I'm sure you've heard these terms before, and I'm also sure you've used them incorrectly - but that's okay! These words are so often used interchangeably, so let's talk about the correct usage of each term so we can do better!
Note: The links you see below each of the 5 definitions will take you to feminist-related media, social issues, and activist projects associated with that location/identity. I encourage you to click on as many as possible to explore the world of global feminisms!
Race
Physical differences that groups and cultures consider socially significant, often skin color.
Examples: My classmate lives in Hong Kong, so their race is Asian. My 2nd-cousin has white skin, so their race is white or Caucasian.
Ethnicity
Ethnic groups share similar traits, but not necessarily physical traits. These can include language, geography, common foods, and other similarities.
Examples: My lawyer lives in Japan, so their ethnicity is Japanese. I have a pen-pal whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria a few years ago, so they consider their ethnicity to be Nigerian.
Nationality
Can refer to any national identity that resonates with a particular individual whether it's where they hold citizenship, their current place of residence, or where they were born. Nationality connects people based on a shared location.
Examples: My professor moved from Brazil to Europe when they were 38, so they consider their nationality to be Brazilian. My sister-in-law has lived in the U.S. their whole live, so they consider their nationality to be American.
Culture
Can relate to any amount of association with a particular culture, and is often used hand-in-hand with ethnicity but not always.
Examples: My grandmother has practiced Catholicism her entire life, so she is a part of the Catholic culture. My supervisor's family refers to themselves as "very Irish" in their lifestyle and practices, so their culture is Irish.
Heritage
Refers to someone's ancestry, and can be different from their ethnicity and nationality.
Examples: My friend's parents emigrated from Cuba before my friend was born, so their heritage is Cuban. The child I babysit is in the 7th generation of their family to live in South Africa, so their heritage is South African.
What if you need to check more than one box, or there isn't even a box to check...
It is completely possible that you may have more than one race, culture, and so on, that you consider a part of your identity. Unfortunately, this isn't validated or addressed by everyone.
There are still admin forms where you have to choose between a list of a races or ethnicities, and if you are a biracial or multiracial person, there's really no "correct" answer.
Or... you might have an identity that is considered a minority for that context, so your identity isn't even on the list at all.
Knowing this, we should be more careful to recognize all identities. At the end of the day, it's about empowering the identities that each individual resonates with, not just making them check a box.
A few things to remember...
Don't assume. You should never "guess" someone's identity, whether it's race, sexuality, culture, class, or really anything else. Guessing someone's ethnicity or nationality can often be insensitive, generalizing, and reinforcing stereotypes. Use the identities that the other person claims for themselves.
If you know the specifics, use the specifics. If someone is Nigerian, don't say that they're African. If someone is a part of the Cherokee tribe, don't say that they're Native American. This over-universalizing of labels can be taken as inconsiderate and marginalizing.
Other helpful resources for your learning...
"21 things you can do to be more respectful of Native American cultures" by Vu with Nonprofit AF (article)
Citations
Journal article describing the activism of Nigerian women
Abidemi Abiola, I. (2019). Women's political participation and grassroots democratic sustainability in Osun State, Nigeria. Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought 11(1).
Journal article written by 3 professors at the university College Dublin
Chakravarty, D., Feldman, A., & Penney, E. (2020, October). Analysing contemporary women's movements for bodily autonomy, pluriversalizing the feminist scholarship on the politics of respectability. Journal of International Women's Studies, 21(7).
Article from the "social justice" section of the South China Morning Post
Chow, Y. (2021, December 1). Hong Kong's famous Clock Tower lights up in support of fight against gender-based violence. South China Morning Post.
Article describing personal experiences of gender- and sexuality-based violence in South Africa
Article describing 4 feminist movements in Japan
Larsen, B. (2018, November 19). 4 of the most powerful (to date) feminist movements in Japan: The voices against Japan's culture of silence and submission. Savvy Tokyo.
Recap of Europe's history of feminism & their 4th wave
Mushaben, J. (2020, March 10). The fourth wave of feminism: Europe's new gender equality agenda. American Institute for Contemporary German Studies.
Black activism to fight back against racial injustice in Brazil
Nugent, C., & Regina, T. (2020, December 2016). How Black Brazilians are looking to a slavery-era form of resistance to fight racial injustice today. Time.
A project and education materials collection uncovering the United States' true founding
Interview with a Cuban student, Yurena Manfuga, on gender-based violence & feminism
Being biracial or multiracial and not knowing what box to check on a form
"When you're mixed race, just one box is not enough." (2013, April 2). The Race Card Project: Six-Word Essays.
A summary and discussion of Peggy McIntosh's Invisible Knapsack
"White privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" and "some notes for facilitators." (n.d.) The National SEED Project.
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