ETHNICITY
THINK AND DISCUSS
• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RACE AND
ETHNICITY?
• HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN TERMS OF RACE
AND ETHNICITY?
ETHNICITY - INTRODUCTION
• ETHNICITY: GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH A COMMON IDENTITY
BASED ON A DISTINCT BUT SHARED CULTURE (I.E. COMMON
HOMELAND, LANGUAGE, RELIGION, OR RACE).
• COMES FROM GREEK WORD “ETHNOS” WHICH REFERS TO A UNIQUE
AND COHESIVE GROUP…I.E. US V. THEM
ETHNICITY
• GEOGRAPHERS ARE INTERESTED IN WHERE
ETHNICITIES ARE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS SPACE
• ETHNIC GROUPS ARE TIED TO A PLACE
• THERE IS NO GLOBALIZING ETHNICITY
• ETHNICITY IS THE STRONGEST BULWARK FOR
PRESERVATION OF LOCAL DIVERSITY – WHAT DOES THIS
MEAN?
ETHNICITY V. RACE
• ETHNICITY AND RACE NOT NECESSARILY SAME THING
• RACE = GENETIC TRAITS, BIOLOGICALLY INHERITED PHYSICAL
CHARACTERISTICS
• ETHNICITY INVOLVES MORE THAN BIOLOGICAL
CHARACTERISTICS. MAY INCLUDE THAT, BUT GOES WELL
BEYOND TO INCLUDE PERSON’S SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
IDENTITY….I.E. PEOPLE OF SAME RACE CAN FORM MANY
DIFFERENT ETHNICITIES
• EXAMPLES?
ETHNICITY
• ETHNOCENTRISM: ONE’S CONVICTION OF ETHNIC
SUPERIORITY (LIKE RACISM FOR AN ETHNIC GROUP)
• ETHNIC GROUPS USUALLY HAVE TIES TO A PARTICULAR
HOMELAND – OFTEN LEADS TO ETHNIC CLEANSING OR
VIOLENCE TO TRY TO CONTROL PIECE OF LAND
• ETHNICITY IS STRONGEST TIE FOR LOCAL DIVERSITY
AGAINST GLOBALIZATION. EVEN IF GLOBALIZATION
ENGULFS RELIGION AND LANGUAGE, ETHNICITY WILL
LIKELY REMAIN
• DO YOU AGREE?
ETHNIC DISTRIBUTIONS
• IN UNITED STATES:
• 13% AFRICAN AMERICAN
• 15% HISPANIC - THIS HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN THE PAST 5
YEARS.
• 4% ASIAN AMERICAN
• 1% AMERICAN INDIAN
• (WHITE/CAUCASIAN NOT AN ETHNICITY)….WHY NOT?
• ANY GROUP MISSING?
WHERE ARE ETHNICITIES DISTRIBUTED?
• ETHNICITIES MAY BE CLUSTERED IN
SPECIFIC AREAS WITHIN A
COUNTRY, OR THE AREA IT
INHABITS MAY CLOSELY MATCH THE
BOUNDARIES OF A COUNTRY
• DISTRIBUTION IN U.S.
• CLUSTERING ON TWO SCALES
• MAY LIVE IN PARTICULAR
REGION(S) OF THE
COUNTRY
• MAY LIVE IN PARTICULAR
NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN
CITIES
• TWO LARGEST ETHNICITIES
• HISPANICS (LATINOS) – 15% OF
POPULATION
• AFRICAN AMERICANS – 13% OF
POPULATION
• REGIONAL CONCENTRATIONS
• SOUTH: AFRICAN AMERICANS
• SOUTHWEST: HISPANICS
• WEST: ASIANS (4%)
• MID-WEST: NATIVE AMERICANS
(1%)
ETHNIC CLUSTERS
• ETHNIC ENCLAVE: VOLUNTARY RESIDENTIAL
SEGREGATION BASED ON ETHNICITY (I.E. ETHNIC
NEIGHBORHOODS…HISPANIC BARRIOS, CHINA TOWN,
LITTLE HAVANA)
RACE IN THE UNITED STATES
• TRAITS THAT CHARACTERIZE
RACE ARE THOSE THAT CAN
BE GENETICALLY
TRANSMITTED FROM
PARENTS TO CHILDREN
• EXAMPLE:
• LACTOSE INTOLERANCE IN
95% ASIAN-AMERICANS
• BIOLOGICAL
CLASSIFICATION BY RACE IS
THE BASIS FOR RACISM
• IDEA THAT SOME RACES
ARE SUPERIOR TO OTHERS
• 2000 CENSUS
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WHITE
BLACK, AFRICAN AMERICAN
AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE
ASIAN INDIAN
CHINESE
FILIPINO
JAPANESE
KOREAN
VIETNAMESE
OTHER ASIAN
NATIVE HAWAIIAN
GUAMANIAN
SAMOAN
OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDER
OTHER RACE
• HISPANIC IS NOT CONSIDERED A RACE!
