Jainism

An ancient non-theistic religion from India that has no gods and teaches salvation through reincarnation and non-injury to living creatures. The three guiding principles, the “three jewels,” are 1) right belief, 2) right knowledge, and 3) right conduct. The supreme principle of living is nonviolence (ahimsa). Jainism has no priests. Its professional religious people are monks and nuns who lead strict and ascetic laives. Most Jains live in India, and according to India’s 2001 Census there are around 4.2 million living there, although census figures may provide lower than the true number of followers as many Jains identify themselves as Hindu.

Japanese American Incarceration

In response to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor during WWII, the forced relocation and imprisonment of about 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry – including 8,000 American citizens – into concentration camps by the U.S. federal government. (This action is often referred to as “internment,” a term that shouldn’t be used as it ignores the illegality and immorality of what happened.)

Jihad/Jihadi

Jihad literally means “strive and struggle for God,” which encompasses an internal struggle towards personal betterment. A jihadi is one who strives and struggles for God. Jihad is not an order to murder and doesn’t mean “terrorism.”

Karma

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and bad rebirths.

Kathoey (or katoey)

A gender identity in Thailand that encompasses people who were assigned male at birth but have a feminine gender identity or gender expression. Transgender women in Thailand mostly use other terms when referring to themselves, such as “phuying” or “sao praphet song,” which translates to “women in the second category.”

Note: When living in another country or visiting other states that don't have the same cultural genders, people with this identity may code-switch and call themselves trans women, gay men, or non-binary in order for their identity to be legible to others. Writers should always consult with cultural experts when writing about Kathoey.

Kinship Care

The care of children by approved adult relatives, members of their tribe, or close family friends. When children are removed from their homes, kinship care minimizes the trauma of separation and increases stability by maintaining connections to family and community. For more.

Latin American

A term used in the U.S. to denote someone born and living in parts of North or South America where Spanish or Portuguese is the main language (including the Caribbean). Outside the U.S., people consider themselves to be of their nationality (i.e., not “Latin American” but Cuban, Mexican, Peruvian, etc.).

Latino/Latina, Latine, or Latinx

For context, remember: Spanish is a gendered language where singular nouns are declined male/masculine (Latino) or female/feminine (Latina); plural nouns use the masculine declension (Latinos) even when women outnumber men in a group. “Latinx” (LAT-uhn-eks or luh-TEE-neks) is a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino/Latina/Latin American and is fast growing as the preferred identifier among U.S. Latin American communities.

Though many agree that inclusivity in language is a good thing, the level of facility in pronunciation of one over the other is more the topic of discussion when it comes to Latinx vs. Latine. Most media outlets, Remezcla included, have opted for Latinx up until now. The problem, many find, is that it’s difficult to pronounce Spanish words that have replaced gendered vowels with an “x.” For many, it’s easier to use the gender neutral “e” instead.

Lesbian

Women who are only or predominantly sexually, romantically, and/or emotionally attracted to other women, and girls who are attracted to other girls. This includes all women and girls: transgender, intersex, and cisgender. Some non-binary people who are predominantly attracted to women also identify as lesbians. “Lesbian” is a sexual orientation, an embodied part of a person’s identity, no matter their relationship status or sexual/romantic experience.

Limb Difference

There are two main types of limb difference: congenital and acquired. Congenital limb difference is also referred to as "limb reduction" or "congenital amputation" and occurs when someone is born missing all or part of their upper and/or lower limbs. Acquired limb difference is also known as "amputation" and occurs when someone has a limb removed for medical reasons, or accidentally due to trauma.

Long-Term Care

A number of services that meet the medical and non-medical needs of older adults (as well as others with chronic illness or disability), including but not limited to caretakers, long-term facilities (e.g., assisted-living homes and communities), home accessibility renovations (e.g., handrails and walk-in tubs), and physical and drug therapies. See here for key stats on long-term care in the U.S., and see here for more about caregivers.

Macau

Considered a special administrative region of China but operates as an independent city-state with its own money, passport, and legal system. Until 1999, Macau was a Portugese colony. For more.

