Difference Between Ethnicity and Race
Ethnicity and race are terms often used to differentiate and describe groups of people based on shared characteristics.
Ethnicity includes a common cultural heritage, including language, religion, customs, and traditions, and is associated with a shared ancestry or geographical origin.
In contrast, race mainly focuses on physical features, such as skin color and facial features, and has been used as a social construct to classify people based on observed physical differences.
While ethnicity is more fluid and connected to cultural factors, race is often identified as more rigid and externally imposed, with social and historical implications.
Both concepts, however, carry social impact, influencing how individuals are perceived, treated, and included or excluded in various societal contexts.
So mainly, ethnicity is a classification of people based on cultural features and ancestral history. Race is a classification of people that is based on physical appearance.
What is Ethnicity?
Definition:
A person’s ethnicity is based on their cultural characteristics and ancestral history rather than physical appearances.
Examples:
Some examples of cultural classifications and different ethnicities include Jewish, Irish, and African.
Ethnicity and disease:
There are certain diseases that only occur in certain ethnic groups, or in some cases, are simply more common or have worse outcomes. This is because people in particular groups may share specific genetic traits, making them more vulnerable to certain illnesses. Africans tend to have higher death rates due to malignant cancer than any other group. Hispanics have higher mortality rates from liver diseases and diabetes.
What is Race?
Definition:
A person’s race is a biological classification made on the basis of certain physical attributes that they have.
Examples:
Examples of racial classifications include Asian, White (Caucasian), American Indian, Native Hawaiian (or Pacific Islander) and Black (African American).
Race and disease:
White people are at a greater risk of getting skin cancer than other races of people. This is because of the lack of melanin in the skin. Since whites have much less melanin in their skin, it means that the UV rays from the sun can more easily cause damage leading to cancer. American Indians have higher incidences of diabetes mellitus.
Difference between Ethnicity and Race?
Definition
Ethnicity is a grouping of people based on culture and ancestry. Race is a grouping of people based on physical appearance.
Based on skin color
Ethnicity is not based on skin color. Race is often based (at least partly) on skin color.
Based on shared ancestry
A person may belong to an ethnic group due to shared ancestry. This is not necessarily the case with race.
Examples
Examples of ethnic groups include Irish and Jewish. Examples of race groups include black, white, and Asian.
Diseases specific to certain groups
There are diseases found in specific ethnic groups; for instance, Ashkenazi Jewish people suffer more than other groups from the conditions of cystic fibrosis, Fanconi anemia C, and maple syrup urine disease. There are diseases more common in certain races; for instance, white people have more skin cancer, American Indians have more type 2 diabetes, and only black people have sickle-cell anemia.
Table comparing Ethnicity and Race
Summary of Ethnicity Vs. Race
- It is easy to confuse ethnicity and race but remember ethnicity is based on ancestry and culture
- Race is based on physical appearance.
- There are certain illnesses that, due to genetics, are more common in a particular race or ethnic group.
FAQ
What is race and ethnicity examples?
Examples of race include white or black. Examples of ethnicity include Jewish or Irish.
Is Canadian an ethnicity or nationality?
Canadian is a nationality not an ethnicity.
Is Mexican a race or ethnicity?
Mexican is a nationality and is neither a race nor an ethnicity.
What is my ethnic origin if I am white?
White is not an ethnic category, but the ancestors of whites are usually from Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
What are 5 examples of ethnicity?
Five examples of ethnic groups include: Jewish, Irish, Caribbean, Roma, and Arab.
How to know my ethnicity?
Today many people do DNA tests to see if they can establish their ancestry, and hence, ethnicity.
Is Caucasian a race or ethnicity?
Caucasian is an old term that was used to describe people of white race.
What is the largest ethnic group in the world?
The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in the world, making up slightly over 60% of the world’s population.
What race is Latino?
Latino is not a race, but rather it refers to individuals whose ancestors are from Central or South America or Mexico.
Are Filipinos considered Latino?
Based on the US census bureau, Filipinos are classified as Asian not Latino.
Are Filipino people Hispanic?
No, Filipino people are categorized as Asian; they are not classified as Hispanic people.
What race are Brazilians?
There is no single race making up Brazilians. Instead, Brazilians are multi-racial people and the population also includes individuals who are white, black, and Asian.
What is the least populated race in the world?
The smallest race in terms of numbers of people is the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander race.
What city has the largest black population?
In the US, Jackson, Mississippi has the greatest proportion of black people.
What is the largest ethnic group without a country?
The Kurds are the largest ethnic group that don’t have a country. Instead, they are scattered across a number of countries.
Is Canada more diverse than the US?
