Being able to identify with a certain group has been an issue that individuals hesitate with daily. Am I Black, are you a girl, what religion do you practice? These are all common questions that society has forced individuals to concentrate on. Should an individual have to pick a side or is it relevant to the human race to identify with any group? One may believe not, but for others having and knowing one’s own identity is important, because it is something that they have been developing their entire life. Along with how their identity influenced their life chances and their self-esteem. This can also affect how society interact with whatever identity an individual chooses to live. Which is why it was important to recognize how identifying …show more content…
African American people have been oppressed for hundreds of years. Slavery was a significant time period when African/African American individuals endured massive oppression, which refers to the feeling of being deprived of their human rights and dignity (Reed, 2016). Knowing that my ancestors had to conceal their feelings along with their cultural values, makes me feel more entitled to express my ethnic identity as an African American woman. My ethnic identity has increase my sense of belongingness because it gives me the ability to share and live amongst individuals with the same physical appearance and in some cases, the same obstacles. Society has placed its’ social norms on modern day women, which allows men to make more for the same labor, or that stop successful women from achieving their goals by installing the glass ceiling. However, there is a higher increase of risk for African American women, such as decrease in the male head of household, along with urbanization. Which caused African American women to work long hours that resulted in a devastating shift in the family structure (Reed, 2016). Past, present and current experiences of African American women is why my ethnic identity is so important to me, because it is used as a constant reminder of the struggles that I have to overcome for my daughter and the generation after
I agree that non-whites possess little to no ethnic options. If you are half white and half Mexican, you are most likely going to be categorized as Mexican, regardless of which ethnic option you would prefer to identify as, you are always going to be categorized as whatever ethnicity you physically match the most.
In today’s society, it is acknowledgeable to assert that the concepts of race and ethnicity have changed enormously across different countries, cultures, eras, and customs. Even more, they have become less connected and tied with ancestral and familial ties but rather more concerned with superficial physical characteristics. Moreover, a great deal can be discussed the relationship between ethnicity and race. Both race and ethnicity are useful and counterproductive in their ways. To begin, the concept of race is, and its ideas are vital to society because it allows those contemporary nationalist movements which include, racist actions; to become more familiar to members of society. Secondly, it has helped to shape and redefine the meaning of
Race, as a general understanding is classifying someone based on how they look rather than who they are. It is based on a number of things but more than anything else it’s based on skin's melanin content. A “race” is a social construction which alters over the course of time due to historical and social pressures. Racial formation is defined as how race shapes and is shaped by social structure, and how racial categories are represented and given meaning in media, language and everyday life. Racial formation is something that we see changing overtime because it is rooted in our history. Racial formation also comes with other factors below it like racial projects. Racial projects seek
I agree that non-whites possess no ethnic options. If you are half white and half Mexican, you are most likely going to be categorized as Mexican, regardless of which ethnic option you would prefer to identify as, you are always going to be categorized as whatever ethnicity you physically match the most.
After finishing the Multidimensional Model of black identity Survey, I was astonished with the results. While reading many of the opposing questions I actually felt myself uncomfortable answering them. Like the instructions stated, it was not an accumulation of all scales. The model consist of three dimensions of African American racial identity: centrality, regard, and ideology. Now reflecting on myself, prior taking this personal survey I always talked upon how I never felt intrusive on my self identity. I was always envious of more whole race individuals because I felt they were closer to their racial identity. Now that i'm older and exploring into the actual research on that, i know that's not always the case.
Phinney and Ong (2007) claim that race and ethnicity are too complicated to be measured by simple categories. They claim that race and ethnicity need to be measured by questions that complete the picture of an individual’s’ race and identity. Phinney and Ong suggest that future research create group specific measures that include ethnicity and race. They also suggest that measures that assess racial identity that apply only to certain racial and ethnic groups be adjusted so that they fit other racial and ethnic
Race and ethnicity are two terms that are constantly used in today’s society. Understanding these terms can help people to recognize that color of skin or color of hair does not define a person. These terms connect with history, social interaction, and the overall make up of a person. However America is constantly obsessed with labeling people by the way that they look or the way that they act. America seems to encourage the terms race and ethnicity and continue to divide people into categories. It is interesting to comprehend these terms because they are not going to disappear any time soon. Race and ethnicity are apart of America’s history and will be a part of the future.
