These three terms can cause a lot of confusion. Here are the key differences:
Nationality
Unlike race and ethnicity, nationality might be the easiest to define — sort of. "Nationality refers to the status of belonging to a particular nation, whether by birth or naturalization," according to IGI Global. "It constitutes a legal relationship between an individual person and a state... A person's nationality is where they are a legal citizen, usually in the country where they were born."
According to that definition, your nationality can change through naturalized citizenship. For example, a person born in Costa Rica can gain U.S. citizenship and become an American citizen.
As the UK's Office for National Statistics explains, "A person can gain new citizenship (a person's formal membership of a state) and hold multiple passports reflecting different nationalities. Nationality reflects an individual's choice to become a citizen, as well as their ability and eligibility to do so."
People of the same nationality may also share cultural practices and social customs, even if they belong to different races or ethnic categories.
For example, take two people born in the United States, one of Mexican descent and one of Middle Eastern background. They may not share the same facial features, hair color or cultural heritage, but growing up and living in the U.S. has shaped both their experiences, so they celebrate holidays similarly or use smiling to express themselves in a nonverbal way.
And just to add a little more confusion, Merriam-Webster also defines nationality as "an ethnic group constituting one element of a larger unit (such as a nation)."
Ethnicity
Cornell and Hartmann define ethnicity this way:
"A sense of common ancestry based on cultural attachments, past linguistic heritage, religious affiliations, claimed kinship, or some physical traits."
Examples of ethnicity include being Indian, Jewish or Asian, regardless of race. Clothes can play a big part, too. A Scottish-American man wearing a plaid or tartan kilt, an Indian American woman wearing a sari, and a Japanese-American woman wearing a kimono are all examples of a person's ethnicity being expressed through wardrobe.
Race vs. Ethnicity
The difference between race and ethnicity then? Whereas physical characteristics mostly determine a person's race, a person's culture, language, family and place of origin determine ethnicity. (Nationalities are sometimes in the mix.)
Generally speaking, people define both race and ethnicity as social constructs. Neither is biologically valid. Interestingly, Cornell and Hartmann say that people are more likely to self-identify as mixed ethnicity than mixed race, though clearly, some consider themselves more than one race.
It's important to note two other points the sociologists make about race and ethnicity.
Race, unlike ethnicity, is still mostly a term that other groups assign to a person (which often leads to one claiming superiority over the other). And racial identity is inherent. In other words, you're born as a certain race, and it's generally not something you can change just by saying so. Remember Rachel Dolezal?
That said, all these are observations, not rules. The rules, as we've said, are a tad murky.
"People have this kind of crazy idea about the purity of races ... there's no way to really isolate a race. And today, even more so, with intermarriage, with globalization," Hartmann says, "those categories that we often think are so firm — Americans are so convinced there's five main races because we've acted like there are in our census and everything else. They get blurred and mixed up and they don't make sense anymore."
Now That's Interesting
Since the existence of the U.S. Census, the race category has grown from three (free whites, all other free persons and enslaved people) to six, including "other." But in 1980, the census also began asking respondents whether they had Hispanic origins, meaning the U.S. Census considers Hispanic people as an ethnicity rather than a race. However, according to the Pew Research Center, many Hispanics and Latinos consider their background in racial terms and it was reflected on the 2010 census. Only 63 percent of Latinos chose one of the government-defined racial groups: white, Black, Asian, American Indian or Pacific Islander. The other 37 percent selected "some other race" or wrote in "Mexican" or "Latin American."
FAQs
What is the difference between race, ethnicity and nationality? Race is a division of people based on physical characteristics. Ethnicity is a categorization based on language or common ancestry. Nationality refers to citizenship in a particular nation.
What is the difference between race and ethnicity and nationality? ›
What is the difference between race, ethnicity and nationality? Race is a division of people based on physical characteristics. Ethnicity is a categorization based on language or common ancestry. Nationality refers to citizenship in a particular nation.
What is an example of race ethnicity and nationality? ›
For example, people might identify their race as Aboriginal, African American or Black, Asian, European American or White, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Māori, or some other race. Ethnicity refers to shared cultural characteristics such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs.