Yes, Canada is one of the top countries in the world for diversity and is more diverse than the U.S.
Which race has the lowest poverty rate?
Whites and Asians have the lowest poverty rates.
Which ethnic community is the smallest in Canada?
Of the ethnic groups that are present in Canada, Japanese is the smallest making up 0.3% of the population.
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References :
[0]Anderson, Norman B., et al. "Genetic Factors in Ethnic Disparities in Health." Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life. National Academies Press (US), 2004.
[1]Karampinis, Emmanouil, et al. "Race-Specific and Skin of Color Dermatoscopic Characteristics of Skin Cancer: A Literature Review." Dermatology Practical & Conceptual (2023): e2023311S-e2023311S.
[2]McQueen, Janie. “How race can matter in type 2 diabetes”. WebMD, 2023, https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/type-two-diabetes-race
[3]Image credit: https://www.canva.com/photos/MAEE2I8L9mw-multi-ethnic-group/
[4]Image credit: https://www.canva.com/photos/MADA5qWjCD0-friendship-and-understanding-between-people-of-different-races/
The three major races of humanity are Mongoloid, Caucasoid, and Negroid. These different types represent the bone structure of humans. These different bone structures intermixed to produce all the different humans on the planet earth.
That is how the Physical Human Race is composed. Culture is created by humans. Ethnic is derived from time and culture. A group of humans live in a region of the planet for hundreds of years their external physical characteristics will adapt. The creation of music, art, customs, traditions, fashion, language is culture by a group of people created by a race, the human race.
We only have one race the human race which is composed of three distinct bone structures. Being a racist doesn’t really make sense a person simply doesn’t like a culture or ethnic group.
Regards,
Robert
The difference between race and ethnicity is very common. A person race is determined by the color of their skin while a person ethnicity is based on their heritage and where they come from. A person can be of a dark complexion but ethnicity can be Irish for example. Just because a person skin color is one thing doesn’t necessarily mean that their ethnicity is of that race. Many people fail to realize that their are Africans with a pale skin complexion. Which means that even if a person race is white doesn’t mean that they are from the white ethnicity group. A person can not change their race but can chance their ethnicity by moving to other areas and adapting their culture lifestyle. Race is unchangeable but ethnicity isn’t.
It seems to me that the writer of this article is mixing up ethnicity with culture/heritage. Your culture is subjective and in the minds of the people of the group but both race and ethnicity are not, they are un changeable. Also the writer claim that you would not be able to tell the difference between an irish, ‘israeli’ and a Canadian, I believe this is false, 2 of these groups of people have vastly different features which could differentiate them from each other, a picture of all 3 would show many differences from complexion, to facial features to even hair texture and both are actually not even considered as Caucasians. Irish are celts,a person of typical irish look is quite different from the typical Western European look and as an irish person I can say I can quite easily spot other irish people. An ‘Israeli’ will generally be thought to mean a Semite, with Semitic features and again most Jewish people will tell you they can spot there own ethnicity quite easily. Similarly 3 dark skinned people from Eritrea, Ghana and Sri Lanka may all have the same complexion but are quite obviously all ethnically and racially different. The problem with how western society views race is that the whole ideology was created by western white people who come from countries with a colonial history and they created race on the premise of there being west African blacks, Western European whites and every other racial/ethnic group are just others, this is a falsehood and if you look at race along these thin lines you will have no chance of understanding ethnic groups
Very accurate.
actually there is no such thing as RACE, when you see a spotted big dog and a all brown dog and a all white dog, and a short dog etc. what do you call them? DOGS!!! the same goes for people some are short, tall, light colored , dark colored etc. what do you call them PEOPLE!!!. there are different ethnic groups that often can be identified by their physiology, and physical features but they are all the same species i.e. the can all interbreed just like a little terrier dog can breed with a big mastiff (they have to juggle the parts to get together!!) so to repeat dogs are the dog “race”, elephants are the elephant “race” and people are the people “race”
There are the human species, subspecies, and races,…. Just as there are dogs of different breeds.
Humans are humans, dogs are dogs,…. just as roses are roses(different species of roses, different races/breeds of roses).
I totally agree with you! And am so tired of people calling it racial differences, etc. It’s not racial!
It has nothing to do with race, but with each individual’s ethnicity and their particular values and beliefs, and their upbringing.
Black people, yellow people, red people, brown people, white people – we are all part of the larger Human Race, just from different ethnic backgrounds.
And althougj America is known as “The Melting Pot” no one is of a different race.
Why is this so difficult for people to comprehend?
