Ethnic Categories Research Articles

Upping the anti: antiracist identity work and its obfuscations

ABSTRACT This article aims to synthesize the extant literature that brings sociological analysis to the context, production and perpetuation of the antiracist identity. Our aim is to distinguish this analysis from the huge body of literature written from inside antiracism. Antiracism began in the latter half of the twentieth century. This examination reveals antiracism as an identity and a project of organizational production maintained through discursive and symbolic formations and institutionalized forms of governance. Its members espouse easily digestible ‘common sense’ ideologies of racism and anti-racism premised on a belief in the ‘absolute nature’ of categories of ethnicity and race. It then builds on this discursive framing with commensurate solutions at these levels. It does this through discursive projects and codification of institutional self governance. However, this racializing identity work may perpetuate racism through its classifications and its obfuscation of class privilege and economic inequalities. Its ever-expanding codified extension into organizations, businesses and global grassroots movements calls for a critical lens to direct historical, economic and political analysis onto the obfuscating work of this identity.

Genocide‐time: Political violence reckoning in Rwanda

AbstractThis article looks at how political violence in Rwanda, that of the genocide against Tutsi in 1994 and beyond, is remembered, narrated, and embedded in everyday sociality. It makes two related arguments. Taking the aftermath of Rwanda's Gacaca courts (a transitional justice mechanism implemented between 2005 and 2012) as my point of entry, I argue first that violence, though narrated as past in these courts, is imagined as returning in the future, and the present is the space to prepare for this inevitable return. This structuring temporal logic, or genocide‐time, undergirds everyday social relations between the protagonists of Gacaca courts years after their official end. Second, both survivors and perpetrators of the genocide claim forms of racialized victimhood, a legacy of European imperial categorizations of Rwandans into Hutus and Tutsis. Genocide‐time signals a temporal moment in which ethnic categories, crucial for colonial management, become racialized and deeply entangled with political violence. Shared claims to racialized victimhood today, I argue, index this longer history.

Examining Diversity Recruitment Efforts in US-Based Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residencies: A Survey of Program Directors on Gender, Ethnic and Racial Diversity, and Implications for Recruitment Efforts.

As the population of the United States continues to grow and diversify, it is critical that the medical profession follows. This study aimed to evaluate aspects of the current landscape of diversity within physical medicine and rehabilitation by surveying program directors of US-based physical medicine and rehabilitation residencies. The secondary aim was to identify program characteristics that correlate with more diverse residency classes. An online, cross-sectional 17-question survey was distributed to program directors of all US-based physical medicine and rehabilitation residencies with known contact information (95/100), with a completed survey response rate of 53% (50/95). Race and ethnicity categories of the survey were based on those used by the US Census. The percentages of individuals identifying as women or those underrepresented in medicine in this survey were below those of the general US population, a trend also seen within the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation overall. Linear regression revealed no statistically significant association between the percentage of underrepresented in medicine residents and commonly used diversity recruitment initiatives. There was a significant association between the presence of a departmental role for diversity, equity and inclusion and the percentage of women residents (odds ratio, 1.13; P = 0.017). Continued research is required to identify additional strategies with demonstrated efficacy in recruiting diverse residency applicants.

Semantic changes in the diachronic perspective from the viewpoint of ethnic experience categorization in the English language

The article considers semantic changes in English words as certain movements in accordance with figurative schemes within the framework of the conceptual structure of the word and lexical categories. We believe this aspect to be relevant as the traditional approach to semantic changes of words in the diachronic perspective does not reveal the mechanism of transition from one meaning to another. In terms of cognitive linguistics, it is possible to more profoundly describe the phenomenon of recategorization in the English word semantics in the diachronic perspective and understand the essence of these changes. The scientific novelty of this study is the evaluation of semantic changes in the vocabulary of the English language from the standpoint of categorization, which is considered within the framework of diachronic changes influenced by a variety of external, extralinguistic factors, including the level of the development of civilization, culture and thinking of the English-speaking nation. We have provided rationale for the hypothesis that every shift of the meaning towards “improvement” or “deterioration” in the diachronic perspective will depend on the direction of the movement (to the core or periphery) of the word conceptual base: deterioration of the meaning is often associated with its movement towards the periphery, and improvement - with its movement to the core. The expansion and narrowing of the meanings of words is associated, respectively, with the movement from its part to its whole and from its whole to its part in the conceptual structure of words. In each specific case, the language selects the optimal way to change the value. This is the theoretical significance of our research. The possibility of using research materials in courses in the history of the English language, linguistic and cultural aspects of the English language, lexicology and stylistics of the English language determines the practical significance of the study.

