants, etc., in regard to fair employment.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COORDINATING COUNCIL (EEOCC): The coordinating body
established under Section 715 of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in its amendment by the Equal
Employment Opportunity Act of 1972. The EEOCC is composed of the Secretary of Labor, the Chairman
of the EEOC, the Attorney General, the Chairman of the U.S. Civil Service Commission, or their respective
delegates. The Council is responsible for taking steps to. . . maximize effort, promote efficiency, and
eliminate conflict, competition, duplication and inconsistency among the operations . . ." of various
federal agencies with compliance responsibilities in equal employment opportunity.
EQUAL PAY: To provide equal pay for men and women performing the same or substantially similar jobs
in the same establishment, (As required by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 for employers subject to the Fair
Labor Standards Act) (e.g., in a department store a female salesperson in the ladies shoe department
must receive pay equal to that of a male salesperson in the men's shoe department.)
EQUAL PAY ACT OF 1963: Requires equal pay for equal work, i.e. substantially equal in skill, effort, and
responsibility. Permissible pay discrimination under the Act includes circumstances in which pay
differentials between men and women in the same job title are due to (1) seniority system, (2) merit
system, (3) system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, or (4) differentials
based on any other factor other than sex.
ESSENTIALISM: The practice of categorizing a group based on an artificial social construction that
imparts an "essence" of that group, which homogenizes the group and effaces individuality and
difference.
ETHNIC: Of or relating to people grouped according to a common racial, national, tribal, religious,
linguistic, or cultural origin.
ETHNIC GROUP: A group identified on the basis of religion, color or national origin.
ETHNICITY: A sense of being different than other groups because of cultural tradition, ancestry, national
origin, history, or religion. A quality assigned to a specific group of people historically connected by a
common national origin, language, shared historical, religious, or cultural experiences that are
independent of race. Ethnic classification is used for identification rather than differentiation.
ETHNOCENTRISIM: The emotional attitude that one’s own race, nation, or culture is superior to all
others. A practice of unconsciously or consciously privileging a certain ethnic group over others. This
involves judging other groups by the values of one's own group.
EUROCENTRISM: The practice of consciously or unconsciously privileging the culture of Europe over
other cultures.
EUROPEAN AMERICAN: An individual living in the United States with European ancestry.
EXECUTIVE ORDER: A regulation by the President of the United States or the chief executive of a state
which has the effect of law.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11246 (1965): Prohibits discrimination in employment practices of Federal
contractors who receive $50,000 or more in federal funds and have 50 or more employees. Requires
affirmative action be taken to provide employment opportunities for qualified women and minorities.
F
FEMINISM: Movement advocating equal rights, status, ability, and treatment of women, based on the
belief that women are not in any way inferior to men.
FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT: A person who is of the first generation in their family to attain a
baccalaureate degree.
G
GLBT: The common acronym for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender can be used interchangeably with
LGBT.
GAY: A common and acceptable word for male homosexuals, but used for both genders.
GENDER: System of sexual classification based on the social construction of the categories "men" and
"women," as opposed to sex which is based on biological and physical differences which form the
categories "male" and "female."
GLASS CEILING: Barriers, either real or perceived, that affect the promotion or hiring of protected group
members. Term for the maximum position and salary some claim minorities and women are allowed to
reach without any chances of further promotion or advancement within an employment scenario.
GOALS: Good faith, quantitative employment objectives which employers voluntarily set as the
minimum progress they can make within a certain time period (usually one year) to correct under
utilization of protected classes in their work force.
GOOD FAITH EFFORTS: Specific actions taken by an employer to meet affirmative action goals or deliver
a successful affirmative action program.
GUIDELINES: Documents published by various compliance agencies for the purpose of clarifying
provisions of a law or regulation and indicating how an agency will interpret its law or regulation.
H
HANDICAP: (See Disabled Individual.)
HANDICAPISM: A theory and set of practices that promote unequal and unjust treatment of people
because of apparent or assumed physical or mental disability. Handicapism assumes that people with
disabilities are dependent regardless of whether they are or not and irrespective of their potential to
live independent lives. The word handicapped originates from the practice of holding cap in hand,
begging. That image is just part of the myth, prejudice, and stereotyping that handicapism promotes.
HARRASSMENT (ETHNIC AND RACIAL): Words or conduct communicated with malice and with the
intent to intimidate or harass another person in a way that is associated with that person’s race,