There are very evident racial differences, morphologically mainly, even separate from skin color. Skin color does not define a race,… though it’s a typical ‘shorthand’ reference for some racial grouping. But, structure of the body, the hair, the facial structure, the teeth, even distinctive scents,… are the main characteristics of race,…. though, yes, skin color is an vastly incomplete quick reference,…. race is evident obvious the sum of all the parts, and which is also correlated with DNA / Alleles / Genetics.
Race is very real, by honest observation, and it is very biological,.. since genetics is biological,.. and races are distinctive from each other. People who deny the existence of race are being dishonest.
Race deniers are basically those who are trying all they can, philosophically, to counter the social problems which have occurred due to racial discrimination.
Biology is also visible, race is visible. No race is better than another relative to Earth as a whole. Humans are composed of races, even within sapiens sapiens.
Exactly. This is one of the few wholly accurate replies to this fairly well-reasoned yet broadly-painted article.
Anyone who says “race doesn’t exist” is either ignorant or dishonest. Usually both, it seems, otherwise known as willfully ignorant.
You’d be more right to say, race is not an inherent feature of the natural world…rather, it’s a human-made categorization scheme that is sometimes useful, other times inaccurate.
Like any generalization about people, it tends to be more accurate when speaking of large groups, and less accurate (but sometimes very) when speaking of individuals.
Whether you’re talking about humans or any other subject, generalizations contain assumptions, which always break down as you get more and more specific.
Why do some people deny the existence of race, when it’s very obvious to me? Always has been. I understand human geographic history.
The only confusion is actually believing there is a difference. I am a mixed person with notable distinctions on my person that you can say is attributed to such – my blood type is European but my hair color speaks to my Native American heritage. My hair texture and lips may say I am African but the small length and wide width of my feet are distinctly also Native American — how does any of this not make me human? Groups of people in different segments of the world’s geography got together and created societies and over time, because we were not able to move about as we can now, these concentrated groups of people formed likenesses do to less genetic material swapping between “different” people. These are thousand year cycles – please think bigger. NOW that we have come together in closer proximity attributed by technology and basic human evolution, we have these distinctions colliding — still we are all human. If you don’t “get it” — then I’ll make it simple. Incest is what happens when humans cannot intermix with those who are “less like themselves” and as a result — there are serious genetic consequences. So nature itself dictates that we commingle our genes as the ONE species we are.. btw, what is called a “race” is not an equivalent to the term species.
We’re not talking about whether one is ‘human’, we’re talking about distinctive racial groups, all of which are human. Races are basically historically regionally distinctive morphologically collectively distinctive ‘lineage groups’, distinguishable from other collectively distinctive lineage groups, all of which are historically indigenous to a region which the other races aren’t.
But that is not a credible way of looking at things because “humans” or homosapiens are a race — we just happen to look different depending on where we live or come from on the planet ancestrally – so to preclude any link as one is literally anti-human. The concept that because we look differently based on physical geographic location on a holistic planet makes us “different being” is absurd and is unscientifically founded. Our DNA is 99.9% the same. Munch on that for a moment.
We may want to be clear when using the word “race” in this discussion. The phrase “human race” is really a misnomer, isn’t it? What we really mean when we say human race is the human species, right?
Some people don’t like their race. It’s a shame, but there it is.
Why do some people deny the existence of race, when it’s very obvious to me? Always has been. I understand human geographic history.
Because science has proven it doesn’t exist. You might as well say ‘why do some people deny the world is flat when it’s very obvious to me? Always has been. I can look out my window and see the ground is flat.’
Diet, mindset and climate(epigenetics) contribute more to physical features than true ancestry(genes), per se. Actual genes eventually do get changed with some impact from these, over time. I bet you, there are blacks who will look just like whites, if their skin tone and hair were to change by some magic spell. And there are whites who look black, save for their skin color. There are East Asians(Japanese, Chinese or Vietnamese) who look like Hottentots(blacks) of South Africa but for color and hair.
More, black Africa has the most diverse genes and features of any group under the sun that you may want to call ‘race’, which is not unrelated to the diverse climate in Africa; and that explains why Africa is the cradle of humanity. Of all the races, whites are the closest to Africans as far as genes are concerned, since they form the latest wave of migration from the Homeland, possibly as a result of some kin and kith rivalry; hence their similar tall build or body type and aggressiveness towards one another; and would explain why ‘sibling rivalry’ persists amongst these two till today; and may account for the revenge act of slavery on Africans in the more recent past centuries and the racism of today.
