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Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. [1] The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of various kinds, including those characterized by close kinship relations. [2]
The United States has a racially and ethnically diverse population. [1] At the federal level, race and ethnicity have been categorized separately. The most recent United States census recognized five racial categories (White, Black, Native American/Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander), as well as people who belong to two or more of the racial categories.
The word "race", interpreted to mean an identifiable group of people who share a common descent, was introduced into English in the 16th century from the Old French rasse (1512), from Italian razza: the Oxford English Dictionary cites the earliest example around the mid-16th century and defines its early meaning as a "group of people belonging to the same family and descended from a common ...
The race categories include both racial and national-origin groups. [3] [4] [5] Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with a person's origins considered in the census. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnic categories, which are "Hispanic or ...
Race categories also vary worldwide; for example, the same person might be perceived as belonging to a different category in the United States versus Brazil. [25] Because of the arbitrariness inherent in the concept of race, it is difficult to relate it to biology in a straightforward way.
Social interpretations of race regard the common categorizations of people into different races.Race is often culturally understood to be rigid categories (Black, White, Pasifika, Asian, etc) in which people can be classified based on biological markers or physical traits such as skin colour or facial features.
People have been enumerated by race in every United States census since the first one in 1790. [2] Collection of data on race and ethnicity in the United States census has changed over time, including addition of new enumeration categories and changes in definitions of those categories.
Nevertheless, race/ethnicity is often one of the first things humans notice when meeting a new person and judgments about identity are unlikely to change without presentation of new and strong evidence to the contrary. This is partially explained by cognitive inertia, the tendency for our beliefs to resist change, as well as racial essentialism.