What Is Ethnicity?

Ethnicity denotes a group of individuals who consider themselves, or are considered by others, to share common characteristics which differentiate them from other collectivities within a society.  Distinct cultural behaviors are developed, and ethnic groups can be identifiable in terms of religion, politics, occupation, or language.  Because it is based in cultural differences, ethnicity is social in nature.

Ethnicity is different than race.  Race is a socially constructed category that draws on observations of physical differences among different groups of individuals.  Ethnic groups can  include various racial categories.  For example,Jewish individuals in the U.S. Constitute a typical ethnic group but may include individuals of Eastern European to African ancestry.

Ethnic groups are fluid in composition and subject to changes in definition.  For example. The “Asian” category has historically been treated as both a racial category and an ethnic category – if an individual of Asian ancestry is living in the U.S., that individual’s ancestry is typically referred to as part of their ethnic identity.  However, Asian is also recognized as a racial category as well which points to the usage problems of terms such as race and ethnicity.

Both of these concepts differ from nationality.  Nationality refers to an individual’s relationship with their state of origin, meaning that this relationship is political in nature. Often times, nationality and ethnicity are linked but this may not always be the case. For example, within the U.S. There are many different ethnic groups such as Aleuts (Native Alaskans) and Catawba Indians (native to Carolina region of the U.S.) that claim a U.S. Nationality.

Ethnicity is like a racial origin.
Like English, Japaneses, Indian etc.

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