Autobiographical Essay

How do you racially and/or ethnically define yourself at this point in your life? Was it a relatively straightforward conclusion, or did it evolve over time? Is your racial/ethnic identity in line with those of your family? In what ways do you define your racial/ethnic identity that are different than others like you? What, if anything, is unique about how you define your own race and/or ethnicity?

Note: "Race" and "ethnicity" are complex terms which are often mistakenly used interchangeably.

In the 21st century, race is generally viewed as a social, not biological, construct. In other words, race is used as a physical classification system for humans, but it has no legitimate biological basis—race, for example, is undetectable in the human genome. Here, we are using the term broadly.

Ethnicity is another social construct. This one refers to the shared cultural identification and expression of a group of people. The basis of these common bonds might come from culture (e.g. the Amish), dialects (e.g. AAVE), place of origin (e.g. Latin Americans), religion (e.g. Jews), etc. Furthermore, these identities may be intersectional as in “I am Black Italian Jewish” or “I identify as German and Portuguese.”

Finally, “ethnicity” is not to be confused with “nationality,” which refers only to one’s citizenship. remember, people can share the same nationality, but be of different ethnic groups, and people of the same ethnicity can be of different nationalities.

Required:

• Approximately 500 words 
• MLA Style
  

Submission window: Wed 9.14-Mon 9.19 (via Canvas)