DE JURE SEGREGATION AND
DE FACTO SEGREGATION
• DE JURE:
• LEGAL SUCH AS BLACK
CODES, JIM CROW LAWS
AND PLESSY VERSUS
FERGUSON
• DE FACTO:
• JUST HAPPENS IN TERMS
OF ETHNIC CLUSTERING
AND ETHNIC ENCLAVES
• VIENNA
• OVERTURNED BY BROWN
V. BOE
• DC
• ST. LOUIS
• NELSON MANDELA IN S.
AFRICA
SEGREGATION BY SCALE
• SEGREGATION CAN HAPPEN ON 2 SCALES – WITHIN THE
REGION OF A COUNTRY OR WITHIN NEIGHBORHOODS OF A
CITY
• REGIONAL SEGREGATION U.S.
• AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SOUTH EAST AND CITIES
• HISPANICS IN SOUTH WEST
• ASIAN AMERICANS IN WEST (HAWAII, CA)
• NATIVE AMERICANS IN SW AND THE PLAINS
DE FACTO SEGREGATION BY SCALE
• SEGREGATION WITHIN
CITIES…..EAST SIDE, WEST SIDE,
ETC.
• AFRICAN AMERICANS HIGHLY
CLUSTERED IN CITIES (@ ¼ OF
ALL AMERICANS LIVE IN CITIES,
BUT ½ OF ALL AFRICAN
AMERICANS IN CITIES)
• EX: CHICAGO = 1/3 AFRICAN
AMERICANS, ILL 1/12 AFRICAN
AMERICANS
• EX: DETROIT = 4/5 AFRICAN
AMERICANS, MICHIGAN 1/14
AFRICAN AMERICANS
DE FACTO SEGREGATION BY SCALE
• GHETTO: WHEN
ETHNIC GROUPS
WERE FORCED TO
LIVE IN PARTS OF CITY
USUALLY IN
CROWDED,
UNDESIRABLE AREAS.
TERM CAME FROM
MIDDLE AGES W/
FORCED JEWISH
NEIGHBORHOODS.
KEY ISSUE #2 STARTS HERE!
WHY HAVE ETHNICITIES BEEN
TRANSFORMED INTO NATIONS?
• WHO IS AN AMERICAN?
ETHNICITY TRANSFORMED INTO
NATIONALITIES
• NATIONALITY: A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE A LEGAL
ATTACHMENT AND PERSONAL ALLEGIANCE TO A PARTICULAR
COUNTRY (IS DISTINCT FROM RACE AND ETHNICITY, BUT OFTEN
OVERLAPS)
• A NATION OR NATIONALITY IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE TIED TOGETHER
TO A PARTICULAR PLACE THROUGH LEGAL STATUS AND CULTURAL
TRADITIONS
• I.E. WE’RE ALL AMERICAN BUT DIFFERENT RACES AND ETHNICITIES
RISE OF NATIONALITIES
• UNITED STATES:
• NATIONALITY:
• AMERICAN – IDENTIFIES
CITIZENS BORN IN AMERICA
OR IMMIGRANTS THAT
HAVE BECOME CITIZENS
• ETHNICITY:
• IDENTIFIES GROUPS WITH
DISTINCT ANCESTRY AND
CULTURAL HERITAGE
• EXAMPLE: AFRICANAMERICAN
• RACE:
• DISTINGUISHES SKIN
COLOR
• GENETIC TRAITS/
BIOLOGICAL
• NOT ALL AMERICANS IDENTIFY
WITH AN ETHNICITY!!!
