Correspondent dislikes word "minority"

A comment I received via e-mail:I dislike the word "minority" immensely as it automatically relegates someone to the position of "other."My response:

That's a valid point, but what's the alternative? "People of color"? That's kind of awkward, and some people don't know what it means.

As you undoubtedly know, I still use "minority." I often note the "otherness" of minorities. But I do so to criticize the majority, not the minorities. It's my way of saying, "Look, we still haven't achieved racial parity. They're still separate and unequal. They're still 'minorities' because we discriminate against them, treat them like 'others.' Stop being so complacent and start paying attention to race, because it's still an issue."

For more on the claim that racism no longer exists, see Talking About Race Perpetuates Racism?, White Conservatives "Angry About Racism," and Mentioning Race = Dwelling on Past?