Race and Ethnic Groups

10/17/2013 9:14:00 AM

Minority groups are characterized by: Being Distinguishable from dominant group by features like appearance, language, religion Excluded or denied full participation in economic, political, and other institutions Less access to power, resources, prestige Are stereotyped, ridiculed, condemned, or defamed, which justifies poor treatment Develop collective identities, communities, and institutions to insulate themselves Determined by history and ideology Dominant groups are not always the numerical majority Ethnic and racial groups are the most common minority groups The concept of race: Race: a group identified by society because of certain biologically inherited physical characteristics Racial classifications have been based on different combinations of characteristics Origins of the Concept of Race: In the 18th and 19th century, scientists developed four major race categories Mongoloid, Caucasoid, Negroid, Australoid In the 1970s, the United Nations issued a Statement on Race: o All people are born free and equal Racism retards personal development (Racial) conflicts cost nations resources Racism creates international conflict Race categories are defined by society, often based on what is convenient for the dominant group o Racist doctrines lack any scientific basis o o o o The Significance of Race vs. Class

Race was historically central to U.S. stratification After WWII, African Americans developed a class structure based on occupation and income, similar to that of Whites The African American middle class has grown But the African American urban underclass has become increasingly unemployed and isolated Ethnic Groups Ethnic groups: membership is based on shared cultural heritage, often connected with national or geographic identity Some groups inhabit ethnic enclaves Ethnicity is defined in part by the government The term ethnic includes most minorities and avoids problems of the term race -Census categories encourage diverse groups to think of themselves as parts of a larger category, or panethnicity (e.g., Asian, Hispanic) Biracial and Multiracial Populations: Race is a social construct that can change Many countries are now multiracial due to migration Many individuals are now multiracial Yet the legacy of the race concept remains Processes that keep minorities unequal

Diversity in America: Thirteen percent of Americans are foreign born. There are 150 distinct ethnic or racial groups in the U.S. The proportion of the population that is white is declining. The number of Americans who identify themselves as multiracial is increasing.

European Americans:

First colonists About 58% of the U.S. population Early immigrants (WASPS) looked down on later immigrants from other areas of Europe As a group, European Americans are the most successful. Latinos: Fastest growing minority group 16% of U.S. population Latinos are a diverse group. Median household income of Latinos is 72% that of whites. Many Latinos become successful. African Americans: The second largest minority group 13% of the population The only group brought to the U.S. involuntarily Experience high rates of poverty Median income is the lowest of all racial-ethnic groups. Success rates are increasing. Asian Americans: Comprise 5% of U.S. population Highest median income among U.S. minority groups Higher educational levels Labeled the model minority American Indians 1.6% of the population, growing More than 560 recognized tribes Experienced centuries of subjugation, exploitation, and political exclusion

High rates of poverty Economic progress in recent years Middle Eastern Americans Heterogeneous population Most are Muslim Tend to be better educated and wealthier than other Americans Racism: Racism is any attitude, belief, or institutional arrangement that favors one racial group over another; this favoritism may result in intentional or unintentional consequences for minority groups Three Types of Racism 1) Ideological racism is an attempt to justify racism on the basis of a pseudoscientific set of ideas 2) Symbolic racism people insist they are not prejudiced or racist, yet oppose social policies that would eliminate racism and make true equality of opportunity possible 3) Institutional racism involves discrimination that is hidden within the system