The Asians had left Africa much earlier. But because climate and diet have a much more profound effect on looks–Europe is much colder and grows temperate crops compared to tropical Asia with a similar climate to Africa–more African features persist in Asia, among the Melanesians of, for example, Papua New Guinea, including Indonesia. The Asians most likely left from among the Hottentots of S. Africa; and the East Indians will have left from among the Abyssinians(Ethiopians). Both groups are on the East coast, closest to Asia. The American Indians probably broke away from among the West Africans, on the coast closest to the Americas.
Does anyone wonder why Melanesians look African but have Asian genes? From a genetic viewpoint whites are much closer to Africans than are the black-African look-alike-Melanesians. Which race would you place the Melanesians? If Asian because of their genes, why do they look African in every aspect of their physical features(nose, hair and skin color)? If you think they are African, because you see them so, who then is deceiving who as to the meaning of race? Tell me then what will happen to the genes hypothesis of race? It falls apart, right? To me the word race should just not be used. It makes no logical or common sense. Try to advocate and you are just being delusional.
I agree with your assessment and think that perhaps the word nationality would be a more accurate word. Race is not reality but merely an idea created to divide and give prominence to the various differences in humanity.
Race is 100% in your mind and science has proven that. It has MUCH LESS to do with what makes you human. What makes you human is being human. You all put so much emphasis on the skin tone and it really is only something that makes me look different from you – like you face. And as far as the White race “having revenge” — that is absurdity at it’s finest. Egypt never had slaves — that was a lie and that too has been proven. What you are suggesting, Europeans have also done to themselves. You’ve heard of the Vikings? It seems to be that Europeans are just inherently violent and YES, I do believe it has everything to do with the Neanderthal. Probably a very violent creature. I believe they raped those humans they crossbred with. I really do.
It’s not about skin tone, except as a mere supporting aspect, it’s mainly about the distinctive collective of facial structure, cranial structure, and other characteristics of body morphology which show a persons historical geographical aboriginal lineage.
Oh, Scott, you poor, misinformed man. Race is in ‘facial features’? Who decides what features are assigned to what race — Adolph Hitler? What ‘race’ is Tiger Woods? Black? Asian? White? He had children with a Swedish woman. So what ‘race’ are their children? They are a combination of all those supposed races, which highlights the absurdity of your stance. Because to define their ‘race’, we would leave it up to an individual to look at their facial features and put them in a category. And a different individual might put them in a totally different category. So where’s the truth in that?
Your way of thinking is ridiculous and antiquated, and has been proven so by science. Please join 2018. There’s room for you.
Don, the world is not flat. Race what is/are the collective distinctive features which are characteristic of historical populations in particular geographical regions . Science supports the understanding of race which is already obvious by morphological features .
Race is biological, race is genetic; wherever one is geographically at this point in time is not the matter, it’s what their ancestral lineage is which corresponds with their biological genetic morphology, which happens to also correlate with their ancestral historical geographical locational existence
Yes Egypt did have slaves called hebrews it says so in the bible.
Science has clearly shown distinctive clustering of DNA/Genetic code which correlates with races. Races are NOT discrete per se. There’s not a distinct dividing line. It’s clinal along with higher degrees and lesser degrees of distinctiveness.
Also, consider the populations which have significant, relative to other groups, Neanderthal DNA, Denisovan DNA, and those populations who characteristically do not, which correlates highly, generally, with racial typing.
Human is a species, and figured as a subspecies with the existing population of humans, of which there are different races. Human is not a race.
Actually, the Asians were just as violent, and so are people on the African continent, the Middle East…. Check your racism, my dear. Violence is a human tendency, the expression of which varies from individual to individual.
Neanderthals were actually quite intelligent for their time period.
A study of history will set you straight.
Actually, you should chexknyour level of complete ignorance– and yes *your* raxism. You state how Africans and Asians were just as violent, but did you know that while Africans do not carry Neanderthal genes, Asians are the other group of humans that DID AND DO host Neanderthal genes. I suppose you thought it was only Europeans? Perhaps you should check your level of knowledge on history and get itbright with actual scientific facts…. “MY DEAR.”
Race is what we see, which is biological. It’s not merely black, white, asian, australoid. There are more, since it’s not about skin color,… it’s about the total morphology and geographical grouping, which is further clarified by genetic lineage, as found in the particular population DNA, the distinguishable genetic clustering and expression identifiers.
This is not a matter of ‘desirability valuation’ of a given people, it’s about detectable distinguishable/differentiable group identity, biologically/morphologically speaking,… as we do with all physical matter, both animate and in-animate, living and non-living.
The world is flat, Scott. It’s about what we see.
Don, the world is not flat to me. What are you seeing.
I’m very familiar with plant populations of given species, and how there are different ‘races’ of plants of given species,… and which are typically called subspecies.
