美国人的人种和种族概念与观念

在美国人看来,人种(race)是一个确定的社会范畴,通常是指拥有某种特定的生理、文化等特征的群体.种族(ethnicity)是一个新的、不确定的社会范畴,可以用来描绘某一个种族文化的内容,包括语言、宗教、社会礼仪和其他行为方式.人种主要是指人的生理差别;而种族主要是指文化差别.全球化的一个突出特征是移民的增加,从而造成了不同人种和种族间的杂居和交往不断上升,其重要后果之一就是人种和种族间的矛盾与冲突的不断出现.人种与种族成为世界许多国家和地区的重大社会问题.

Concept and Idea of Americans about Race and Ethnicity

In American concept and idea, race is a defined social category. Usually, it is the group that has some kinds of physical and cultural characteristics. Ethnicity is a new and undefined social category. It is described language, religion, rite and some other social behaviors. Racial difference is about physical characteristics and ethnical difference is about cultural characteristics. The increasing of immigration in the world made different race and ethnicity live together and contradictions and conflicts more and more, and it is a important social problem in many countries and areas.