Glossary: "Who we serve"

Language is ever-changing. We attempt to make our definitions of terms that groups may prefer to identify with as inclusive as possible, and apologize if we should make corrections or have missed any. Please contact us at ccid2009@caltech.edu to suggest any changes.

Alumni - Any individuals who have graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree from Caltech.

Asian/Asian American - Individuals who are native to or have origins from Asia, including East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Common related terms are AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) and APIDA+ (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) which is intentionally inclusive of South Asians (Desi) as part of the community. (source)

Beyond Caltech - Involving the community outside of Caltech e.g., high school tutoring, outreach to other schools, etc.

Black/African American -

• African American: Individuals of African descent living in the United States. Not a synonym for Black. (source)
• Black: Individuals of Black descent, regardless of national origin. Use Black only in this larger context. Use more specific terms such as African American, Haitian, etc. when race is known. (source)

Desi/Desi American - A term commonly used to refer to people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi descent living abroad, but is also used to refer to people of South Asian descent more broadly. (source 1; source 2)

Domestic - Individuals with U.S. citizenship, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card), or those who are granted asylum or refugee status (source).

Faculty - Includes lecturers, visiting faculty, research faculty, teaching faculty, etc.

First generation - Individuals whose parent(s) and/or guardian(s) did not complete a baccalaureate degree. (source)

Graduate - A student in a master's, PhD or other professional program.

Hispanic/Latin(x) - Hispanic people are native to or have origins from a Spanish-speaking country. Latin(x) is a gender-neutral term used in lieu of "Latino" or "Latina" for people who are native to or have origins from a Latin American country. Chicano/Chicana people are native to or have origins from Mexico and are living in the United States. (source)

International - Individuals who are not domestic (see Domestic definition). (source)

LGBTQIA+ - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Allies, and more. An inclusive term for non-heterosexual and non-cisgender identities. To read more, see this explanation of terms.

Low income - Individuals from family units with income falling below the 150% of poverty level income. See the U.S. Department of Education definition here.

MENA - An inclusive term for individuals who are native to or have origins from the Middle East and/or North Africa. (source)

Military/Veteran - Active or former members of the Armed Forces of the United States. (source)

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander - Individuals with origins from any of the indigenous communities of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa or other Pacific Islands. (source)

Native/Indigenous - Includes Indigenous Americans, American Indians, First Nation. Whenever possible, Native individuals usually prefer to be called by their specific tribal name. (source)

Parents/Family - Includes individuals with dependents. Check out more family inclusive terms.

People with Disabilities - We use an inclusive definition of disability which refers to a broad range of conditions including, but not limited to, physical, cognitive, developmental, and learning disabilities, chronic illness, mental illness, and those who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Sourced from the Caltech Disability Coalition's Caltech Accommodation FAQ.

PoC - People of Color -

• Describes all nonwhite people. Use specific terms (e.g., Black, Latino, Asian American) whenever possible. (source)
• Sometimes seen as BIPoC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) to highlight the systemic oppression faced by Black and Indigenous people.

Postdoc - A person engaged in postdoctoral research.

Staff/Admin - Includes administrative staff, technical staff, research staff, and other Caltech office staff.

Undergrad - A student in college or university.

Underrepresented - Individuals from any groups underrepresented or marginalized in the context, for example academia and/or STEM, including on the basis of race, gender and socio-economic status.

White/Caucasian - Defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, a white person is a person of descent from the original people of Europe. (source)

Women - We use an inclusive definition of "woman" that includes anyone who self-identifies as a woman or is interested in a women-focused space.