Racism refers to the devaluation and unequal treatment of people on the basis of their (ascribed) origin, nationality and "skin colour". Racism is subject to historical processes, social power relations and hierarchies and manifests itself in various forms.
Under the term racism we summarise different forms of misanthropy: anti-Muslim, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-gypsy, anti-Semitic - to name a few important forms. Using anti-racist language is about avoiding racist terms, linguistic demarcation and stereotyping.
Racist ideas and images are sometimes so deeply anchored in linguistic habits of the(white) majority society that the discriminatory structures behind them have to be pointed out first. We provide food for thought to break out of problematic thought patterns and enable people with experiences of racism and anti-Semitism to participate in society on an equal footing and to be appropriately perceived in language.
