Race/Ethnicity Identity

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Race/Ethnicity Identity

• Lydia, Laura, Danielle, Kristin and Julia

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First, a Youtube video and a disclaimer!

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v6GgjgFbp8-M
• This presentation is not meant to offend anyone,
  we apologize for any awkwardness that may be felt
  during this presentation.

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Where are we going?

• -First, definitions of these wonderful words.
• -Were going to talk about acceptance and
  resistance!
• -Then well talk about Family and Cultural
  Histories!
• -Well then apply it to various things around MC!
• -Finally, well wrap up!

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Definitions!

• Racial and ethnic identity-Identifying with a
  particular racial or ethnic group. Although in
  the past racial groups were classified on the
  basis of biological characteristics, most
  scientists now recognize that race is constructed
  in fluid social and historical contexts.

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• Racial histories-The histories of nonmainstream
  racial groups.
• Ethnic histories-The histories of ethnic groups.
• Ethnic identity-A set of ideas about ones own
  ethnic group membership a sense of belonging to
  a particular group and knowing something about
  the shared experience of the group.

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Were a Majority!

• Resistance
• The act of blaming minority members for their
  conditions to blaming the social system as the
  source of racial or ethnic problems.
• Youre never JUST American, you are also Irish,
  German, French, Native American, etc.
• In America, individuality is stressed, if you are
  just white, you are not an individual.
• Acceptance
• assumption that people of other colors are
  culturally different--whites are all of the same,
  with no specific culture, identity or shared
  experience.

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Whiteness.

• 3 characteristics of being White.
• an advantage of race privilege
• a standpoint from which white people view
  themselves, others society
• a set of cultural practices, largely unrecognized
  by white people

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• Economic issues
• Black households earned 60 as much income as a
  White household Latino households made 70
• Health and Longer Life expectancies
• Black women are 2 times more likely to have
  stillborn children than White women
• Social privileges
• Whites are rarely asked to speak for their entire
  race
• Whites see people who look like them wherever
  they go

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FAMILY HISTORIES

• Definition The body of knowledge shared by
  family members and the customs, rituals, and
  stories passed from one generation to another
  within a family.
• Example Many families changed their last name
  when they came to America to

• Get jobs
• Have a more americanized identity
• Fit in with the new culture
• Allow for easier spelling

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EXAMPLES OF LOSING FAMILY HISTORIES

• -It is important for older family members to
  share the family history so as not to lose it.
• -Family history is also lost because of parents
  dying before they can tell their children about
  it.
• -If one member of the family is adopted, the
  family may lose that part of their history.
• Some adopted people do not know their
  background because they have never met their
  parents.

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CULTURAL HISTORIES

• Definition The history of each cultural group
  within a nation that includes, for example, the
  history of where the group originated, why the
  people migrated, and how they came to develop and
  maintain their cultural traits.

• Example Whiteness is not a big deal now, but
  when people were immigrating here, it was a big
  deal. Italian and Irish people, even though they
  were white, had a hard time assimilating and
  getting jobs simply because of their backgrounds.

• Example We identify people by looks. If they
  look Chinese, even if they arent, we identify
  them as Chinese.
• People from other countries simply identify with
  their country. They do not think about being
  Irish-British as we do as White Americans.

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Why are Jesus, Santa Clause, and the Easter Bunny
always depicted as white?
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Influence of identity on communication

• Extracurricular Activities on campus
• M.C.I.A.- Manchester College International
  Association
• H.U.- Hispanos Unidos
• B.S.U.- Black Student Union
• A.S.A.- African Student Association
• A.A.A.- Asian Awareness Association

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Influence of identity on communication

• Residential Interactions
• living in a dorm
• floor programs
• dating outside your race

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Closing time!

• Many people who are white dont think about it in
  their everyday business.
• Americans dont like to associate with just being
  white, they are also other ethnic groups.
• White family and cultural histories are passed
  down throughout generations, with Santa being
  white instead of a different race.
• Whiteness affects us in our communication between
  people in our residence halls as well as
  extracurricular activities.