THE TERM ETHNIC is derived from the Greek word ethnos, meaning people. Today, ethnicity has a variety of definitions, but it commonly refers to the physical, social, or cultural distinctions a group of people share because of their ancestry and place of birth. Ethnic qualities can include physical appearance, language, religious beliefs, or social customs, in any combination. Ethnicity is an elastic term that can be stretched to identify a broad nationality, such as French, or shrunk to differentiate between the people of narrowly defined subgroups in France, such as Basques, Bretons, and Alsatians. Ethnicity distinguishes people of varying heritage who make up a national population. Though they are all citizens of one nation, for example, African Americans, Anglo-Americans, and Sioux Indians are ethnically distinct.

Ethnic identity

Though ethnic identification...