Statistext
A statistext is a demographic category that is artificially contrived in pursuit of a political or ideological goal, particularly when categories are created that respondents would not otherwise apply to themselves. The term was created by Audrey Kobayashi, a Canadian geographer, in 1992.
In the United States, examples would be Hispanic, Pacific Islander American, or Asian American. Examples of statistexts used by the Canadian government include Visible minorities and certain of the groups comprising visible minorities, particularly West Asians, South Asians, and Latin Americans. These terms do not match the nomenclature such individuals would ordinarily apply to themselves, although sometimes statistexts gain acceptance among the people to whom the term is applied. As well, these contrived categories lump together distinct groups that would not otherwise perceive each other as members of the same group.
Another example of a statistext is the category "Canadian" as an ethnic choice on Canadian census forms. One demographer has speculated that as an ethnic identity, respondents might choose this to voice patriotism, or to rebel against ethnic classification, or to voice an anti-separatist opinion, and furthermore, that the term has very different connotations in English versus French. (See footnote 5 in .)
The word "Indian", allegedly created by Christopher Columbus for the Indigenous people of the Americas, is another example of a statistext. While Columbus's use of this term initially had nothing to do with censuses, this contrivance did enable him to classify people in a way that coincided with the goal of finding a trade route to India.
The nomenclature of minority groups has a number of effects. Statistexts can empower people in some instances and marginalize them in others. Some May Be demoralized by the nomenclature applied to them, as when a Canadian feels the visible minority label highlights one’s “outsider” or “exotic” background. In other instances, nomenclature applied to a minority group may enable them to present a united front for political mobilization.
See also
- Employment equity (Canada)
- Ethnonym
- Hispanic/Latino naming dispute
- Orientalism
- Visible minority