NATION-STATES
• NATION-STATE: GEO-POLITICAL IDEAL - A STATE WHO’S
TERRITORY CORRESPONDS TO THAT OCCUPIED BY A
PARTICULAR ETHNICITY THAT HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO
A NATIONALITY (I.E. CZECH REPUBLIC, JAPAN)
• TO PRESERVE AND ENHANCE DISTINCTIVE CULTURAL
CHARACTERISTICS, ETHNICITIES SEEK TO GOVERN
THEMSELVES WITHOUT INTERFERENCE
• SELF-DETERMINATION: IDEA THAT ETHNICITY HAS RIGHT
TO GOVERN THEMSELVES…HAS LED TO CREATION OF
NEW NATION STATES AND VIOLENCE (I.E. YUGOSLAVIA)
• WHEN DID MOST OF THIS HAPPEN?
DENMARK
• DENMARK- GOOD EXAMPLE OF A
NATION-STATE
• TERRITORY OCCUPIED BY DANISH
• ETHNICITY CORRESPONDS TO
STATE OF DENMARK
• STRONG SENSE OF UNITY
• DERIVES FROM SHARED
CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
• SHARED CULTURE AND
HISTORY MORE THAN 1,000
YEARS
• SPEAK SAME LANGUAGE
• PROBLEMS:
• NOT 100% HOMOGENEOUS
• 10% MINORITIES
• TURKISH GUEST WORKERS
• REFUGEES FROM
YUGOSLAVIA
• DENMARK CONTROLS TWO
TERRITORIES THAT DO NOT SHARE
DANISH CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
• FAEROE ISLANDS
• GREENLAND
NATIONALISM
• A NATIONALITY MUST HOLD LOYALTY
OF CITIZENS TO SURVIVE
• GOVERNMENTS TRY TO INSTILL
LOYALTY THROUGH NATIONALISM
• SENSE OF UNITY SOMETIMES
CREATED THROUGH NEGATIVE
IMAGES OF OTHER NATION-STATES
• CAN LEAD TO CONFLICT
• DEFINITION: LOYALTY AND
DEVOTION TO ONE’S NATIONALITY
• PROMOTING SYMBOLS
• FLAGS
• SONGS
• ANTHEMS
• EX: HAMMER AND SICKLE OF
COMMUNISM
• HOLIDAYS (LEGAL)
• MEDIA
• CAN BOTH PROMOTE AND HINDER
NATIONALISM
• INDEPENDENT SOURCE OR
GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED
• NATIONALISM AN EXAMPLE OF
CENTRIPETAL FORCE.
• DEFINITION: AN ATTITUDE THAT
TENDS TO UNIFY PEOPLE AND
ENHANCE SUPPORT FOR A STATE
• “DIRECTED TOWARD THE CENTER”
• OPPOSITE OF CENTRIFUGAL
FORCE
• “TO SPREAD OUT FROM
CENTER”
IN REALITY…NATION STATES ARE RARE
• MULTI-NATION STATES: A COUNTRY THAT
CONTAINS 2 OR MORE ETHNIC GROUPS W/
TRADITIONS OF SELF-DETERMINATION THAT AGREE TO
CO-EXIST AND SHARE POWER PEACEFULLY
• UK W/ 4 NATIONALITIES (ENG, SCOT, WALES, N
IRE)
• RUSSIA = LARGEST MULTI-NATION STATE W/ 39
• UNITED STATES
• CANADA – FRENCH AND ENGLISH SPEAKING
PROVINCES
IN REALITY, NATION STATES ARE
RARE...
