Textbook 7.1: Where Are Ethnicities Distributed?

One key difference between race and ethnicity is that ethnicity

• changes each generation.

• cannot be passed to the next generation.

• is place-based.

• is often confused with nationality.

• changes following migration.

Geographers recognize that this personal feature is often connected to the ways that people in society make decisions regarding where to live, attend school, shop, or spend leisure time.

• nationality

• ethnic group

• education level

• skin color

• marriage status

Race is often described as

• being characterized by Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic/Latino.

• identification with a group that is perceived to share a physiologic trait such as skin color.

• determinable from physical characteristics such as the exact shape of a person's face or head.

• evenly distributed around the world, independent of ethnicity.

• defined statute in most U.S. states.

A person who may be considered a racist believes in

• the equality of women and men regardless of ethnic or racial identity.

• the superiority of some groups because of cultural identity.

• the inferiority of some groups because of economic factors and the superiority of other groups because of political affiliations.

• the biological classification of people and undertakes actions that reflect beliefs in the superiority of some groups over others.

• the biological classification of people along with an understanding that all human beings are one species and therefore one extended family without any inherent differences.

Geographers consider ethnicity important because it

• provides the only stable basis of political states in the modern world.

• opposes nationalism and globalization.

• promotes peace and well-being in the face of the globalization of culture.

• reinforces diversity in the face of the globalization of culture.

• defines citizenship and sovereignty in the political arena.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is a good example of the

• complexity of ethnic identity in the United States.

• confusion over ethnicity and race in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

• natural and biological basis for classifying humans.

• complexity of Asian American identity in the United States.

• principle of the distribution of persons of color.

Which of the following is NOT a reason why ethnicity remains a source of controversy in the United States?

• Disagreement regarding the extent of discrimination minority ethnicities such as African Americans and Hispanics still endure.

• Disagreement on the extent that minorities should receive preferences in hiring and university admissions to correct past patterns of discrimination.

• Controversial debates over whether people should identify their ethnicity on the census.

• Different understandings of the extent to which the distinct cultural identity of ethnicities should be encouraged or protected.

• Disagreement over whether or not ethnicity is really different from race.

Which of the following does the United States Census Bureau NOT consider a race?

• Japanese

• Black

• Hispanic/Latino

• White

• Samoan

Examples of changes made to the census regarding race and ethnicity in the United States include all of the following EXCEPT

• since 1997, the Office of Management and Budget has permitted the self-reporting of more than one race.

• Hispanics are classified as an ethnicity and can therefore report any race they wish.

• African-Americans are not classified as Black if they come from the Caribbean instead of Africa.

• according to the census, African-American and Black only applies to people tracing their ethnicity to Africa.

• Hispanics can identify as African-American.

Changes to the U.S. Census reflect changes in the definition of race in the United States. Which of the following is TRUE about the census?

• The first three censuses conducted did not categorize people by race.

• The term 'mulatto' was added in 1820, which means, 'unknown race.'

• Because they are indigenous, American Indians were always included as a race in the census.

• People were permitted to choose their own race beginning in 1960.

• African-Americans, Asians, and Hispanics were added beginning in the 1950s.