What Do the Terms Race and Ethnicity Mean to You?

Post a 200-300 word summary that answers both of the following questions.

a) What do the terms race and ethnicity mean to you?

b) Why are these concepts important to United States today?

To me race is the color of a person's skin. The most common races are white, and black. Race is something you are born into and can't be changed. You can't have two white parents and be born black. You would be born same as your parents white. Race is a part of what makes us individuals. How bland would the world be if everyone was the same race? That is a scary thought to have. The word ethnicity means to me, where the person was born. If you are born in the United States then your ethnicity is American. People born in Europe would be European. After reading chapter 1 I realize that ethnicity is what sets us apart from others due to our national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. You can also tell a person's ethnicity from their appearance or habits. For example European women do not shave their armpits, so if you saw women in the store with extremely hairy armpits you would assume they are from Europe. Race and ethnicity is the classification of humans. These concepts are important to the United States for diversity in which most other countries do not have. Every different race and ethnicity brings new and different ideas into one melting pot which we call the United States .Race is a socially constructed concept that some people take to extreme. These people are known as racist.