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What is the difference between ethnicity and race for kids?
Race refers to the concept of dividing people into groups on the basis of various sets of physical characteristics and the process of ascribing social meaning to those groups. Ethnicity describes the culture of people in a given geographic region, including their language, heritage, religion and customs.
How are race and ethnic groups different?
“Race” refers to physical differences that groups and cultures consider socially significant, while “ethnicity” refers to shared culture, such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs.
When do children learn about race and ethnicity?
As early as 6 months, a baby’s brain can notice race-based differences. By ages 2 to 4, children can internalize racial bias. By age 12, many children become set in their beliefs—giving parents a decade to mold the learning process, so that it decreases racial bias and improves cultural understanding.
How do children learn about racial differences and racial bias?
Children learn about racial differences and racial bias from an early age and learn from their first teachers—their parents—how to deal with and react to these differences. The process of learning racial bias is a lot like learning a new language (e.g., a child raised bilingual vs. a child who starts learning Spanish in junior high).
What is the difference between race and ethnicity?
Race may also be identified as something you inherit while ethnicity is something you learn. This article details the differences between race and ethnicity and also defines the ways in which various groups are categorized according to the United States Census Bureau.
What do kids know about racism?
Kids also can pick up on things that adults would rather they not. These innate tendencies are at work when racial differences come into play. Even though race is a complex social construct, children start getting their heads around it early — within the first year of life, researchers have found.