Chapter 7: Ethnicities Flashcards
Why is ethnicity of interest to geographers?
- trends are constantly changing (pop culture, media, etc.) but ethnicity stands strongest for preserving local diversity
- where (like culture) they’re distributed
Ethnicity
- identity with a group of people who share the cultural traditions of a particular homeland
Race
identity with a group of people who are perceived to share a physiological trait, such as skin color
Nationality
identity with a group of people who share legal attachment to a particular country
What is a reason as to why a person’s race, nationality, or ethnicity may not be clear cut?
The persons two parents may identify with different races, ethnicities, or nationalities.
Also, some individuals are not in a position to identify with one or more of their personal traits.
What are some of the challenges associated with collection information about race and ethnicity on the US Census?
- census considers Hispanic to be an ethnicity, so Hispanics get to identify with any race they choose
- 2010 census grouped black, african american, or negro as a race
- some black african americans trace their ethnicity to Africa, some don’t
- ireland & italy are not included in race or ethnicity questions
- what is the race of “american”?
How has the classification of race by the US Census changed over time? What does this tell us about race?
- changes based on politics/science of the time
- tells us that race is socially constructed, dependent on societal values at any given time
What are the three most numerous ethnicities in the US?
Hispanic American, African American, & Asian American
How does Brazil’s census classify people?
by skin color (e.g. white, brown, black, yellow) and indigenous
How is the legacy of separation laws still evident today in the US and South Africa?
US: black housing & schools are in poor, run down areas
South Africa: still very racially divided between blacks & whites, city-center is majority white and blacks are in slums on outskirts
Describe the situation of the Kurds.
- Kurd: sunni muslim w/ a language & full culture
- Turks expand and take over Kurdish territory (1923)
- now an ethnicity with no state, politically oppressed (spread throughout Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran)
Describe how the British Isles are an example of the challenges associated with identifying nationalities.
- several thousand islands, w/ four main ethnicities (English, Welsh, Scots & Irish)
- Ireland & Great Britain are divided into two nationalities (The UK is great britain and northern ireland; the Republic of Ireland is the southern 84% of ireland)
What factors contribute to conflict in Western Asia?
- ethnicities (muslim vs christian)
How did European colonialism contribute to current ethnic conflict in Africa?
- boundaries created by European countries during late 19th/early 20th century
- present day boundaries of countries don’t match with ethnic boundaries
Describe the situation of ethnic cleansing and genocide in Myanmar, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Myanmar: govt (& buddhist extremists) against Rohingya muslims
Sudan: south (black christian & animists) resist govt attempt to convert country to one nationality tied to muslim traditions; North v south wars result in death of 2 million; sudanese govt crushes dafur rebellion in 2003
DRC: refugees flee rwandan genocide, Rwanda and uganda invade to track them down
