Introduction

Coupled with issues of race and gender is the question of denial. That is, the public’s tendency to ignore unequal treatment of different races of people and women in the work place, in educational settings, and in social situations. Denial and ignorance establish a comfort zone or buffer that allows the cycle of neglect to continue. As a result, the illusion of impartiality provides a means whereby important differences among women can be minimized, and unique characteristics of groups of women can be reduced to meaningless generalities. Women of color, who by definition experience the double bind of racism and sexism, tend to be underrepresented in research and literature alike. Words and terms used to refer to nonwhite women are fraught with controversy and negative connotations. There is the general issue of the naming. The power to name is the power to define and control.