Ethnicity and Race

Chapter Outline ETHNIC GROUPS & ETHNICITY Status Shifting ETHNIC TOLERANCE & ACCOMMODATION Assimilation The Plural Society Multiculturalism and Ethnic Identity ETHIC GROUPS, NATIONS, & NATIONALITIES Nationalities and Imagined Communities RACE & ETHNICITY THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE Hypodescent: Race in the United States Race in the Census Not Us: Race in Japan Phenotype and Fluidity: Race in Brazil ROOTS OF ETHNIC CONFLICT Prejudice and Discrimination Chips in the Mosaic Aftermath of Oppression

ETHNIC GROUPS & ETHNICITY Racial/Ethic Identification in US 2007 CLAMED IDENTITY NUMBER (MILLIONS) PERCENTAGE White (non-Hispanic) 199.7 66.1 Hispanic 45.4 15.5 Black 38.8 12.9 Asian 13.4 4.5 American Indian 2.9 1.0 Pacific Islander .5 .2 Total population 301.1 99.8 Ethnicity is bases on cultural similarities and differences in a society or nation. Status Shifting Ascribed status - social status based on little or no choice Achieved status – social status based on choices or accomplishments Some status aren’t mutually exclusive, but contextual. EX. People can be both black and Hispanic or mother and a senator ETHNIC GROUPS & ETHNICITY

RACE & ETHNICITY NATIONAL ORIGIN PERCENTAGE Mexican American 64.4 American Hispanic, Latinos 2007 NATIONAL ORIGIN PERCENTAGE Mexican American 64.4 Puerto Rican 9.1 Cuban 3.5 Central and South American 13.3 Other Hispanic/ Latino origin 9.8 Total 100.0 Race is a cultural category rather than a biological reality. Ethnic groups, including “races,” derive from contrasts perceived and perpetuated in particular societies rather than from scientific classifications based on common genes. It id not possible to define human races biologically. Only cultural constructions of race are possible- even though the average person conceptualizes ‘race” in biological terms RACE & ETHNICITY

THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE Hypodescent: Race in the United States In American culture, one acquires his/her racial identity at birth, as an ascribed status, but race isn’t based on biology or on simple ancestry. American rules for assigning racial status can be more arbitrary. In some state, anyone known to have any black ancestor, no matter how remote, is classified as black. This is a rule of decent, but of a sort that is rare outside of contemporary US. THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE

THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE Race in the Census Racial categories in census (1990) includes: White, Black or Negro, Indian (American), Eskimo, Aleut or Pacific Islander and Other. A separate question is asked about Spanish- Hispanic heritage. Choice of “some other race” in US Census more than doubled from 1980 (6.8 million) to 2000 (over 15 million) suggesting imprecision in and dissatisfaction with the existing categories. THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE

THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE Not Us: Race in Japan North Americans view Japan is a nation that is homogeneous in race, ethnicity, language, and culture. Japan is hardly the uniform entity 10% of Japan’s national population are minorities of various sorts Aninu Okinawans Burakumin Children of mixed marriages THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE

THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE Phenotype and fluidity: Race in Brazil Along with the rest of Latin American, Brazil has less exclusionary categories, which permit individuals to change their racial classification. Brazilians use over 500 racial labels Racial Classification pays attention to phenotypes Phenotypes – expressed physical characteristics of an organism THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE

ETHIC GROUPS, NATIONS, & NATIONALITIES Nationalities and Imagined Communities Nationalities – Ethnic groups that have once had, or want their own country Even when they become nation states, they remain “imagined communities because most of their members, through feeling comradeship, will never meet. They can only imagine they are the same unit. ETHIC GROUPS, NATIONS, & NATIONALITIES

ETHNIC TOLERANCE & ACCOMMODATION Assimilation – absorption of minorities within a dominant culture Minority culture is so incorporated into dominant culture that it no longer exists as a separate cultural unit The Plural Society Societies with economically interdependent ethic groups Ethic groups can persist despite generations of interethnic contact ETHNIC TOLERANCE & ACCOMMODATION

ETHNIC TOLERANCE & ACCOMMODATION Multiculturalism & Ethnic Identity A multicultural society socializes individuals not only into dominant (national) culture but also into an ethnic culture. ETHNIC TOLERANCE & ACCOMMODATION

ROOTS OF ETHNIC CONFLICT Prejudice and discrimination People are prejudiced when they hold stereotypes about groups and apply to them to individuals. ROOTS OF ETHNIC CONFLICT

ROOTS OF ETHNIC CONFLICT Chips In the Mosaic Discrimination – Policies and practices that harm a group of its members Although the multicultural model is increasing prominent in North American ethnic competition and conflict also are evident. There is conflict between newer arrivals, for instance, Central American and Koreans, and longer established ethnic groups such as African Americans ROOTS OF ETHNIC CONFLICT

ROOTS OF ETHNIC CONFLICT Aftermath of Oppression Genocide – Deliberate elimination of a group through mass murder A dominant group may try to destroy , the cultures of certain ethnic groups or force them to adapt the dominant culture Ethnocide – Destruction of certain ethnic groups ROOTS OF ETHNIC CONFLICT