Ethnicity/ethnic group

Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups a person identifies with or has a sense of belonging to. It is a measure of cultural affiliation (in contrast to race, ancestry, nationality, or citizenship). Ethnicity is self-perceived and a person can belong to more than one ethnic group.

An ethnic group is made up of people who have some or all of the following characteristics:

• a common proper name
• one or more elements of common culture that need not be specified, but may include religion, customs, or language
• a unique community of interests, feelings, and actions
• a shared sense of common origins or ancestry
• a common geographic origin.