Ethnic Studies Definitions & Concepts PDF

Ethnic Studies: The interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and identity, often focusing on marginalized communities’ histories, cultures, and experiences. 1965 Immigration Act: A U.S. law that ended national origin quotas, leading to increased immigration from Asia, Africa, and Lati...

Ethnic Studies: The interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and identity, often focusing on marginalized communities’ histories, cultures, and experiences. 1965 Immigration Act: A U.S. law that ended national origin quotas, leading to increased immigration from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Anti-Miscegenation Laws: Laws that prohibited interracial marriage and relationships, declared unconstitutional by Loving v. Virginia (1967). BIPOC: Acronym for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, emphasizing the unique experiences of these groups in racial discussions. Citizenship: Legal status granting individuals rights and responsibilities within a nation, often tied to national identity and belonging. Class: A social system of hierarchy based on economic status, wealth, education, and occupation. Culture: The shared beliefs, customs, arts, and practices of a particular group, passed down through generations. Dialogue Principles: Guidelines for respectful and productive discussions, especially about identity and social issues. Ethnicity: A category of identity based on shared cultural traits, language, and heritage, distinct from race. Eugenics: A pseudoscience aimed at “improving” human populations through controlled breeding, often tied to racist and ableist policies. Externally vs. Internally Constructed Identity: Externally constructed identity refers to how society labels individuals, while internally constructed identity is how individuals perceive themselves. Gender (Expression & Identity): Gender identity is one’s internal sense of being male, female, both, or neither. Gender expression is how one presents their gender through clothing, behavior, and mannerisms. Hispanic vs. Latino/a/x: Hispanic refers to Spanish-speaking backgrounds, while Latino/a/x refers to people from Latin America, regardless of language. Identity: A person’s sense of self, shaped by personal, cultural, and social in uences. Intersectionality: A concept by Kimberlé Crenshaw describing how multiple social identities (e.g., race, gender, class) intersect to create unique experiences of discrimination or privilege. Loving v. Virginia: A 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down laws banning interracial marriage. Minority: A group that is numerically or socially disadvantaged in a society, often due to historical and systemic inequalities. Mixed Race: A person with ancestry from multiple racial backgrounds. Nationality: Legal belonging to a speci c nation, sometimes overlapping but distinct from ethnicity. Origins of Race: The concept of race was created as a social construct to justify inequalities, particularly during colonialism and slavery. People of Color: A broad term for non-white individuals, often used in discussions about systemic racism. Positionality: Awareness of how one’s social identity (race, gender, class, etc.) a ects their perspective and interactions. Preferred Nomenclature Terms: The most respectful or accurate terms used to describe identity groups, often evolving over time. Privilege: Unearned advantages based on social identity, such as race, gender, or class. Earned vs. Unearned Privilege: Earned privilege comes from personal e ort, while unearned privilege is granted by societal structures. White Privilege: Systemic advantages granted to white people in a racially strati ed society.  Race: A socially constructed category based on perceived physical traits, historically used to justify discrimination. Race vs. Ethnicity: Race is based on physical traits, while ethnicity is based on cultural background and heritage. Sex (Biological): The classi cation of individuals as male, female, or intersex based on anatomy and genetics. Sexual Orientation: A person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (e.g., heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, etc.). Evidence That Race is a Social Construct: Studies in genetics show more variation within racial groups than between them, proving race is not biologically inherent. Social Construct: An idea created and maintained by society, rather than existing naturally (e.g., race, gender roles, class). Social Identity Groups: Categories based on shared social characteristics, such as race, gender, religion, or nationality. Third World Liberation Front: A coalition of student activists in the late 1960s who fought for Ethnic Studies programs in universities through protests and strikes. Let me know if you need more explanations or examples!