ethnicity, color, religion, ancestry, or national origin.
HARRASSMENT (MALICIOUS): Intentional intimidation associated with a person’s race, color, religion,
ancestry, national origin, or mental, physical, or sensory handicap that causes physical injury to another
person; or by words or conduct places another person in reasonable fear of harm.
HARRASSMENT (SEXUAL) See Sexual Harassment.
HETEROSEXISM : Social structures and practices which serve to elevate and enforce heterosexuality
while subordinating or suppressing other forms of sexuality.
HETEROSEXUAL: Pertaining to individuals attracted to the opposite sex.
HISPANIC/LATINO: A person, regardless of race, who is of Spanish culture or origin. This includes, for
example, persons from Mexico, Central or South America, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and
Cuba. Hispanic or Latin People who identify with the terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” are those who classify
themselves in one of the specific Hispanic or Latino categories—"Mexican," "Puerto Rican," or
"Cuban"—as well as those who indicate that they are "other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino." Origin can be
viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's
parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Spanish,
Hispanic, or Latino may be of any race. “Hispanic” is only a term used within the United States referring
to individuals residing within the United States. “Latino” is more widely used than “Hispanic.”
HISPANIC AMERICAN: Individuals living in the United States with ancestry from Spanish-speaking
countries.
HOMOPHOBIA: The irrational fear of homosexuals, homosexuality, or any behavior, belief, or attitude of
self or others, which doesn’t conform to rigid sex-role stereotypes. It is the fear that enforces sexism
and heterosexism. The extreme behavior of homophobia is violence.
HOMOSEXUAL: A person who is emotionally, physically, and/or sexually attracted or committed to
members of the same sex.
I
IMMIGRANT: A person who resides in a nation, country, or region other than that of his/her origin. Also
known as nonnative, outlander, outsider, alien, etc . . . (ant. emigrant)
INCLUSION: The act of valuing, respecting, and engaging the diverse community so that the full benefits
of diversity can be actualized.
INCLUSIVENESS: The act of encouraging belonging. It exists when disadvantaged communities and
designated group members share power and decision-making at all levels in projects, programs,
organizations and institutions.
INDIGENOUS: Originating from a culture with ancient ties to the land in which a group resides.
INEQUALITY: The condition of being unequal or social or economic disparity.
INEQUITY: Injustice or unfairness.
INSTITUTION RACISM: A variety of systems operating within an organization that have attitudes,
behaviors, and practices that subordinate persons or groups because of race or ethnic background.
ISM: Power plus prejudice.
INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION: The process by which a member of an oppressed group comes to
oppression: accept and live out the inaccurate myths and stereotypes applied to the oppressed group
J
JEW: A member of a people based on a background of shared historical experience and of religious
heritage (Judaism). Membership is through birth or conversion. Not all Jews are religious. Most North
American Jews are descended from immigrants from Eastern Europe. Jews can be understood in both
ethnic and religious terms.
JOB ANALYSIS: The systematic study of a job to provide information which will enable those planning
examinations or other selection devices to determine the knowledge, skills and abilities required for
successful performance on the job.
JOB CATEGORY: A grouping or aggregation of job classifications for purposes of analysis or official
reporting. For example: Officials and Administrators; Instructional; Professional Non instructional;
Clerical/Secretarial; Technical/Paraprofessional.
K
L
LGBT: The common acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender; can be used interchangeably with
GLBT.
LGBTQ: The common acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer
LATINA: When specifically referring to women, use Latina.
LATINO: When referring to gender neutral, identifying both men and women, use Latino.
LESBIAN: A common and acceptable word for female homosexuals only.
M
MANAGING DIVERSITY: This is a comprehensive managerial process for developing an environment that
works for all employees. This process takes into account the need to change organization systems to
sustain the organization’s ability to get from all employees everything they have to offer. It means
approaching diversity at all three levels: Individual, team or department and organizational. It deals with
the way managers do their jobs. It requires a fundamental change in the culture and the way things are
done. It is a change in the corporate way of life.
MELTING POT: A place where immigrants of different ethnicity or culture form an integrated and
homogenous society.
MINORITY: The term "minorities" as used in affirmative action refers to four historically
underrepresented ethnic groups: American Indians, Asians or Pacific Islanders, Blacks, and Hispanics. A
group of people within a given society, which has little or no access to social, economic, political, or
religious power. The term may connote inferior position, or may refer to a group, which is small in
number.
MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (MBE) — a business that is at least 51 percent owned/operated/
controlled by:

African American (ethnic origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa)

Hispanic American (ethnic origins in any of the Spanish-speaking areas of Latin America or the
following regions: Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean basin only)

Asian-Pacific American (ethnic origins in Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia,
the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, or the Northern Mariana
Islands)

Asian-Indian American (ethnic origins in India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh)

Native American (a person who is American Indian, Eskimo, Aleutian, or native Hawaiian, and
regarded as such by the community of which she or he claims to be a part)
MULTICULTURAL: The co-existence of many distinct cultures within a given context, such as community
or nation.
MULTICULTURALISM: The act of acknowledging and promoting the acceptance and understanding of
different cultures living together within a community. Multiculturalism respects the right of everyone to
value their ethnicity and cultural background and helps people of different cultures understand each
other and live together more harmoniously.
MYTH: An ill-founded belief, usually based on limited experience, given uncritical acceptance by
members of a group, especially in support of existing or traditional practices and institutions.
N
NATIONAL ORIGIN: System of classification based on nation from which a person originates, regardless
of the nation in which he/she currently resides.
NATIVE-AMERICAN: Refers to the descendants of the various indigenous populations that occupied the
land now designated America. This term is less socially accepted than “American Indian.”
NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDER: A person having origins in any of the original
peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people who indicate their race as
“Native Hawaiian,” “Guamanian or Chamorro,” “Samoan,” and “Other Pacific Islander.”

Native Hawaiian: Includes people who indicate their race as “Native Hawaiian” or who identify
themselves as “Part Hawaiian” or “Hawaiian.”

Guamanian or Chamorro — Includes people who indicate their race as Chamorro or Guamanian.

Samoan: Includes people who indicate their race as “Samoan” or who identified themselves as
American Samoan or Western Samoan.

Other Pacific Islander: Includes people who indicate their race as a Pacific Islander group such as
Tahitian, Northern Mariana Islander, Palauan, Fijian, or a cultural group such as Melanesian,
Micronesian, or Polynesian.
NEO-COLONIALIZATION: Term for contemporary policies adopted by international and western "1st
world" nations and organizations that exert regulation, power and control over poorer "3rd world"
nations disguised as humanitarian help or aid. These policies are distinct from but related to the
"original" period of colonization of Africa, Asia, and the Americas by European nations.
O
OFFICE OF FEDERAL CONTRACT COMPLIANCE PROGRAMS (OFCCP): The branch of the U.S. Department
of Labor responsible for monitoring the compliance status of and resolving complaints against all
employers having contracts with the Federal Government.
ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT: Organizational assessment involves discovering where the
organization is today. This process examines systems, policies and practices to ensure they are flexible
enough to support the future state environment. This phase is at the heart of "managing diversity." It
involves data collection to assess the organizational climate. It consists of surveys (Employee Opinion
Surveys) which are attitudinal in nature to get a sense of what the work environment is like, cultural
audits (which look at the organization's roots that drive its systems), assessments of written and
unwritten organization policies and procedures, and reviews of complaint and grievance data. Change to
support the effective management of diversity must take place at a root level to be lasting.
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: "Underlying values, beliefs and principles that serve as a foundation for
the organization's management system, as well as the set of management practices and behaviors that
both exemplify and reinforce those principles." (Cox, Taylor Jr., Cultural Diversity in Organizations:
Theory, Research & Practice, Berrett-Koehler: San Francisco, 1993, p. 161)
ORIENTAL: Relating to or deriving from the language, traditions, or cultures of the peoples of Asian
nations in the region designated as "the Orient," or "the East," by Europeans. This term is conspicuously
Eurocentric as "the East" is constructed as being opposed to a fixed reference point, "the West," or
Western Europe.
P
PAN-AFRICANISM: Describes the theory relating to the desire to educate all peoples of the African
Diaspora of their common plight and of the connections between them, e.g. a problem faced by one
group affects the lives of other groups as well. Theory relating to the desire to link all African countries
across the continent through a common government, language, ideology, or belief.
PARITY: A condition achieved in an organization when the protected class composition of its work force
is equal to that in the relevant available labor force.
PERSONS OF COLOR: People of non-European ancestry. All persons self-identifying by the general
categories of Black or African-American; Hispanic, Latino or Chicano; Asian or Pacific Islander; American
Indian or Alaskan Native.
PHYSICAL DISABILITIES/QUALITIES:








Blind (no vision)
Deaf (no hearing)
Disabled (disAbled, disABLED). This is the most currently appropriate term.
Hearing impaired (limited hearing)
Hidden challenges (e.g., high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
Little People
Physically challenged -- this term reflects sensitivity but may be too "politically correct."
Vision impaired (limited vision)
PLURALISM: A system that holds within it individuals or groups differing in a basic background
experiences and cultures. It allows for the development of a common tradition, while preserving the
right of each group to maintain its cultural heritage.
PREJUDICE: Exerting bias and bigotry based on uniformed stereotypes. Implies a preconceived idea,
judgment, or opinion, usually an unfavorable one marked by hatred, and is directed toward a racial
religious, cultural, or ethnic group.

Judgments about others that reinforce superiority/inferiority belief systems.

Exaggerate value/worth of a particular group while diminishing worth for other group(s).

Reinforced supported by stereotypes.
PRIMA FACIE: A legal presumption that arises from a basic showing of facts which will control a decision
unless explicitly proved untrue. In the EEO area, statistics of under utilization have been sufficient to
make a prima facie case for discrimination. It is then the responsibility of the employer to justify those
statistics.
PRIVILEGE: Power and advantages benefiting a group derived from the historical oppression and
exploitation of other groups.
PROTECTED CLASSES: Groups identified in Executive Order 6 (minorities, women, disabled persons and
Vietnam Era Veterans) that are specifically protected against employment discrimination.
Q
QUOTAS: In employment law, court ordered or approved hiring and/or promoting of specified numbers
or ratios of minorities or women in positions from which a court has found they have been excluded as a
result of unlawful discrimination. Quotas are not the same as goals and timetables.
R
RACE: A socially defined group, which sees itself and / or is seen by others as being different from other
groups in its common descent or external features, such as skin color, hair texture, or facial
characteristics. As a biological concept, it defines groups of human beings based on a set of genetically
transmitted characteristics, i.e., physical characteristics, including color. The concept of race as a sociocultural concept is being replaced by the more appropriate concept of ethnicity. The concept of race as
used socio-politically by the U.S. Census Bureau reflects self-identification by people according to the
race or races with which they most closely identify. The latter socio-cultural and socio-political
categories include both racial and national-origin groups.
RACIAL/ETHNIC GROUPS: The four racial/ethnic groups protected by Federal equal employment
opportunity laws are Blacks, Hispanics, Asians or Pacific Islanders, and American Indians or Alaskan
Natives. Racial/ethnic groups are defined by the Federal Government as follows:





American Indian or Alaskan Native: Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North
America and who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community
recognition.
Asian or Pacific Islander: Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East,
Southeast Asia (i.e., Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Vietnamese), the Indian Subcontinent, or
the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands,
and Samoa.
Black (not of Hispanic origin): Persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
Hispanic: Persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish
culture or origin, regardless of race.
White (not of Hispanic origin): Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe,
North Africa, or the Middle East.
RACISM: An assumption that there is an inherent purity and superiority of certain races and inferiority
of others. It denotes any attitude, behavior, or institutional structure that subordinates persons or
groups because of their race or ethnic background. Such practices can be intentional or unintentional.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION: The changing of environment, schedules or requirements to adapt to
the known physical or mental limitations of a qualified handicapped applicant or employee.
REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973: Prohibits discrimination in programs receiving Federal funds on the basis
of disability.


