Terms Ethnicity: Ethnic: from the Greek or “ethnikos” “national.” with a group of people who share the cultural traditions of a particular homeland or hearth.” “identity group of people that share distinct physical and mental traits as a product of common heredity and “a cultural traditions.” No Single Necessarily Defines a Person's Ethnicity Ethnicity can be on any trait or combination of traits, including: Language (Quebec, Belgium) Religion (Northern Ireland) National Origin (Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans, etc.) Regional Origin (territorial isolation) (Appalachian “hillbillies”) Different groups base their identities on different traits. Examples: Jews ethnicity primarily means religion. Amish- folk culture and religion African American- skin German American- ancestral language Cuban American-anti-Castro, anti-Marxist sentiment. There is a we / they dichotomy that underlies ethnicity. Ethnic Groups Keepers of distinctive cultural traditions. point for various social interactions. Provide group identity and friendships, marriage partners, recreational outlets, business success, political power base. Provide cultural security and reinforcement that is essential for minority groups. Can give rise to suspicion, friction, distrust, clannishness and even violence. Race Defining Race Definitions from your textbook: with a group of people who share a biological ancestor.” “identity with a of people descended from a common ancestor.” “identity are not identical! The first is a modern biological definition; the second may be based on belief (as when you find references to French race,” Arab “the “the race,” etc.). Race vs. Ethnicity A person's race may or may not be the same as a person's ethnicity. In the US the concepts of race and ethnicity are often confused by law: –sometimes is recognized by the US Census Bureau as a race (so that people from Pakistan, China, “Asian” Japan, Papua New Guinea, etc. will all be classified as being of the same “race”). is recognized as a race, but it is not necessarily the same as There “African-American” “black.” are many who trace their cultural heritage and their ethnic identity to countries in “Blacks” – – the Caribbean or Latin America. (Latino) is considered an ethnicity, not a race. Hispanics may therefore be of any “Hispanic” race. US Ethnicities: Regional Concentrations General pattern
Terms Ethnicity: Ethnic: from the Greek “ethnikos” or “national.” “identity with a group of people who share the cultural traditions of a particular homeland or hearth.” “a group of people that share distinct physical and mental traits as a product of common heredity and cultural traditions.” No Single Necessarily Defines a Person's Ethnicity Ethnicity can be on any trait or combination of traits, including: Language (Quebec, Belgium) Religion (Northern Ireland) National Origin (Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans, etc.) Regional Origin (territorial isolation) (Appalachian “hillbillies”) Different groups base their identities on different traits. Examples: Jews ethnicity primarily means religion. Amish- folk culture and religion African American- skin German American- ancestral language Cuban American-anti-Castro, anti-Marxist sentiment. There is a we / they dichotomy that underlies ethnicity. Ethnic Groups Keepers of distinctive cultural traditions. point for various social interactions. Provide group identity and friendships, marriage partners, recreational outlets, business success, political power base. Provide cultural security and reinforcement that is essential for minority groups. Can give rise to suspicion, friction, distrust, clannishness and even violence. Race Defining Race Definitions from your textbook: “identity with a group of people who share a biological ancestor.” “identity with a of people descended from a common ancestor.” are not identical! The first is a modern biological definition; the second may be based on belief (as when you find references to “the French race,” “the Arab race,” etc.). Race vs. Ethnicity A person's race may or may not be the same as a person's ethnicity. In the US the concepts of race and ethnicity are often confused –sometimes by law: “Asian” is recognized by the US Census Bureau as a race (so that people from Pakistan, China, Japan, Papua New Guinea, etc. will all be classified as being of the same “race”). “African-American” is recognized as a race, but it is not necessarily the same as “black.” There are many “Blacks” who trace their cultural heritage – and their ethnic identity – to countries in the Caribbean or Latin America. “Hispanic” (Latino) is considered an ethnicity, not a race. Hispanics may therefore be of any race. US Ethnicities: Regional Concentrations General pattern
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