Do Americans' definitions of ethnic diversity differ from those of other nations? (2014, law)
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I was just thinking about how American categories of race and ethnicity are pretty broad.
They are white, black, Asian, Hispanic. These are typically the government categories and they are everywhere. They seem like stock categories that are pretty rigid in people's minds. I find people try to box people into these broad categories too much.
For a nation of immigrants and settlers, you would expect more nuanced categories on ethnic diversity. When people argue about diversity in the US, there is too much emphasis only on how many people as a percent are non-white. Almost every talking point is how many non-whites are there? How many blacks? How many Hispanics? How many Asians etc.
But there is so much more than that. A Nigerian is so much culturally different from a Somalian or Afro-Jamaican. An Indian Parsi is so much different from a Chinese Singaporean. Some people around city-data who are Canadians even mentioned Canadians have a more nuanced definition of diversity in ethnicity where culture is taken into account. Something I've heard too is that say a French-speaking Haitian is seen as more in common with a white French-Canadian while English-speaking Jamaicans have more in common with Anglo-Canadians, it's claimed, because there language is the main divider, not race. Doesn't language and culture trump physical appearance or at least sometimes?
Technically ethnicity takes into account culture, while race refers to appearance based on ancestry but other than Hispanics being Spanish speaking or having roots from Spanish colonies, few of the US race/ethnicity categories take into account cultural ties (eg. blacks are seen as just one group in the US regardless of culture or continent of origin, but Brits distinguish on their census Caribbean blacks and African blacks).
How are other country's ideas of ethnicity categories, like, or at least perceptions thereof?
Except for a few multicultural nations on this globe, the entire worlds idea of ethnicity is "Us and them"
I think the idea of 'race' was actually invented, or largely popularised, in the United States. Of course people have always realised that people from elsewhere look different, but this idea of categorising them into 'white' (the very name 'white'), black, yellow, red, brown began largely in the 18th and 19th century by 'race scientists', partly to justify slavery and persecution of other groups. Prior to this ethnicity identity was far more about language, religion, geography and other customs.
But yes, the US is very 'race-based.' In Australia we don't even classify folk by 'race', just stats like place of birth, language, ancestry.etc in order to ascertain ethnicity. I think, however, that 'ancestry and ethnicity and nationality' are often interchangeable here, and there is a tendency to group people as 'Asian' or whatever. Also the fact the US is pretty monocultural, that people think people with pretty much the same or similar culture but looking different is 'cultural diversity or multiculturalism.' A Korean American born in America has far more in common culturally with a Polish American than either has with someone from Korea or Poland.
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Postman
I think the idea of 'race' was actually invented, or largely popularised, in the United States. Of course people have always realised that people from elsewhere look different, but this idea of categorising them into 'white' (the very name 'white'), black, yellow, red, brown began largely in the 18th and 19th century by 'race scientists', partly to justify slavery and persecution of other groups. Prior to this ethnicity identity was far more about language, religion, geography and other customs.
But yes, the US is very 'race-based.' In Australia we don't even classify folk by 'race', just stats like place of birth, language, ancestry.etc in order to ascertain ethnicity. I think, however, that 'ancestry and ethnicity and nationality' are often interchangeable here, and there is a tendency to group people as 'Asian' or whatever. Also the fact the US is pretty monocultural, that people think people with pretty much the same or similar culture but looking different is 'cultural diversity or multiculturalism.' A Korean American born in America has far more in common culturally with a Polish American than either has with someone from Korea or Poland.
Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
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That's kinda disingenuous isn't it? So just because the Australian bureaucracy doesn't formally include "race" in its census, we should just ignore the fact that Aussie culture has over two dozen racial slurs, used specifically for just one group of its own citizens (or maybe they're designed to make the 'abos' feel more "welcome"…lol)?!!
That's kinda disingenuous isn't it? So just because the Australian bureaucracy doesn't formally include "race" in its census, we should just ignore the fact that Aussie culture has over two dozen racial slurs, used specifically for just one group of its own citizens (or maybe they're designed to make the 'abos' feel more "welcome"…lol)?!!
The only ones of those I've heard are 'abo' and 'boong'. Just cos some American-based website (which, btw, didn't even include 'wog' for Italians, showing their ignorance) has a list doesn't mean squat.
Again you seem to be sidestepping the issue. So you're claiming there is no prejudice (aka, 'racism') in Australia towards aborigines?
BTW, I'm 2nd-gen Italian American, and I've never heard 'wog' used to describe Italians (though I've sure heard plenty of other, um, 'epithets')!
Some people are racist and some aren't. The Australian Government practices positive discrimination towards Aboriginals though. In some Aboriginal communities in the Top End they live quite deprived lifestyles due to living in isolated communities. Some Aboriginal people have adapted to a modern lifestyle and some haven't. It would be really no different than in places in the US with Native Americans. Australia isn't anything like South Africa during Apartheid if that was what you have in mind. The US treated the Native Americans terribly and Australia treated Aboriginal people terribly.
Australia is a migrant country and has many different races and nationalities. I work with people from every race. I don't find Australia a racist country. People can be outspoken but I don't find that a negative thing. I think it is better to be able to discuss issues than people not being able to say what is on their mind.
I'm not sure what your point is. Are you trying to say Australia is a more racist country than others?
That's kinda disingenuous isn't it? So just because the Australian bureaucracy doesn't formally include "race" in its census, we should just ignore the fact that Aussie culture has over two dozen racial slurs, used specifically for just one group of its own citizens (or maybe they're designed to make the 'abos' feel more "welcome"…lol)?!!
The Australian Bureaucracy does ask one race based question on all its standard forms including the census, the question is "are you an indigenous Australian or Torres strait islander".
The reason is to make it EASIER for the person completing whatever form it is to obtain a place in a hospital. university, job or whatever it is you are trying to obtain.
Of the racist slurs against indigenous Australians in that data base, I have heard of three one of which is Koorie, a term that Indigenous Australians commonly use to describe themselves.
Last edited by danielsa1775; 01-29-2014 at 03:40 AM..
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