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into a minority group, a master status that has influenced their lives ever since. Referring to his ancestors, one Latino said, “We didn’t move across the border—the border moved across us.”

A second way in which a group becomes a minority is by migration. This can be vol- untary, as with the millions of people who have chosen to move from Mexico to the United States, or involuntary, as with the millions of Africans who were brought in chains to the United States. (The way females became a minority group represents a third way, but, as discussed in the previous chapter, no one knows just how this occurred.)

How People Construct Their Racial–Ethnic Identity Some of us have a greater sense of ethnicity than others. Some of us feel firm boundaries between “us” and “them.” Others have assimilated so extensively into the mainstream cul- ture that they are only vaguely aware of their ethnic origins. With interethnic marriage common, some do not even know the countries from which their families originated— nor do they care. If asked to identify themselves ethnically, they respond with something like “I’m Heinz 57—German and Irish, with a little Italian and French thrown in—and I think someone said something about being one-sixteenth Indian, too.”

Why do some people feel an intense sense of ethnic identity, while others feel hardly any? Figure 9.1 portrays four factors, identified by sociologist Ashley Doane, that heighten or reduce our sense of ethnic identity. From this figure, you can see that the keys are relative size, power, appearance, and discrimination. If your group is relatively small, has little power, looks different from most people in society, and is an object of discrimination, you will have a heightened sense of ethnic identity. In con- trast, if you belong to the dominant group that holds most of the power, look like most people in the society, and feel no discrimination, you are likely to experience a sense of “belonging”—and to wonder why ethnic identity is such a big deal.

We can use the term ethnic work to refer to the way people construct their ethnicity. For people who have a strong ethnic identity, this term refers to how they enhance and maintain their group’s distinctions—from clothing, food, and language to religious practices and holidays. For peo- ple whose ethnic identity is not as firm, it refers to attempts to recover their ethnic heritage, such as trying to trace family lines or visiting the country or region of their family’s origin. As illustrated by the photo essay on the next page many Americans are engaged in ethnic work. This has confounded the experts, who thought that the United States would be a melting pot, with most of its groups blending into a sort of ethnic stew. Because so many Americans have become fascinated with their “roots,” some analysts have suggested that “tossed salad” is a more appropriate term than “melting pot.”

Prejudice and Discrimination With prejudice and discrimination so significant in social life, let’s consider the origin of prejudice and the extent of discrimination.

Learning Prejudice Distinguishing Between Prejudice and Discrimination. Prejudice and discrimination are common throughout the world. In Mexico, Mexicans of Hispanic descent discrimi- nate against Mexicans of Native American descent; in Israel, Ashkenazi Jews, primarily of European descent, discriminate against Sephardi Jews from the Muslim world. In some places, the elderly discriminate against the young; in others, the young discriminate against the elderly. And all around the world, men discriminate against women.

Prejudice and Discrimination 269

A Low Sense

A Heightened Sense

Part of the majority Greater power Similar to the "national identity" No discrimination

Smaller numbers Lesser power Different from the "national identity" Discrimination

FIGURE 9.1 A Sense of Ethnicity

Source: By the author. Based on Doane 1997.

ethnic work activities designed to discover, enhance, or maintain ethnic and racial identity