Ethnicity, Race, and Nationality AP Human Geography Unit of Study: Cultural Geography

Overview Ethnicity is growing in importance as people all over the world embrace their cultural heritage. Personal and group identities are important and ethnicity is likely to remain diverse even with the globalization of religions, languages, economics, and politics.

What is ethnicity? Ethnicity is identity with a group of people who share the cultural traditions of a particular homeland or hearth. Ethnicity comes from the Greek word ethnikos, which means national.

Importance of Ethnicity to Geographers Where? Like other characteristics of culture, geographers are interested in where ethnicities are distributed. An ethnic group is tied to a particular place, because members of the group—or their ancestors—were born and raised there. The cultural traits displayed by an ethnicity derive from a group’s homeland.

Importance of Ethnicity to Geographers Why care? Ethnic identity comes from the interplay of migration and isolation from other groups. Why ethnicities are distinct comes from their interaction with and isolation from other groups.

Importance of Ethnicity to Geographers Globalization. Although there are ethnic groups that fight to gain control of territory, NO ethnicity is attempting or even aspiring to achieve global dominance. Even if globalization engulfs language, religion, or other cultural elements, the diversity of ethnic identity will remain.

Assimilation v. Acculturation Assimilation: the process of responding to new situations in conformity; “blending” in Acculturation: the process by which a human being acquires the culture of a particular society

African Americans in the U.S.

Hispanic Americans in the U.S.

Asian Americans in the U.S.

Native Americans in the U.S.

Ethnicities in Africa: First…a look at the political map!

Ethnicities in Africa

What is race? Race is identity with a group who share a biological ancestor and it is distinct from ethnicity. Example: In the U.S., Asians are a race and Asian Americans encompass basically the same ethnic group of people, though Asian American is a broad grouping for people from diverse Asian backgrounds.

Important Term Racism: the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and those racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

What is nationality? A nationality is identity with a group of people who share legal attachment and personal allegiance to a particular country. A nation or nationality is a group of people tied together to a particular place through legal status and cultural traditions.

Differences… Ethnicity describes cultural identity while nationality describes political ties and ideas about voting, passports, and civic duties. American is a nationality, Hispanic-American or African-American are ethnicities, and race is the genetic heritage with skin color being the most visible trait.

Self-identification What is it? the act of identifying yourself as a particular kind of person, including your ethnicity and race

Nationalism Nationalism is loyalty and devotion to a nationality. Nationalism promotes one nationality and culture above that of other nations.

How is nationalism fostered? Mass media (controlled in some states—believed to be a risk to the government) Flags, songs, symbols, holidays Propaganda (often negative images about other countries)

Samples of symbols or images that promote nationalism

Sample of propaganda intended to promote a particular attitude about war

Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces A centripetal force is an attitude that tends to UNIFY OR CONNECT people and enhance support for a state (country). A centrifugal force is an attitude that tends to DIVIDE people and decrease support for a state.

Do you know the difference? Centripetal or centrifugal? flag civil war interstate system national anthem poor economy

The Index of Residential Dissimilarity —What is it? Segregation is a shorthand expression for the extent to which members of an ethnic group are not uniformly distributed in relation to the rest of the population. Think of separation!

The Index of Residential Dissimilarity —What is it? A commonly employed measure for quantifying the degree to which a distinctive group is segregated is the index of residential dissimilarity. It indicates the difference between the distributions of two component groups of a population, with a theoretical range of values from 0 (no segregation) to 100 (complete segregation).

The Index of Residential Dissimilarity —What is it? Example: Detroit, Michigan 1. Population (2011): 9.8 million people 2. Overall segregation index—83 (established by the U.S. Census Bureau) 3. Index of Dissimilarity: Blacks: 89 Hispanic: 42 Asian: 48

The Index of Residential Dissimilarity —What is it? Evidence from cities throughout the world makes it clear that most ethnic minorities tend to be sharply segregated from the charter group. Charter means “first,” referring to the first group that has a lasting impact on the cultural landscape.

To what extent is America a “melting pot”? Well…let’s talk about it… Schoolhouse Rocks!

To what extent is America a “melting pot”? It is really more of an American myth than reality. Wilbur Zelinsky: “Doctrine of First Effective Settlement” Cultural areas of the U.S. are European in origin His doctrine refers to the first group that is able to establish a viable, continuing society within a specific territory. United States—first group to establish core as spread culture as the U.S. expanded

Interactive Map Showing Settlement Patterns

Now…let’s see how much you remember…

Question 1 Which of these is an example of a cultural trait? sleeping eating a meal wearing a turban walking parenting

Question 1 Which of these is an example of a cultural trait? C. wearing a turban

Question 2 An ethnicity is typically distinguished by all but which of the following? art culture history traditions sovereignty

Question 2 An ethnicity is typically distinguished by all but which of the following? E. sovereignty

Question 3 Elements of nationalism include all of the following except a common culture. shared attitudes. shared emotions. political structures (type of government).

Question 3 Elements of nationalism include all of the following except D. political structures (type of government).

Question 4 In the United States, which of the following is shared by all Americans? nationality language religion race ethnicity

Question 4 In the United States, which of the following is shared by all Americans? nationality

Question 5 Latinos and Hispanics are clustered in which areas of the United States? Northeast, cities West, Southwest Southwest, Northwest cities rural areas

Question 5 Latinos and Hispanics are clustered in which areas of the United States? B. West, Southwest

Question 6 Self-identification includes ethnicity race religion all of the above

Question 6 Self-identification includes D. all of the above

Question 7 Which of the following is not a strong centripetal force in the United States? network television the Pledge of Allegiance a common currency diverse ethnic groups

Question 7 Which of the following is not a strong centripetal force in the United States? D. diverse ethnic groups