Eth_125_Check_Point_Defining_Race_and_Ethnicity

Patricia Eth/125 Version 5 Cultural Diversity Check Point: Defining Race and Ethnicity What do race and ethnicity mean to you' Race and ethnicity mean a lot to me. Although I am a woman, which puts me in a minority group, I am white which seems to elevate me in society. Since my skin color is white, my racial group according to society is “white”. This makes more opportunities available to me that I know are not available to other “black” people. I was brought up with a very good education that a lot of “blacks” do not get simply because they are “black”. This education helps me get better jobs and be more successful. My ethnic group is still the majority. I am technically an Irish American since my hair color and skin color define me as such (red hair and pale skin) but my practices are the same as most Americans. I do not normally eat anything out of the “special” isle in the grocery store dedicated to different cultures whose food texture and makeup is different from that of the “average” American. Why are these concepts important to the United States Society' These concepts are important to the United States society because they are how everyone sees everyone else. People make assumptions based on race and ethnicity every day. It is part of what we are taught as kids growing up. If you were to pass a white male on the street you would not think too much of it, however society has taught us that if you pass a black male on the street you should be scared. The racial stereotype says that blacks are to be feared and whites are not to be even though this is not always the case.