When you travel to different countries, are you judged more on your nationality or your ethnic heritage?

[arctic_gardener]

Originally Posted by stcml

Once I got to Brazil, I disappeared entirely into the society, which was fascinating.

A true luxury indeed. I am yet to find a country where I can blend in, and just for a day, view how people treat me when ethnicity is removed from the equation.

[markovian process]

Ethnicity technically is not (only or necessarily even primarily) about race or physical appearance but culture and customs too, such as clothing, food, religion etc. Thus, it's not entirely appropriate to use ethnicity as a synonym for race/ancestry.

For example, from Ethnicity | Define Ethnicity at Dictionary.com.

World English Dictionary
ethnic or ethnical (ˈɛθnɪk) — adj 1. relating to or characteristic of a human group having racial, religious, linguistic, and certain other traits in common 2. relating to the classification of mankind into groups, esp on the basis of racial characteristics 3. denoting or deriving from the cultural traditions of a group of people: the ethnic dances of Slovakia 4. characteristic of another culture: the ethnic look ; ethnic food

At least a couple definitions refer to culture alone.

Also,

Ethnic - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

: of or relating to races or large groups of people who have the same customs, religion, origin, etc.
: associated with or belonging to a particular race or group of people who have a culture that is different from the main culture of a country



Also, a sizable number of people on the American census (and also on the Canadian, Australian censuses too) put down only "American" and nothing else (same with some Canadians and Australians who put the name of their nationality alone).

[markovian process]

Originally Posted by Brice02

It is a matter of ethnicity I think, people belonging to whatever country and who travelled to another one are always going to be judged on their appearances first that’s why there are people who are still amazed when they see African Americans , they take them as Blacks from Africa.

Really? I think anyone with even a passing knowledge of what American history is like would be aware of how clear African-Americans are, as a distinct part of American identity from the start. Are there any people that would confuse a black American accent with an African accent spoken by actual African language speakers? They are nothing alike.

Those who don't must be living in a cave somewhere or really isolated from American media/influence, to not see African-Americans on TV or in music or be aware of their influence.

[Mac15]

Originally Posted by Garth Mel Brook

Say you have a guy that happens to look Asian but he dresses American and sounds like an American, if he goes to a foreign country will he be treated like an American just like a White guy would he be treated like someone who is not an American?

Heritage. People in non-anglo speaking countries always assume i'm English. Occasionally american.

In Italy they said to my mum that she was Australian.