Section 503: Requires affirmative action be taken to provide employment opportunities for
qualified persons with disabilities by employers receiving more than $2,500 or more in Federal
funds.
Section 504: Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs receiving federal
funds. Requires reasonable accommodation qualified persons with disabilities, except in cases of
undue hardship is shown.
RELEVANT WORK FORCE: All individuals who are qualified to perform a particular job and who would
accept employment in the particular geographic location.
RELIGION: An organized belief system based on certain tenets of faith. A belief in a supreme
supernatural force or god(s)
S
SELF-ESTEEM: How a person feels about herself or himself; pride in oneself. Self-esteem is linked to
family traditions, language, social customs, economic background, and other aspects of one's cultural
environment.
SELECTION PROCESS: Any measure, combination of measures, or procedure used as a basis for any
employment decision; commonly consists of minimum qualifications, test(s), employment interview,
and probationary period.
SEX: System of sexual classification based on biological and physical differences, such as primary and
secondary sexual characteristics, forming the categories "male" and "female" as opposed to gender
which is based on the social construction of the categories "men" and "women."
SEXISM: A system of beliefs or attitudes, which relegates women to limited roles and/or options
because of their sex.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or
physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:


submission to the conduct is either an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment;
submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as a bases for an employment affecting the
person rejecting or submitting to the conduct; or

the conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an affected person's
work performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. (This
definition is according to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines.)
SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Having or being perceived as having an emotional, physical or sexual attachment
to another person without regard to the sex of the person, or having self-image or identity not
traditionally associated with one's biological maleness or femaleness.

Gay refers to men whose primary attraction is to other men.

Lesbian refers to women whose primary attraction is to other women.

Bisexual refers to men or women whose attraction is to both sexes.

Asexual refers to men or women who do not experience sexual attractions.

Transexual or transgender refers to men or women whose physical characteristics place them in
one gender group yet emotionally they identify with another group.
SNAPSHOT: Because the work force numbers fluctuate, a snapshot of the work force is taken at one
particular point in time, e.g., as of a particular day, and used as the basis for analysis.
SOCIAL JUSTICE: The belief that each individual and group in a given society has a right to equal
opportunity, fairness, civil liberties and participation in the social, education, economic, institutional and
moral freedoms and responsibilities valued by the community.
SOME OTHER RACE: Includes all other responses not included in the “White,” “Black or African
American,” “American Indian and Alaska Native,” “Asian,” and the “Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific
Islander” race categories described above. Persons identified as multiracial, mixed, interracial, or a
Hispanic/Latino group (for example, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban) in the “Some other race” category
are included in this category.
STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA (SMSA): A statistical standard developed for use by
federal agencies in the production, analysis, and publication of data on metropolitan areas; each SMSA
has one or more central counties containing the area's main population concentration and may also
include outlying counties which have close economic and social relationships with the central counties.
STEREOTYPES: The belief that all people of a certain racial, ethnic, or cultural group are the same and
behave in the same way. Categorizations of people based on an artificial construction of a certain group
designed to impart the "essence" of that group, which homogenizes the group, effacing individuality and
difference.
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM: A perception of an individual, group, or idea that is "constructed" through
cultural and social practice, but appears to be "natural," or "the way things are." For example, the idea
that women "naturally" like to do housework is a social construction because this idea appears "natural"
due to its historical repetition, rather than it being "true" in any essential sense.
SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION: A pattern of discrimination throughout a place of employment (or
program) that is a result of pervasive, interrelated actions, policies or procedures.
T
TIME TABLE: A specified time frame, required in all affirmative action plans, within which an employer
must achieve established numerical employment goals.
TITLE IX (of the 1972 Educational Amendments to the Higher Education Act): Prohibits sex
discrimination in educational institutions receiving Federal funds. Covers programs and activities
including student loans and scholarships, access to courses, housing, health services, athletics, career
services and publications.
TOLERANCE: Acceptance and open-mindedness to different practices, attitudes, and cultures; does not
necessarily mean agreement with the differences.
TRANSGENDER: Appearing as, wishing to be considered as, or having undergone surgery to become a
member of the opposite sex.
TWO OR MORE RACES: “Two or more races” refers to combinations of two or more of the following
race categories:

