Race And Ethnicity Research Paper

The traditional definition of race and ethnicity is associated to biological and sociological influences correspondingly. “Race is arbitrary manner of subdividing the species Homo sapiens sapiens based on differences in the frequency with which some genes occur among population” (Perry & Perry, 2009, p.224). A person's physical features, including their bone structure, skin, hair, eye color, or tendency to develop a particular disease are used to describe his or her race. An example of race is African American or Caucasian. “Ethnicity is a group’s distinctive social, rather than biological, traits” (Perry & Perry, 2009, p.224). The cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language refers to a person’s ethnicity.

“White or Caucasian is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Black or African American is a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. American Indian or Alaska Native is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. Asian is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander is a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific

Some ethnic groups also share linguistic or religious traits, while others share a common group origin but not a common language or religion. Ethnicity is about the learned cultural behaviors celebrated throughout regions around the world. Ethnicity can be transformed or mirrored through decisions and beliefs.

Race and ethnicity play an essential role in our lives, informing how we view ourselves and the world. Your race is determined by how you look while your ethnicity is based on the social and cultural groups you belong to. You can have multiple ethnicities but you are said to have a single race, even if it's "mixed race". Despite the social importance of race, the collections of common physical characteristics and the tags we use to define it can alter greatly over time. Ethnicity, meanwhile, may correspond with cultural habits such as the foods we appreciate, the languages we speak, and how we