The earth has been very well proven that it is round, like many other planets and sundry. Heck we’ve got a moon.
And, the matter of morphologically distinctive historically consistent human populations is very well documented by science, and is further confirmed by DNA analysis which show ‘racial/deme’ types by ‘allele’/distinctive-genetic trait morphology clustering of characteristics, which distinguish a given ‘racial type’.
There are of course similar looking populations which are genetically different in some key ‘alleles’/genetic-cluster-types.
And of course there ‘hybrids’ of different races,… there are clines,… and again, there demes, which is a sort of human racial classification. How many races are there? Depends on the classification.
But, that there are distinct genetic populational characteristics over broad areas which are distinctly different compared to populations from other broad areas, as historically known and to the present,…. that’s race. It’s a general term, with detailed conditions.
Race is NOT about desirability valuation, at least as I know it.
I’m very aware of the injustices that different races to do other races, as a matter of race. I don’t go there. I’m interested in the genetic differences, just as I am with plants.
Btw, on another topic, are you vegan? And do you ascribe to leftist/liberal type outlooks on life?
Just to let you know, veganism can be okay some of the time,… but it doesn’t make for best health,… quite substantially so, as I’ve abundantly proven with myself.
Know things to the core, and you really know.
The world is not flat,… I’ve seen the moon, I’ve seen the sun, I’ve seen pictures from space,… But, you can believe is flat if you like, and you can believe races aren’t obvious. To me, that the Earth is round is obvious, as are races.
Great point!
The teaches that God made plant and animal life according to their kinds( Genesis 1: 11,12, 21, 24, 25). The Bible does not define the boundaries of these “kinds.” This allows for a degree of variation within each kind. Same goes for the human race.
Thank you, very interesting comment…
Blessyn Same goes for the human r̶a̶c̶e̶ species.
ftfy
Beautifully said!
There is not a human race. There are different races of humans which are morphologically in geographic clustering, separate from others as relative separate breeding/genetically-distinguishable populations.
Jews are not Caucasian.
then what are they? did you know north africans are considered Caucasian? it has less to do with looks and more to do with how people in power define races.
Jans, I think what Jim is saying is that Jews are more tied to Arabs or anybody non European origin. Most people who have a hatred towards Jews (not saying Jim hates Jews), will say that they that they have no “pure” European bloodlines. Which is a laugh because the likes,of Ghengis Khan and the Ottoman empire already helped in screwing up some of that “pure European race”.
I am not in the fight mode, but Mekk could you please explain to me the connection to your statement above, which I have quoted below while attempting to explain to Jans, Jim’s statement.
“Most people who have a hatred towards Jews (not saying Jim hates
Jews), will say that they that they have no “pure” European bloodlines.
Rafael
Rafael, there are many people of Jewish heritage who have strong European heritage and they are considered white no doubt. Originally or biblically before they became mixed with other races they were middle eastern with no ties to Europe, I don’t even think Europe was ever in the picture during Abraham or Moses’s time as Africa or the rest of the middle east. You probably knew this. So, if I am correct Jim’s using that as his reasoning, that they did not come from that typical viking “blue eyed blonde haired” original European heritage. Which again I find laughable, because there are people in Iceland like Bjork, and in Denmark like Mads Mikkelson, who very much appear to have strong Asian ties, so Europe was never really made up of one pure race in my opinion.
Judaism is a religion, just as Christian is a religion. So to be Jewish is not a race or an ethnicity. That would be like calling my ethnicity Christian. NO. Get a clue people…..People from Israel or considered Israeli.
Religion is absolutely correlated with ethnicity in many populations,… though it’s not an absolute correlation in all cases.
some are and some are Africans, and some are Chinese!! the historical Jews are Arab / middle eastern looking, because Judaism is a religion/ social construct not a biological construct!
What word other than “Jewish” can refer to both a religion and an ethnicity? I can’t think of one. Anyone?
Hindu / Hindi
@Blessyn Variation does not account for either extinction or novel modern creation of either plants or animals, but earthly experience does. Variation, as well as, extinction and creation, among plants and animals, is a gene encoded response [DNA and RNA] to environmentally encountered clues (experience).
This is incorrect. If we are to believe what this says there would be thousands of “races”, when in reality there are 3.
3 Races?
Oh, Indy 500, Kentucky Derby and the Daytona 500.
More like ‘4’ general racial groups:
Afroid, Australoid, Asiaoid, Caucasoid
i grew up not knowing what race i was. neither did i know my color, until i met cathereen carpenter, a french girl with whom i shared a desk in the art class at college. i noticed the the stark difference between her skin colour and mine when i laid my hand beside hers on the desk.
My heart felt all of this.