Participants were 200 Hispanics/Latinos. All participants were Caucasian. Preferred: I’m Hispanic. We interviewed 25 Afro-American people living in rural Louisiana. Comment: “Afro-American” and “Negro” have become dated; therefore, usage of these terms generally is inappropriate. As with all discussions of race and ethnicity, it is preferable to be more specific about regional (e.g., Southern European, Scandinavian) or national (e.g., Italian, Irish, Swedish, French, Polish) origin when possible. We interviewed 25 Black people living in rural Louisiana. Here we provide guidelines for talking about racial and ethnic identity with inclusivity and respect. Nonparallel designations (e.g., “African Americans and Whites,” “Asian Americans and Black Americans”) should be avoided because one group is described by color, whereas the other group is not. In the course of my research for the book, I talked to a multitude of producers, literary agents, filmmakers, publishers, authors and even actors for their thoughts on this issue, from ALL types of backgrounds, which has been a real eye-opener. When it is necessary to compare a dominant racial group with a nondominant racial group, use a modifier like “racial,” “ethnic,” or “racial-ethnic.” Otherwise, other terms may be preferred, such as “people of color” to refer to non-White racial and ethnic groups or “underrepresented people.”, Problematic: Hawaiian Natives may identify as “Native American,” “Hawaiian Native,” “Indigenous Peoples of the Hawaiian Islands,” and/or “Pacific Islander.”, In Canada, refer to the Indigenous Peoples collectively as “Indigenous Peoples” or “Aboriginal Peoples” (. I would vote to describe race. Language that essentializes or reifies race is strongly discouraged and is generally considered inappropriate. There were 300 Asian participants; among these, 100 were from South Asia (India, Nepal, Bangladesh), 100 were from Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam), and 100 were from East Asia (China, South Korea, Japan). “Latinx” can also be used as a gender-neutral or nonbinary term inclusive of all genders. Rather than a prescriptive list or an approach that focused on performative and manipulative “wokeness” the class offered insight and an opportunity for dialogue on true worldbuilding and the art of crafting secondary worlds that are inclusive and avoid accidental usage of analog cultures and otherization. Thoughtful, insightful, and yet utterly unthreatening to sensitive writerly egos, this is the best workshop I’ve attended in ages. Use the term(s) your participants or population uses; if you are not working directly with this population but it is a focus of your research, it may be helpful to explain why you chose the term you used or to choose a more inclusive term like “Latinx.” In general, naming a nation or region of origin is preferred (e.g., Bolivian, Salvadoran, or Costa Rican is more specific than Latino, Latinx, Latin American, or Hispanic). For example, people might identify their race as Aboriginal, African American or Black, Asian, European American or White, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Māori, or some other race. Resources for writers who want to include characters who are a different race, ethnicity, or culture from their own in their work. When writing about Indigenous Peoples, use the names that they call themselves. By trying to sell more books with this particular cover, are we usurping more power than necessary from the imagination of the reader. The use of the term “Caucasian” as an alternative to “White” or “European” is discouraged because it originated as a way of classifying White people as a race to be favorably compared with other races. In general, refer to an Indigenous group as a “people” or “nation” rather than as a “tribe.”. Problematic: For example, phrases such as “the Black race” and “the White race” are essentialist in nature, portray human groups monolithically, and often perpetuate stereotypes. Know your characters' relationship to ethnicity. Rather, a minority group is a population subgroup with ethnic, racial, social, religious, or other characteristics different from those of the majority of the population, though the relevance of this term is changing as the demographics of the population change (APA, 2015). Pro tips for SF/fantasy writers interested in “Native” themes…. Comment: Use parallel terms, especially in table labels. Problematic: Whenever possible, use the racial and/or ethnic terms that your participants themselves use. Avoid the term “Eskimo” because it may be considered pejorative. Comment: “Hispanic” and “Latinx” (or Latino, etc.)