Articulating Ethnicity

So I recently encountered the suggestion that titles like “Pacific Asian American” or “Native American” or [insert whatever] American are incomplete and should be neglected in church contexts in favor of emphasizing that all are equal in Christ.

The terminology of Pacific Asian American (or whatever) is inadequate.  Despite its (and other terms’) inadequacy, I feel that a “both/and” response to cultural and ethnic identity is more complete.  While it is very important that we, as church leaders and members, emphasize that all are equally children of God and have a place at the table, unity and equality cannot be emphasized in such a way that homogenizes Christian experience or erases felt cultural identities– either individual or community.  While “Pacific Asian American” may be incomplete, so is virtually every other way we communicate identity.  The title lacks considerations of gender, sexuality, economic status, etc.– the other ways we often identify ourselves in the world.  This doesn’t mean we should abandon the task of attempting to describe our contexts in ways that meaningfully communicate our identities.  I think it is important that emphasis on unity does not stifle identities, especially since “unity” is most likely to stifle minority voices.