Adjective

This term refers to groups who have been denied access and/or suffered past institutional discrimination in the United States and, according to the Census and other federal measuring tools, includes African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics or Chicanos/Latinos, and Native Americans.

This is revealed by an imbalance in the representation of different groups in common pursuits such as education, jobs, and housing, resulting in marginalization for some groups and individuals and not for others, relative to the number of individuals who are members of the population involved. Other groups in the United States have been marginalized and are currently underrepresented. These groups may include but are not limited to:

• Other ethnicities
• Adult learners
• Veterans
• People with disabilities
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals
• Different religious groups, and
• Different economic backgrounds

Source

Adapted from Emory University Office of Diversity and Inclusion and AAMC