White

Black or African American

American Indian and Alaska Native

Asian

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

Some other race
U
UNDER REPRESENTED STUDENTS: This group includes underserved students (African Americans/Black,
Asian, Hispanic, American Indian and multiracial) plus first generation students and low income
students. (In specific instances, other groups of students may be considered underrepresented. For
example, in a traditionally female discipline, males may be considered underrepresented.)
UNDER SERVED STUDENTS: These are students who have been traditionally excluded from full
participation in our society and its institutions. The basis of exclusion has primarily been race and color
including African Americans/Black, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian and multiracial.
UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENCES: Understanding differences is the awareness and acceptance of
differences among and between people both on an interpersonal and personal level. It encompasses
myriad dimensions such as race, sex, age, thinking style, religion, sexual orientation, professional
degrees, and functionality. This can also refer to organizations and systems (for example, field offices
versus headquarters). The objective is to enhance interpersonal or inter-functional relationships.
UNDER UTILIZATION / UNDER REPRESENTATION: Term used to describe a situation where in a lower
number of protected class employees are represented than parity would predict. Once under utilization
is quantitatively established, an employer must 1) demonstrate that the under utilization is the
legitimate effect of a BFOQ or results from business necessity; or 2) develop an affirmative action
program with specific, action oriented steps to overcome this under utilization.
UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS: An independent, bipartisan agency established by
Congress in 1957 and directed to:





Investigate complaints alleging that citizens are being deprived of their right to vote by reason of
their race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap or national origin, or by reason of fraudulent
practices.
Study and collect information concerning legal developments constituting discrimination or a
denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution because of race, color, religion,
sex, age, handicap or national origin, or in the administration of justice.
Appraise Federal laws and policies with respect to discrimination or denial of equal protection of
the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap or national origin, or in the
administration of justice.
Serve as a national clearinghouse for information in respect to discrimination or denial of equal
protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap or national origin.
Submit reports, findings and recommendations to the President and Congress.
UTILIZATION ANALYSIS: A comparison of the percentage of minority or women employees actually in a
job group with the percentage of minorities and women in the relevant labor market.
V
VALUES: Values are our subjective reactions to the world around us. They guide and mold our options
and behavior. Values have three important characteristics. First, values are developed early in life and
are very resistant to change. Values develop out of our direct experiences with people who are
important to us, particularly our parents. Values rise not out of what people tell us, but as a result how
they behave toward us and others. Second, values define what is right and what is wrong. Notice that
values do not involve external, outside standards to tell right or wrong; rather, wrong, good or bad are
intrinsic. Third, values themselves cannot be proved correct or incorrect, valid or invalid, right or wrong.
If a statement can be proven true or false, then it cannot be a value. Values tell what we should believe,
regardless of any evidence or lack thereof.
VALUING DIFFERENCES: Refers to systemic, organizational and personal development work (not a
program) that focuses on all employees, clients, customers, and investors feeling valued (not just
tolerated).
VIETNAM ERA VETERAN: A Vietnam era veteran is a person who served on active duty in the Armed
Forces of the United States, any part of which occurred between 1/1/63 and 5/7/75, and was discharged
and/or released with other than a dishonorable discharge.
VETERAN: A person who served in the Armed Forces of the United States during a period specified and
was honorably discharged or was released under honorable circumstances. Armed Forces is defined as
the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard, including all components thereof, and the
National Guard when in the service of the United States pursuant to call as provided by law on a fulltime active duty basis, which does not include active duty for training purposes. The specified periods of
service are:
12/7/41 - 9/2/45
6/26/50 - 1/31/55
1/1/63 - 5/7/75
W
WHITE: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North
Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as “White” or as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near
Easterner, Arab, or Polish.
WOMAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (WBE) — a business that is at least 51 percent owned/operated/
controlled by a non-minority woman.
WOMEN’S RIGHTS: the rights claimed for women, equal to those of men, with respect to suffrage,
property, the professional fields, etc.
WORK FORCE ANALYSIS: A statistical analysis of the numbers and percentages of all employees of a
specific employer by race, or ethnic origin, sex, Vietnam Era Veteran and/or disability status by job
category and level.
X
Y
Z
ZONE SCORING: A scoring technique which divides candidates into a small number of groups, with all
candidates within a group assigned the same score also known as block, band or category scoring.
Sources:
http://www.marist.edu/humanresources/diversity/diversityglossary.html
http://www.n4a.org/files/resources-publications/tool-kits/dat_KeyDiversityTerms.pdf
http://www.grad.wisc.edu/education/diversity/glossary.html