Race and Ethnicity

Ethnicity

common culture, reli-gion, history, or ancestry shared by a group of people

can fade away as you assimilate

one-drop rule

a person is considered black if they have any African ancestry at all

Eugenics

the idea that we can ac-tively improve the genetic profile of humans

led to forced steriliza-tions of groups of people labeled as unfit to reproduce

implicit bias

positive or negative association our minds make between seemingly unrelated things, such as a racial group and a positive or negative attribute.

explicit bias

bias we’re openly and consciously aware of

group threat theory

to think of another group as an economic, political, or cultural threat—for instance, if the size of a racial or ethnic minority group begins to grow in a neighborhood or a city.

ultimate attribution error

tendency to perceive undesirable characteristics or behaviors exhibited by members of another group as an innate or natural part of their personality or essence—that is, any negative behavior is seen as just who they are

contact theory

helps explain how interaction with members of other groups affects prejudices.

affirmative action

policies or programs that sought to remedy past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity now.

immigrant selectivity

the process whereby people who immigrate to the U.S. from certain countries have a unique demographic profile compared to the people who stay behind in their home countries.