Ethnicity is constantly being shaped and redefined and there is two basic parts of ethnicity: culture and identity. Ethnic identity can be influenced and constructed with the issue of boundaries. Boundaries define who is not a member and who is. They tell you which ethnic categories are available for you depending on when and where you are. Debates that appoint and decide the ethnic boundaries and the social worth of some groups are major forces in the construction of ethnicity. The combination of the view one has of oneself plus the views others have about your ethnicity results in our ethnic identity. While a person still has the option to choose from a set of ethnic identities, the set is usually limited to ethnic categories that have been
Having a strong foundation is something that has been passed down from our ancestors post slavery, which was used to help my family form their ethnic identity as African Americans. Ethnicity refers to a social group’s distinct sense of belongingness as a result of common culture and descent (Organista, Marin, & Chun, 2010). This influenced my family to raise me with awareness of family structure, old fashion southern culture, and valuable beliefs that molded me into the woman that I am today. Along with my family’s ethnic identity, I also have my own self -identity, which is my identity as a mother and a student. However, my family’s ethnic identity along with my own self-identity was not always seen as socially excepted or
Unpacking the identity of a mixed race individual and her role in society is rooted in context. Context is the socially constructed environment in which people exist. As a light-skin Black female, I am a victim to society’s scrutiny in the realm of identification. My great, great, great grandmother was a slave. She was raped. Now, White blood flows through my veins three generations later. In a socially constructed society where I am socialized by gender, I am also socialized by my race. I am dominated due to my gender and my race. Race is more closely related to gender than people may think. My race is mixed. What is that? Where do I fit in? How is race a product of gender? Drawing on multiple sources, I plan to explore how the social construction of the identity of a mixed raced female creates a particular type of silence contingent upon the dominant identities of gender and race.
In our lifetimes, humans inevitably spend a great deal of effort trying to create an identity for ourselves. At a young age, most of us were taught to believe everyone is different in their own way. While that may hold true is some cases, it does not explain the essence of diversity. Some people enjoy learning with others, while some individuals prefer study quietly, and some prefer to play golf over soccer. However, where did these differences come from? Whether we attach ourselves to something external, or possess something that is of intangible nature, we are influenced by culture and/or ethnic background. These two phenomenon make up the majority of what we choose to identify with today.
Ethnic identity development of ethnic minorities in the United States has attracted an increasing attention in the adolescent development and college transition literature. A review of literature related to ethnic identity development highlights two major lines of research: 1) identity processes from a developmental perspective (Phinney, 1989) and 2) the content and meaning of identity (Seller, Rowley, Chavous, Shelton, & Smith, 1997; Yip, 2014).
Something in my life that goes unnoticed is my identity; that being my ethnic identity. Being mixed race, there has not been a single person to ever guess my ethnicity, Jamaican/Italian/Chinese; this was especially true where I grew up in Miami, Florida. There, many assumed I was Hispanic, like most of the population. Fortunately, this allowed me to live life with little personal experience with racial bias. However, this made me lose my sense of social originality since I didn’t look or act in any iconic or modern way-I blended in. Being unconsciously forced into these other social groups due to this assumption and even just my identity in general, stole my chance to experience connection with groups of people like myself, because people tend to gravitate to others that appears like themselves.
My father’s side emigrated from England while my mother’s side emigrated from England and Germany.
Growing up as an African-American girl, the odds were truly already against me. I grew up in a community where I faced dangerous stigmas and stereotypes, as many expect me to be an angry black woman living off the welfare system. I remember looking to the media in hopes of seeing inspiring black female doctors and lawyers; as a young woman, I wanted to watch the television and be able to say I wanted to be just like them. Instead, I saw scantily-clad black exotic dancers gracing the pages of magazines and the shadowy corners of rap videos.