What is Race?
Around 1490–1500, for the first time the word ‘Race’ was used. It simply refers to group of people who are connected by a common descent or origin. Example: the English Race, or English people. By 1700s, the word ‘race’ acquired a different meaning. With the spread of European Colonialism & Imperialism, White Europeans used race to classify humans by their place of origin & skin color. The foundation of slavery came to be based upon this social hierarchy. It was seen that people whose race appeared to be white believed the color of their skin & other aspects of their appearance meant they were more intelligent, moral, capable—more human—than those who were not white. The whites believed they were superior than others.
Classifying people based on their color & then deciding who is better, is not right. People should be classified based on their nature, personality, knowledge, abilities, talent & other skills. However, the idea of race can be very meaningful to certain people—especially those members of minority groups who have been marginalized & oppressed. They may associate race with cultural importance. In the present times, we see how American music artists like Beyoncé & Jennifer Lopez celebrate their race & heritage through their work. However, even today, people often tend to confuse race with ethnicity.
Examples of Race
Few examples of the racial categories we see around us, are :
- White or Caucasian – British, French, German, etc.
- Black – Kenyan, Nigerian, Somalian, etc.
- American Indian or Alaska Native – Iroquois, Cherokee, Navajo, Haida, etc.
- Latino or Hispanic – Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, etc.
- Asian – Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Cambodian, etc.
- Pacific Islander or Hawaiian – Samoan, Tongan, Maori, Tahitian, etc.
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Race vs Ethnicity
Race vs Ethnicity: Race and Ethnicity terms are used to categorize the sections of the population. When we divide people into groups of difference between Race and Ethnicity, based on their physical characteristics, it is referred to as race. Ethnicity refers to the Cultural Differences & identification of people of different geographic regions, including their customs, history, language & religion. So basically, race describes physical traits while ethnicity refers to cultural identification.
Table of Content
- Difference Between Race and Ethnicity
- Comprehensive Comparison Between Race vs Ethnicity
- What is Race?
- What is Ethnicity?
- Importance of Race and Ethnicity
- Challenges Surrounding Race and Ethnicity
- Real-Life Examples and Updated Statistics
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