People wanted a generic word that collectively refers to all people who aren't white. They didn't want to use "non-white" because they wanted a positive word th

People wanted a generic word that collectively refers to all people who aren't white. They didn't want to use "non-white" because they wanted a positive word that emphasises what people are rather than what they're not. And they didn't want to use "colored" because that word has too much historical baggage (at least in the US.) So "people of color" was born.