RACE VS ETHNICITY BY Jay Barrett

What’s the Difference? RACE: Traditionally, race has been used to classify people based on BIOLOGICAL characteristics: skin color, eye color, hair texture, and body shape Scientific justification for such division has proven elusive Despite the scientific difficulty of defining race, people have experienced the social effects of race and have formed communities and cultures based on racial experiences ( discuss “White Flight”)

Importance of Race Race is an important signifier for many people Racial identity can influence communication in a number of ways For example, African Americans, Mexicans, and others may use codeswitch by altering their linguistic and non-verbal patterns to conform to the dominate culture, or They may adopt communication forms unique to their race, depending on the topics or co-participants in a conversation

Ethnicity, What’s it all About? ETHNICITY: is a classification of people based on shared national characteristics such as country of birth, geographic origin, language, religion, ancestral customs, and traditions People vary greatly in terms of the importance they attach to their ethnic heritage and the degree to which it effects their attitudes, values, and behaviors

Language Language or “mother tongue" is an obvious influence of ethnicity on communication Immigrants bring the language of their country of origin and may or may not speak English when they arrive Even after they learn English, many choose to speak their mother language at home, live in proximity to others from their home country, and interact with them in their native language

Impact on Communication The United States is considered an English speaking country However, it has the third-largest Spanish-speaking population of any country in the world Research shows that 70% of Latinos in the U.S. speak mainly Spanish at home Many business and government agencies offer automated phone services with bilingual menus and employ bilingual customer service personal