Racial Identity And Race And Ethnicity - 957 Words

Daily, people in America are categorized by their physical characteristics, lumped together as one group, and labelled with a â€Å"race.† Most assume that race and ethnicity have virtually the same definition and use the two terms interchangeably; however, ethnicity and race are two extremely diverse concepts that are frequently misconstrued by the general public. Race is the idea that people who look similar share similar backgrounds; however, genetically, this is not always the case. More accurately, ethnicity acknowledges both where a person comes from and their beliefs, practices, and cultural aspects (INSERT book CITATION). By what people typically think and classify others as, I would be seen as white. Obviously, this is my racial identity and not my ethnicity. If someone was to ask me what my ethnicity is, I could not give a simple answer. Through generations, my ethnicity is rooted in several different cultures, specifically Irish, Scottish, English, German, and Jewish. Out of the five, I most strongly identify with my German heritage. Without asking me, though, some people would never know from which countries my ancestors came to the United States. Up until a few years ago, I was not even aware that my German ethnicity was the most prominent of my ethnicities, even though Germans make up the majority of non-Hispanic European descents, I could have never guessed that I was predominately Germanic. (book citation). My father actually received a family tree, and while weShow MoreRelatedImportance Of Race Ethnicity : An Exploration Of Asian, Black, Latino, And Multiracial Adolescent Identity Essay1047 Words   |  5 PagesImportance of race-ethnicity: An exploration of Asian, Black, Latino, and Multiracial adolescent identity Article source- Charmaraman, L., Grossman, J. M. (2010, April). Importance of race-ethnicity: An exploration of Asian, Black, Latino, and Multiracial adolescent identity. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(2), 144-151. doi: 10.1037/a0018668 (a) Contextual information about the purpose/intention of this study: Throughout the history of United States, race has been one ofRead MoreRace Construction Essay1335 Words   |  6 PagesEthnology Draft Racial constructions in the United States beyond white and black Race construction in the United States has been socially constructed since the founding of the republic. Racial differences and the development of various ethnic identities have been affected by the rigidity of racial categories in the United States, these include American Indian or Alaskan Native, black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Asian Pacific Islander, and white. The racial divide in the UnitedRead MoreRacial Formation : Racism And Race983 Words   |  4 PagesOmi, Winant – Racial Formation In Omi and Winant, Racial Formation the topic of what race is brought up. They bring up the question of What is race? Which lead to the use of pseudo-science to justify the physical difference that were observed. Race is later defined as a social construct which is shaped by broader societal forces. In the United States the racial division between Blacks and Whites have been delineated in order to suppress Blacks. They have been enforced by arbitrary and non-consistentRead MoreRace And Ethnicity Are Integral Parts Of America905 Words   |  4 PagesRace and Ethnicity are integral parts of America. They are often used interchangeably. Race is associated with biology. It is a socially and politically constructed category of individuals who are assumed to share common inborn biological traits, such as bone structure, hair type, skin, or eye color. These distinctions have been used to the detriment or advantage of American groups over time. Whereas ethnicity is associated with culture factors. It is often tied to nationality of origin and characterizedRead MoreEthnic And Racial Identity During Adolescence Into Young Adulthood855 Words   |  4 PagesThe peer reviewed article â€Å"Ethnic and Racial Identity During Adolescence into Young Adulthood: An Integrated Conceptualization † is a well written article on the struggle that people of color face when coming face to face with their identity in social situations. Umana-Taylor, Quintana, Lee, Cross, Rivas-Drake, Schwartz and Seaton (2014) analyzed ethnic and racial identity or ERI and how it relates to important developments and issues from early childhood well on into young adulthood. They workedRead MoreSociological Theories Of Prejudice And Racism1645 Words   |  7 PagesSociological Theories of Prejudice and Racism Functionalist theory argues for race and ethnic relations to be functional and thus supply to the melodic conduct and strength of society, racial and ethnic minorities must assimilate into that society. Assimilation is a process by which a minority becomes socially, economically, and culturally absorbed within the dominant society. The assimilation perspective assumes that to become fully fledged members of society, alternative groups must adopt as muchRead MoreRace And Racial Relations During The United States1380 Words   |  6 Pages1. Why is it important to learn about race and racial relations in this country? It is crucial to learn about race and racial relations in the United States because our country is home to many immigrants and there has been many issues regarding race in this country. For example, African Americans struggled to be accepted and treated as an equal—dealing with racism. Diversity is a huge factor in this country since it is increasing every moment. In order to survive, immigrants must assimilate to AmericanRead MoreThe Difference Between Race And Racism Essay1037 Words   |  5 Pages Understanding the difference between race and racism is a very controversial topic. Even I am trying to understand the difference between the two words. When individuals think about race the first word that comes to mind is racism, I would think its the same, but it’s not. When exploring the web to differentiate the meaning of these two words, one-word that keeps popping up is â€Å"racism†. The words are so similar which makes this topic difficult to write abo ut, but as my English teacher CoarleeRead MoreEthnic Variability Of Hispanic Latino936 Words   |  4 Pagesin the United States Census (112) The historical development of ethnic categorization as a distinct concept from race in the U.S. Census was defined through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in October 1997. This criterion was meant to discern between biological/genetic factors and the ethnic aspects of Latino/Hispanic identity as part of this governmental decree: â€Å"The racial and ethnic categories set forth in the standards should not be interpreted as being primarily biological or geneticRead MoreThe Race, Culture, Identity : Misunderstood, Questions Racial Labeling Of All Sorts859 Words   |  4 Pages Kwame Anthony Appiah’s The race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood, questions racial labeling of all sorts. What is the difference between race, ethnicity and culture? Appiah reevaluates people’s ways of thinking, which encourages his readers to think outside of the norms to analyze what their definition of race is. He argues that if one rejects the existence of racism, which is the idea that there are distinctions of our species, then that person cannot adhere to the fact that there are hereditary