Race and Ethnicity

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These resources focus on defining the complex concepts of race and ethnicity as well as providing multimedia resources to better understand the lived experience and issues of some of the racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.  For resources about specifically about racism, anti-Blackness, and anti-racism, please click here to visit our Anti-Racism Resource Page.

Defining our terms: Race & ethnicity

Race – the Power of an Illusion (Part 1: The Difference Between Us). This clip shows that despite what we’ve always believed, the world’s peoples simply don’t come bundled into distinct biological groups. We begin by following a dozen students, including Black athletes and Asian string players, who sequence and compare their own DNA to see who is more genetically similar. The results surprise the students and the viewer, when they discover their closest genetic matches are as likely to be with people from other “races” as their own. Click here to watch part 1 of the series. (5-min. video)

Race the Power of an Illusion (Part 2: The Story We Tell). This video uncovers the roots of the race concept in North America, the 19th century science that legitimated it, and how it came to be held so fiercely in the western imagination. The episode is an eye-opening tale of how race served to rationalize, even justify, American social inequalities as “natural.” Click here to watch episode 2 of the series. (6-min. video)

“The Difference Between Race and Ethnicity” | Very Well Mind. Amy Morin details the differences between race and ethnicity and also defines the ways in which various groups are categorized according to the United States Census Bureau. Click here to read more. (blog)

Race and Ethnicity Self Study Guide. The resources on this page explore the social construction of race and ethnicity, current racial and ethnic injustices, and the complexities of identity. Click here to watch a short video or learn more. (2-min. video and additional resources)

Race & Ethnicity: Crash Course Sociology #34. What’s the difference between race and ethnicity? This video looks at how definitions of races and ethnicities have changed over time and across places, as well as terms minority and minority-majority, and how races are defined in the United States. Click here to watch the video. (11-min. video)

African American

A People’s Journey, A Nation’s Story | National Museum of African American History & Culture. This website links to a variety of resources curated by the museum that highlight the complexity of what it means to be African American historically and today. “The African American experience is the lens through which we understand what it is to be an American.” Click here to learn more.

African American History Month. Click here to find an extensive list of resources curated by the Library of Congress. (articles, blogs, videos, art pieces, etc.)

Black Americans in the Workplace | The Daily Social Distancing Show. From code-switching to daily microaggressions, here’s a slice of what Black people go through in corporate America. Click here to watch the video. (10-min. video)

Latino/Latinx

“‘Latinx’: An offense to the Spanish language or a nod to inclusion?” | Washington Post. Click here to read more about the nuances behind the terminology.

“For Most Latinos, Latinx Does Not Mark the Spot” | New York Times. The NYT is honoring the Top 10 winners of their Student Editorial Contest by publishing their essays. This one is by Evan O. Pereira, age 16. Click here to read more.

Are Hispanics White? | Decoded | MTV News. Are Hispanic and Latino racial categories? Well, according to the US Census they’re not. And with good reason! Just like the US, Latin America has an incredibly complex racial history and Latinx in America represent this highly varied background. Click here to watch the video and learn more. (6-min. video)

Hispanic Heritage Month. This audio and video guide by the Library of Congress has an extensive collection to learn about the history and contributions of Hispanic/Latinx people in the U.S. and abroad. Click here to learn more. (articles, blogs, videos, art pieces, etc.)

AAPI: Asian American Pacific Islander

Are you “AAPI” or “Asian American”? It’s Complicated | PBS. How many A’s in AAPI? Dolly & Adrian hear from South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander voices to explore the pros and cons of disaggregating Asian American as a statistical category. Click here to watch the video. (11-min. video)

Asian American and Pacific Islander | NAMI. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are an integral part of the American cultural mosaic, encompassing a wide range of diversity. AAPI communities consist of approximately 50 ethnic groups speaking over 100 languages, with connections to Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Hawaiian, and other Asian and Pacific Islander ancestries. Click here to learn more.

“As UH seeks input on Mauna Kea master plan, some Native Hawaiians feel their voices aren’t being heard | Hawaii News Now. Click here to learn more about the battle behind the Thirty Meter Telescope being built on Mauna Kea. (news article and 3-min. video)

Native American

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Read about the UN’s commitment to protecting Indigenous rights by clicking here.

Tribal identity: A question of sovereignty | Brookings Creative Lab. Members of the American Indian community and other experts discuss the importance of tribal identity after the Brookings event, “The future of American Indian gaming: The next 30 years.” Click here to watch the video. (3-min. video)

MENA: Middle Eastern North African

No Middle Eastern Or North African Category On 2020 Census, Bureau Says | NPR. The U.S. Census Bureau says more research is needed before a separate category for people with roots in the Middle East or North Africa can be added to census forms. Click here to read more.

MENA | Wikipedia. MENA is an English-language acronym referring to the Middle East and North Africa. To learn more about the region’s rich history and culture click here.

Mixed Race

What It Means To Be Biracial: ‘I identify as Human’ | TODAY. “What are you?” It’s a question biracial people are often asked by those who want to put them in a convenient box. We talk to 38 biracial people and find that no matter the color of their skin, the shape of their eyes or the texture of their hair, being biracial simply means being human. Click here to watch the clip. (4-min. video)

Mixed Race | NPR. A list of articles and podcasts about mixed racial identities and stories from NPR’s Code Switch. Click here to read or watch more. (articles, podcasts)

I am the Biracial Narrative | Veronica Clay | TEDxRockhill. Black and white are nice colors but are they nearly enough to describe racial identity? Through a series of spoken word poems and narratives, Veronica illustrates what it means to be biracial in America and the depth of the biracial experience. She works to shed a light on the ill-explored biracial experience in America.  Click here to watch the talk. (15-min. video)