Race and Ethnicity in the US

Dr. Marquita L. ByrdCommunication Studies Department

San Jose State UniversityCopyright ByMar Diversity Training

dr.byrd@earthlink.net

Do you know who is who?

Talking Points

1. Race is a social construct2. All humans have the DNA of the same woman

found in the mitochondrial portion of the cell3. Race and ethnicity overlap4. Race most unreliable method of identifying

people.5. Racial classifications are used to divide and

conquer6. Racial designations are used by the federal

government to allocate funds.7. Racial designation depends on who the group or

family say that they are, who the individual says he or she is, who the government says you are and who society says you are.

8. Ultimately the effective communicator asks people about their racial and ethnic background, not inform them of “who they are.”

Race and Ethnicity are important for several reasons

Remember race is a social construct designed to talk about something that

varies in the population. It does not actually exist.

Slavery: that history overshadows interracial and interethnic relationships even today

Blacks, Amerindians, Asians, Mexicans, Pilipinos and poor whites from Ireland and Great Britain were enslaved in the United States The dominate culture used racial categories to keep people of colour

and poor whites from forming coalitions Racial categories determine who gets what: land, jobs, education

Difference between slaves coming from the UK and people of colour in slavery is that poor whites looked like the power dominant and over generations have been able to outlive the chains while people of colour continue to be distinguishable.

Relationships between race and ethnicity: not mutually exclusive

RACE ETHNICITY

Biologically determined Transmitted by DNA Based on

anthropological, religious and political motives• Hair, skin colour facial

structure, etc.

Distinguishable by things that are learned

Language Values, traditions Worldview

Race EthnicityOverlap

Races can include different ethnicities and ethnicities can include various races

Tonga Chinese

Indo Korean

All Asian/Pacific Islanders

Hispanic

MexicanCubans

Puerto Rican

Dominican Honduran

Each group has Black, Brown and White people

Major Racial and Ethnic Groups in the US

General guidelines used by the US Census Bureau

African AmericansPeople with origins in the Sub-SaharaOn the continent of Africa or 1 drop of

Black blood

Asian American/Pacific Islanders

People originating on the Pacific Rim

EuropeanPeople originating from any of the

European countries including Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany, Italy

Ethnic Whites: Europeans that maintain original cultures including Italian, Irish, Polish

Hispanics: EthnicityPeople conquered in the New World by

SpainFirst language Spanish

Last name SpanishDoes not include people from Spain

Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Pilipinos,Latino, Chicano, Castilian (conquers in the New world,) Mestizos (mix of Castilian and Amerindian)

Native AmericansAmericans identifying self and group by

tribal affiliation or recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs

Cherokee, Apache, Oneida, Dakota, Comanche, etc

Summary

1. Race is a social construct2. All humans have the DNA of the same woman found in the

mitochondrial portion of the cell3. Race and ethnicity overlap4. Race most unreliable method of identifying people.5. Racial classifications are used to divide and conquer6. Racial designations are used by the federal government to

allocate funds.7. Racial designation depends on who the group or family say

that they are, who the individual says he or she is, who the government says you are and who society says you are.

8. Ultimately the effective communicator asks people about their racial and ethnic background, not inform them of “who they are.”