Ethnic identities key concepts

Ethnic identities key concepts

1. Race

   • Perceived biological or physical differences between groups e.g. skin colour.

2. Ethnicity

   • Cultural differences between groups based on things such as religion, language, country of origin, customs, norms, values, food, dress and music.

3. Ethnic minority group

   • A group who share the same cultural background but which is different to that of the majority culture in the country where they reside.

4. Nationality

   • Refers to your country or origin or the country where you are legally entitled to reside. E.g. British This also gives you rights in that country such as to vote or have a passport.

5. Immigrant

   • Someone who has moved from country to permanently reside in another.

6. First/ second/ third generation immigrant

   • First = those who have moved to the new country themselves, second = their children and third = their grandchildren.

7. Asylum seeker

   • Someone who seeks refuge in another country for a temporary period if it is too dangerous for them to be in their own country e.g. due to war or religious persecution.

8. illegal immigrant

   • Someone who is not legally entitled to live in a country. E.g. They may have entered the country illegally or simply outstayed their visa.

9. Racism

   • Negative attitudes or behaviours towards a person / group due to their racial or ethnic background.

10. Institutional racism

    • When the way an organisation operates e.g. Its policies and practices have the unconscious effect of discriminating against and disadvantaging certain ethnic groups.

11. Asslimation

    • When an ethnic minority group become absorbed into the ethnic majority and adopt their cultural norms and values.

12. Integration

    • When ethnic minorities become part of the majority culture and adopt their norms, values and cultural practices. This has led to multiculturalism.

13. Cultural/ethnic resistance

    • When an ethnic minority group unite together and strengthen their own ethnic identities as a way of fighting / ‘resisting’ the racism they face from the ethnic majority.

14. Code switching

    • The way in which some ethnic groups behave differently with family and their peers.

15. Cultural comfort zones

    • Term used to describe the way some ethnic minorities form peer groups with those from the same ethnic background.

16. Blasian/ Brasian identities

    • Mix of Black and Asian/ Black and British.

17. Duel identities

    • Refers to those who have more than one ethnic identity. E.g. British and Asian

18. Cultural borrowing

    • The mixing and sharing of different styles and cultures e.g. White and Asians listening to rap music

19. Cultural masks

    • When young people adopt or try out new ethnic identities, different to their own.