What are the similarities between ethnicity and nationality? ›
Nationality and ethnicity are closely related concepts, often intertwined in nationalisms. They both involve drawing boundaries, defining "us" and "them" based on differences in national identity and social origin.
What does ethnicity mean? ›
Listen to pronunciation. (eth-NIH-sih-tee) A term that refers to the social and cultural characteristics, backgrounds, or experiences shared by a group of people. These include language, religion, beliefs, values, and behaviors that are often handed down from one generation to the next.
Is Japanese an ethnicity or nationality? ›
Japanese is both a racial and an ethnic category in Japan. In contrast to the US conti- nent where it is predominantly an ethnic category that the group itself uses to assert an identity different from others, in Japan this designation is acknowledged and utilized by mainstream society and has normative connotations.
Is race another word for nationality? ›
But very generally speaking, the word race involves shared physical characteristics, especially skin color, and a shared ancestry or historical experience based on that, whereas ethnicity involves shared cultural or national identity, which may include language, nationality, religion, or other customs.
Is Caucasian a race or ethnicity? ›
The Caucasian race was historically regarded as a biological taxon which, depending on which of the historical race classifications was being used, usually included ancient and modern populations from all or parts of Europe, Western Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa.
What is my race if I am white? ›
White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
What are the different races and ethnicities? ›
- 4.1 White and European Americans.
- 4.2 Middle Eastern and North African Americans.
- 4.3 Hispanic and Latino Americans.
- 4.4 African Americans.
- 4.5 Asian Americans.
- 4.6 Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
- 4.7 Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders Americans.
- 4.8 Two or more races. 4.8.1 Genetic admixture.
Ethnicity is often passed down through generations and can transcend national boundaries. Nationality, on the other hand, is primarily linked to legal and political affiliation. It represents membership in a specific country or nation-state, typically based on factors such as birth, ancestry, or legal processes.
What is nationality? ›
A person's nationality is where they are a legal citizen, usually in the country where they were born. People from Mexico have Mexican nationality, and people from Australia have Australian nationality. People of the same nationality usually share traditions and customs, and they might look a little alike, too.
What is the difference between a nation and a nationality? ›
When a group of people have some kind of identity with regard to any of race, language, mannerism, etc. or even a sentimental or emotional affinity, that group constitutes a nationality. When that group aspires for or actually attains a political status like independence that nationality becomes a nation.
What is nationality vs. ethnicity? ›
In common usage in the U.S., "nationality" and "ethnicity" mean very different things. "Nationality" means "What country's on your passport and birth certificate?" and "ethnicity" means "Who were your ancestors." In my case, my nationality is American and my ethnicity is mostly Italian and Irish.
What are 5 examples of ethnicity? ›
The minimum categories for data on race and ethnicity for Federal statistics, program administrative reporting, and civil rights compliance reporting are defined by OMB as follows:
- American Indian or Alaska Native. ...
- Asian. ...
- Black or African American. ...
- Hispanic or Latino. ...
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. ...
- White.
A concept used to describe a group of people who share physical characteristics, such as skin color and facial features. They may also share similar social or cultural identities and ancestral backgrounds. There are many racial groups, and a person may belong to or identify with more than one group.
What is the difference between ethnicity and nationalism? ›
Ethnicity refers to the person's identity in relation to the social, cultural or religious group. Nationality connotes membership of a person, in the country, describing his/her connection with the political state.
What is the difference between ethnic and national identity? ›
Ethnic identity is a sense of experiencing belongingness and being a member in an ethnic group where common values, traditions and attitudes are shared within the group (Ali & Sonn, 2010). National identity: Focuses on an individual´s identity in relation to the larger society. As Phinney et al (2001, p.
Is German a race or ethnicity? ›
The history of Germans as an ethnic group began with the separation of a distinct Kingdom of Germany from the eastern part of the Frankish Empire under the Ottonian dynasty in the 10th century, forming the core of the Holy Roman Empire.
What is the difference between ethnicity ethnic identity and race? ›
Ethnicity is used as a matter of cultural identity of a group, often based on shared ancestry, language, and cultural traditions, while race is applied as a taxonomic grouping, based on physical similarities among groups.