Māhū

In Native Hawaiian and Tahitian cultures, a “third gender” of people who embody both a male and female spirit. They are respected healers, caretakers, and teachers. Nearly erased by Christian colonizers in the 1800s, there has been a resurgence among Native Hawaiians and Tahitians to reclaim the māhū identity and their cultural understandings of gender. Māhū gender expression is considered to be very fluid. Mahukane is a newly coined term of empowerment in Hawai’i, representing people assigned female at birth who have a masculine gender expression/identity; mahuwahine is another newly coined term of empowerment, representing people assigned male at birth who have a feminine gender expression/identity. Note: When living in another country or visiting other states that don't have the same cultural genders, people with these identities may code-switch and call themselves trans women, trans men, or non-binary in order for their gender to be legible to others. For more.

Mandated Reporter

A professional who the state requires to report suspected abuse or neglect of children, older adults, and/or disabled people to authorities (e.g., child welfare agencies, police). Who is considered a mandated reporter can vary state-to-state, but they typically include social workers, healthcare professionals, teachers, childcare providers, and law enforcement.

Mean Girls

A stereotype of girls and young women characterizing them as socially aggressive and unkind. These characters are usually “popular” or “cool” and resort to behaviors such as bullying or backstabbing, even among other characters they consider friends. These portrayals not only enforce the bad behavior, but they fail to address the larger social issues girls and women face like insecurity, lack of confidence, and pressure to fit the “feminine beauty ideal.”

Medical Model vs. Social Model of Disability

The medical model is a belief long fallen out of favor with the disabled community. It’s the idea that disability might reduce quality of life and, therefore, it should be diminished or corrected through medical intervention. The social model holds that society’s attitudes, structure, and organization causes a disability rather than a person’s impairment or difference causing it (i.e. Someone who is deaf is disabled by a lack of accessible communication, like sign language and captions, rather than their ability to hear. Someone who uses a wheelchair for mobility is disabled by stairs or lack of sidewalks).

Medicare

Medicare is a U.S. national health insurance program started in 1966 under the Social Security Administration (SSA), which is now administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It primarily provides health insurance for Americans aged 65 and older, but also for younger people with SSA-determined disability status, and people with end stage renal disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).

In 2018, Medicare provided health insurance for 59.9+ million individuals — 52+ million people aged 65 and older and about 8 million younger people. Medicare covers about half of healthcare costs of those enrolled. See here for more Medicare details.

MENA (Middle East)

The term MENA (for Middle East and North Africa) recognizes differences between two sweepingly large regions. “Middle East” is a colonial designation, comprising a region stunning in its magnitude for diversity of cultures, languages and religions, ethnicities, and races. There are many variations on what the region includes, but it most commonly encompasses the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen, along with North African countries of Algeria, Egypt, Libya Morocco, and Tunisia.

MENA ethnicities, languages, and religions: 50+ ethnic groups in the region, the largest being Arabs, Persians, and Turks. Others include Amazigh, Armenians, Druze, Greeks, Jews, Yazidis, etc. Within these ethnic groups, all races are represented. Arabic and Farsi are the most-spoken languages among 60+; there are multiple Arabic dialects, which vary country to country, city to city. The MENA region is also the birthplace of the three Abrahamic faiths (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism), and many other religions are also practiced.

Melanesia

A subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean made up of four independent countries: Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands; as well as a number of islands, archipelagos, and atolls including Admiralty Islands, Bougainville Island, New Guinea, Western New Guinea, Aru Islands, New Caledonia, and Norfolk Island.

Metis

An officially recognized “third gender” in Nepal with a long history in the Himalayan region. Metis are predominantly feminine-presenting people who were assigned male at birth. Even though their legal recognition on government documents is based solely on self-determination (setting a global precedent), metis people continue to face significant marginalization in Nepal. Note: When living in another country or visiting other states that don't have the same cultural genders, people with this identity may code-switch and call themselves trans women or non-binary in order for their gender to be legible to others. For more on metis identity, here is a personal account.