Race and Ethnicity

The issue of race and ethnicity is one of the most controversial, but these subjects can be researched from the points of view of biology and sociology respectively. The topic on race can be easily studied as people are divided into several tracks according to the physical characteristics, such as color of skin, eye color, type and color of hair, bone structure, etc. Ethnicity is something different. This issue is observed from sociology’s point of view. There are no particular biological characteristics in ethnic origin. People define ethnicity with elements like culture, language, religion, etc.

Ethnicity connects people who have same cultural traits and share same historical ancestry. Therefore, the shared culture, language and history unite people living in one country. However, it does not necessary touch upon religion and language. For example, some Swiss do not speak German and believe in no God, but they still belong to the same German ethnicity which is associated with Christianity.

We can define ethnicity as certain matter whereas people find some unique and authentic elements of their ethnos, which make them different than the ones from other countries. This is a natural wish. We can even say that the problem of racism has original roots. If you try to analyze the history of humanity, you will notice that from ancient times people united into communities according to their similar traits. Every person that differed from others was treated negatively. White Europeans were predominantly negatively treated in black Africa and vice versa.

Unfortunately, the problem of racism is relevant and exists in every country even today. Not only racial, but also ethical discrimination occurs all over the world. Many people still evaluate others according to the color of skin. In the United States, Latinos and African-Americans are often treated as potential criminals. They often face physical abuse from police officers. Similarly, white Europeans are humiliated in Africa.

Minority groups which appear because of immigration usually experience tension from the dominant ethnic groups. They often face difficulties with language and feel a cautious attitude from the local people. However, as they have made such a choice, they have to adapt to the new cultural environment so that they could become a part of new society.

But what about those people who move to a new country involuntarily? The brightest example is African-Americans transported to USA as slaves a couple of centuries ago. These people did not change their environment at will. This is one more reason why it is incorrect to oppress African-American ethnicity.

It seems that there is just one solution to this problem. Parents must teach their children properly. They have to speak about various ethnicities and races in a positive way. Besides, it is very important to emphasize positive features of each culture if we want to create a healthy and benevolent multicultural society. Knowledge and tolerance are the only things which can actually save billions of people from ethnical discrimination.