• MULTI –STATE NATIONS:
WHEN A COHESIVE ETHNIC GROUP IS SCATTERED AMONG DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES
- KURDS
- JEWS
- SERBS IN AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE
RESURGENCE OF ETHNIC IDENTITY
• LAST 20 YRS HAS SEEN RESURGENCE OF ETHNIC
IDENTITY. DURING COLD WAR, COMM. DOMINATED
E. EUR AND REPRESSED ETHN AND CULTURAL
DIFFERENCES. AFTER FALL OF COMM ETHNICITY
REBOUNDED- LED TO BREAKUP OF SEVERAL STATES
AND ETHNIC VIOLENCE
• EX: YUGOSLAVIA – ETHNIC CLEANSING
• USSR – DISMANTLED ALONG ETHNIC LINES
• CZECHOSLOVAKIA (VELVET DIVORCE)
ALL DIVIDED ALONG CULTURAL/ETHNIC DIVIDES
MULTI-ETHNIC STATES
• MULTI-ETHNIC STATE:
• CONTAINS MORE THAN ONE ETHNICITY
• SOMETIMES ALL ETHNICITIES CONTRIBUTE TO
CULTURAL TO CREATE A SINGLE NATIONALITY
• EXAMPLE: UNITED STATES
• HAS NUMEROUS ETHNIC GROUPS, ALL
OF WHOM CONSIDER THEMSELVES AS
BELONGING TO THE AMERICAN
NATIONALITY
END OF KEY ISSUE #2
ETHNIC VIOLENCE
• OVER 90% OF WORLD’S COUNTRIES CONTAIN MORE
THAN 1 ETHNICITY, ALL COUNTRIES SHARE BORDERS
W/ OTHER ETHNICITIES, AND MANY OTHERWISE
COHESIVE ETHNIC GROUPS HAVE BEEN ARTIFICIALLY
DIVIDED BY POLITICAL BOUNDARIES (I.E. NATION
STATE IS RARE IDEAL)
• SUB SAHARA AFRICA AND BALKANS ESP PLAGUED
W/ ETHNIC VIOLENCE (LOTS OF ETHNICITIES AND
COUNTRY BOUNDARIES DON’T MATCH) – SCRAMBLE
FOR AFRICA IMPOSED BOUNDARIES ACROSS
ETHNIC/TRIBAL GROUPS
EXAMPLES OF ETHNIC VIOLENCE
• ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA - 30 YR CIVIL WAR, 665,000 ERITREAN
REFUGEES FLED TO SUDAN
• SUDAN – CIVIL WAR SINCE 1980S
• BLACK CHRISTIAN REBELS IN SOUTH V. ARAB MUSLIM GOVN’T
FORCES IN NORTH
• OPPRESSIVE FUNDAMENTALIST GOVN’T
• OVER 2 MILL DEAD, 1 MILL REFUGES
EXAMPLES OF ETHNIC VIOLENCE
• SOMALIA: 6 MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS (CLANS)
• GOVNT COLLAPSE IN 1990S, WAR BETWN CLANS FOR POWER VACUUM
• FAMINE, 300,000 DEAD, REFUGEES
• US SENT IN TROOPS (BLACK HAWK DOWN)
• AFRICA –
LOCATE…
SUDAN
ETHIOPIA
ERITREA
RWANDA
BURUNDI
SOMALIA
S. AFRICA
EXAMPLES OF ETHNIC VIOLENCE
• LEBANON - @ 60% MUSLIM, 30% CHRISTIAN, 10% OTHER
• MILITANT MUSLIM SECT – HEZBOLLAH
• CIVIL WAR
• KURDS – ETHN DIVIDED AMONG SEVERAL STATES (25 MILL DIVIDED
BETWN 6 COUNTRIES) – MULTI STATE NATION
• FOUGHT FOR IND IN TURKEY AND IRAQ
EXAMPLES OF ETHNIC VIOLENCE
• GREAT MIGRATION – INDIA, PAKISTAN, BANGLADESH
• BRITISH LEAVE IN 1847, ETHNIC FIGHT
• HINDUS – INDIA, MUSLIMS – E.W. PAKISTAN
• INDIA HAS HUNDREDS OF LANG AND ETHNIC GROUPS AND HINDUISM
HAS BEEN CENTRIPETAL FORCE
• @ 17 MILL MOVED – SOME KILLED BY EXTREMISTS ON BOTH SIDES
• STILL FIGHT OVER KASHMIR – IN THE NORTH
EXAMPLES OF ETHNIC VIOLENCE
• SRI LANKA – SINHALESE V. TAMILS
• 60,000 DEAD SINCE FIGHTING BEGAN IN 1983
• SINHALESE – 74% BUDDHIST IN S.
• TAMILS – 18% HINDUS IN N.
• TAMILS FEEL DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, ONGOING FIGHTING
ETHNIC CLEANSING
• IN WORST CASES ETHNIC VIOLENCE CAN LEAD TO ETHNIC
CLEANSING – PROCESS BY WHICH MORE POWERFUL ETHNIC GROUP
FORCIBLY REMOVES LESS POWERFUL ETHNIC GROUP IN ORDER TO
CREATE ETHNIC HOMOGENEITY. CAN BE ACHIEVED BY..
