ethnicity
Shared ancestral roots
Ethnicity refers to shared cultural identity—common ancestry, language, traditions, or national origin that bind a group: Her ethnicity is Korean, a neighborhood with diverse ethnicities.
Unlike race, which categorizes by physical features, ethnicity emphasizes cultural heritage and group affiliation.
Someone may identify with multiple ethnicities or none at all.
Forms and surveys often ask about ethnicity alongside race, treating them as distinct categories.
Descent from progenitors
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- descentDownward slope or lineage
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
forebears · ancestors · family tree · pedigree · clan · roots · progenitors · forefathers
Surrounded distinct territory
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
- ghettoSegregated urban quarter
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
Chinatown · barrio · Little Italy · township · homeland · minority · population · inhabitants
Coexistence of diverse traditions
- pluralismCoexistence of differing views
- inclusivityPractice of welcoming all
- integrationCombining into a whole
- assimilationAbsorbing into a whole
melting-pot · mosaic · coexistence · tolerance · interethnic · cross-cultural · multiracial · cosmopolitan
Claiming an identity label
- belongingState of fitting in
- affiliationFormal organizational connection
- self-conceptOne's own identity perception
- self-perceptionHow one views oneself
biethnic · multiracial · creole · mestizo · passing
Long-established customs passed down
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- ritualsCeremonial repeated practices
- heirloomInherited family treasure
legacy · patrimony · preservation · language · cuisine · dress · festivals · ceremonies
Devotion to one's country
- tribalismIn-group loyalty, out-group hostility
- separatismAdvocacy for political breakaway
- genocideSystematic annihilation of a people
- apartheidRacial separation policy
segregation · discrimination · racism · prejudice · stereotyping · profiling · xenophobia · nativism
lineage
Descent from progenitors
- genealogyStudy of family descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
- descentDownward slope or lineage
heritage · forebears · ancestors · family tree · pedigree · clan · roots · progenitors · forefathers · kinfolk
enclave
Surrounded distinct territory
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
- neighborhoodResidential area nearby
- ghettoSegregated urban quarter
settlement · Chinatown · barrio · Little Italy · township · homeland · minority · population · inhabitants · residents
multiculturalism
Coexistence of diverse traditions
- pluralismCoexistence of differing views
- inclusivityPractice of welcoming all
- integrationCombining into a whole
assimilation · melting-pot · mosaic · coexistence · tolerance · interethnic · cross-cultural · multiracial · cosmopolitan · diversity
self-identification
Claiming an identity label
- belongingState of fitting in
- affiliationFormal organizational connection
- self-conceptOne's own identity perception
self-perception · biethnic · multiracial · creole · mestizo · passing
traditions
Long-established customs passed down
- customsTraditional practices or import taxes
- folkloreInherited cultural narratives
- ritualsCeremonial repeated practices
heirloom · legacy · patrimony · preservation · language · cuisine · dress · festivals · ceremonies · motherland
nationalism
Devotion to one's country
- tribalismIn-group loyalty, out-group hostility
- separatismAdvocacy for political breakaway
- genocideSystematic annihilation of a people
apartheid · segregation · discrimination · racism · prejudice · stereotyping · profiling · xenophobia · nativism · balkanization
- identityidentity, personal identity, self, selfhood, self-expression
- census listspopulation, headcount, households, ages, birthplace
- literary themesheroism, hero's journey, ennui, social realism, morals
- patient intakename, date of birth, address, phone number, allergies
- AfricaEgypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania
- culturemusic taste, beliefs, food preferences, custom, festivals
ethnicitynationality
Legal belonging to country
citizenship · individuality · class · religion · profession
ethnicityuniversality
Applying to all cases
cosmopolitanism · common humanity · universalism · globalism · colorblindness
ethnicityindividuality
Unique personal character
individualism · personal identity · uniqueness · selfhood · autonomy
- race and ethnicityIdentity tied to ancestry