Ethnicity

Michele P. Bratina

Based on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards, ethnicity is generally defined as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of an individual or an individual's parents prior to their arrival in the United States. Specifically, OMB standards specify two minimum categories of ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino and not Hispanic or Latino. According to the OMB, race is a socially or culturally defined concept and does not conform to purely biological, anthropological, or genetic criteria. Furthermore, race is considered a separate concept from Hispanic origin (ethnicity), and persons who identify as Hispanic or Latino can be of any race. In addition to Hispanics or Latinos, some broad and commonly recognized ethnic groups in the United States include African Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, and European Americans. Each of these groups has a unique personal history related to experiences in the United States. This entry provides a ...

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