• FORCED MIGRATION - PUSH OUT, BURN HOMES, DESTROY TOWNS
• GENOCIDE: PREMEDITATED EFFORT TO KILL ALL FROM CERTAIN ETHNIC
GROUP (HOLOCAUST)
YUGOSLAV MAP
YUGOSLAVIA – THE BALKANS
• YUG HAD 5 ETHNICITIES – SERBS, CROATS, SLOVENES,
MACEDONIANS, MONTENEGRINS
• COMMUNIST – JOSIP TITO SUBDUED ETHNIC ANIMOSITIES,
FORGED YUGOSLAV IDENTITY…FIREBALL ERUPTS AFTER TITO’S
DEATH & FALL OF COMM (1980S)
• CROATS HELPED NAZI GERMANS ROUND UP AND KILL SERBS
DURING WW II
• TITO – AT RIGHT – HELD
YUGOSLAVIA TOGETHER
FOR SEVERAL DECADES
YUGOSLAVIA – CONT’D
• ETHNIC CLEANSING IN BOSNIA – 40% MUSLIM, 32% SERB,
18% CROAT – SERBS AND CROATS WANT TO JOIN WITH
CROTIA AND SERBIA. TO STRENGTHEN CLAIM, ETHNICALLY
CLEANSE BOSNIAN MUSLIMS.
• KOSOVO: S. PROVINCE OF SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO WAS
90% ALBANIAN. SERBS USE ETHNIC CLEANSING TO PUSH
ALBANIANS OFF LAND INTO NATION OF ALBANIA. US AND
NATO BOMBED SERBIA AND FORCED SERBIA TO WITHDRAW
FROM KOSOVO.
YUGOSLAVIA – CONT’D
• AT LEFT SERBIAN LEADER
SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC –
CHARGED WITH WAR CRIMES
AND CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY. DIED OF A HEART
ATTACK WHILE AWAITING TRIAL
AT THE HAGUE
YUGOSLAVIA - CONTD
• RESULTS OF ETHNIC VIOLENCE
• BOSNIAN SERBS = 33% POP GOT 50% COUNTRY
• BOSNIAN CROATS = 18% POP GOT 25%COUNTRY
• BOSNIAN MUSLIMS = 44% POP GOT 27% COUNTRY
• BALKANIZATION – THE BREAKDOWN OF A STATE THROUGH ETHNIC
CONFLICT – I.E. SHATTERBELT
E. EUROPE AFTER FALL OF COMM
• USSR –
DISMANTLED
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
VELVET DIVORCE
YUGOSLAVIA –
SPLIT
BALKANIZATION
ALL ETHNIC
DIVISIONS
ETHNIC CLEANSING
• RWANDA AND BURUNDI
• HUTUS V. TUTSI
• TUTSI – MINORITY BUT TREATED BETTER UNDER COLONIAL RULE (LIGHTER
SKIN, TALLER, GOT GOVNT JOBS AND EDUCATION)
• INDEPENDENCE – HUTU MAJORITY ETHNICALLY CLEANSE TUTSI MINORITY
• SPIRALS INTO CIVIL WAR…MILLION DEAD, MILLIONS OF REFUGEES
GENDER
• GENDER: CULTURAL REFERENCE TO SOCIALLY CREATED DISTINCTIONS
(NOT BIOLOGICAL) BETWEEN MASCULINITY – FEMININITY
• GENDER EQUITY WOMEN’S WELFARE (I.E. EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE,
CAREER, SOCIAL ROLES, POLITICAL POWER, ETC.) WOMEN’S WELFARE
LAGS FAR BEHIND IN MUCH OF THE WORLD
MEASURES OF GENDER EQUITY
• INFANTICIDE: KILLING BABIES (USUALLY GIRLS)
• ENFRANCHISEMENT: POLITICAL POWER, VOTING
RIGHTS
• DOWRY DEATH: DOWRY IS GIFT FROM BRIDE’S
FAMILY TO GROOM’S (INDIA). SUBSTANTIAL
MONETARY GIFTS OFTEN EXPECTED. IF GROOM’S
FAMILY NOT SATISFIED W/ GIFT, MAY CAST BRIDE
OUT OR KILL HER.
MEASURES OF GENDER EQUITY
• MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE: # OF MATERNAL DEATHS
PER 1,000 BIRTHS
• SINGLE GREATEST HEALTH DISPARITY BETWN MDCS AND
LDCS
• WHO – 530,000 WOMEN DIE EACH YR FROM PREGNANCY
RELATED CAUSES (99% OF THESE IN LDCS)
• LEADING CAUSES – PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS,
ABORTIONS, DELIVERY
• 1 IN 16 WOMEN IN AF DIE FROM MATERNAL CAUSES
• THESE DEATHS ARE PREVENTABLE – MALNUTRITION, LACK
OF PRENATAL CARE, ETC.