Ethnic differences in reading and mathematical test performance in primary schools in England

ObjectivesThis study investigates ethnic differences in Key Stage 2 (KS2) reading and mathematical test scores among primary school pupils in state schools in England between 2007 and 2018. The aim is to assess the performance across ethnic categories and examine its evolution over the course of the study period.
 MethodsThe analysis uses data from the National Pupil Database combining ethnicity information from school censuses with KS2 attainment data. KS2 reading and mathematical tests are taken by Year 6 pupils aged 10 to 11. Mean test scores are compared across ethnic categories, while the method of relative distribution is employed to evaluate performance in each ethnic category relative to the White British across the entire distribution of test scores in 2007 and 2018.
 ResultsBetween 2007 and 2018, the reading and maths test scores of British Bangladeshi, Black African, and Pakistani pupils improved relative to the White British group. In 2018, British Bangladeshi and Black African pupils performed at a similar or slightly higher level compared to their White British peers. The advantage in test scores in the two higher performing categories, British Indian and Chinese, further increased. Attainment in the other White category remained similar to the White British group. The test scores for the Black Caribbean and Mixed White and Black Caribbean categories tended to be concentrated in the lower part of the distribution. In 2018, the proportion of mixed and non-White pupils remained largely constant throughout the reading test score distribution, while in maths, a higher proportion of mixed and non-White pupils were found among high achievers compared to other parts of the distribution.
 ConclusionFrom 2007 to 2018, KS2 test performance improved relative to the White British group for some ethnic categories, while it did not for others. This paper proposes potential explanations for these differences, which are related to the volume and characteristics of immigration to England. Further empirical testing is required in future research to substantiate these explanations.

Reporting and analysing ethnicity in populational health data and linkage research: A bibliographical review

Improved availability of population-based data via data linkage enables researchers to develop deeper insight into racial health inequities in the UK. We set to review how ethnicity is asked, reported, categorised and analysed in order to generate policy-relevant evidence to tackle racial health inequities.
 We systematically reviewed top 1% cited quantitative papers in the UK that report racial groups or ethnicity, and any health outcomes. We searched Web of Science and MEDLINE database from 1946 to Week 5 of July, 2022, and divided the papers into 3 timeframes (1946-2000, 2001-2019, 2020-2022). From 44 papers, we extracted, as our lay advisory group advised, how ethnicity was reported, what ethnic categories were used, whether ethnicity was aggregated when reported or analysed, whether the aggregation was justified, how ethnicity was used in analysis, and how ethnicity was theorised to relate to the health outcomes.
 Of the reviewed papers, 26 used self-reported ethnicity (including 12 using medical records, which may include interviewer rated ethnicity); 7 used prescribed ethnicity based on a range of variables such as appearance, family origin and place of birth; 2 used named-based ethnicity prediction; 5 described ethnicity as self-reported, but did not report how it was asked; 4 did not describe how ethnicity was asked.
 Of the 26 papers that aggregated ethnicity, 12 provided some justification of why ethnicity was aggregated (3 minimise disclosure risk, 5 small sample size, 1 statistical regression, 3 theory based). Only 9 papers explicitly theorised the role of ethnicity in their analysis, and how it related to the relevant health outcomes. Missing, mixed or other ethnicity were treated variably across studies.
 Ethnicity is a multi-dimensional construct. Researchers should communicate clearly how ethnicity is operationalised for their studies, with appropriate justification for clustering and analysis that is meaningfully theorised. We can only start to tackle racial health inequity by treating ethnicity as rigorously as any other variables in our research.

Patient-Led Approaches to a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Delivery Calculator.

To describe patient approaches to navigating their probability of a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) within the context of prediction scores generated from the original Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units' VBAC calculator, which incorporated race and ethnicity as one of six risk factors. We invited a diverse group of participants with a history of prior cesarean delivery to participate in interviews and have their prenatal visits recorded. Using an open-ended iterative interview guide, we queried and observed these individuals' mode-of-birth decisions in the context of their VBAC calculator scores. We used a critical and feminist approach to analyze thematic data gleaned from interview and visit transcripts. Among the 31 participants who enrolled, their self-identified racial and ethnic categories included: Asian or South Asian (2); Black (4); Hispanic (12); Indigenous (1); White (8); and mixed-Black, -Hispanic, or -Asian background (4). Predicted VBAC success probabilities ranged from 12% to 95%. Participants completed 64 interviews, and 14 prenatal visits were recorded. We identified four themes that demonstrated a range of patient-led approaches to interpreting the probability generated by the VBAC calculator: 1) rejecting the role of race and ethnicity; 2) reframing failure, finding success; 3) factoring the physical experience of labor; and 4) modifying the probability for VBAC. Our findings demonstrate that a numeric probability for VBAC may not be highly valued or important to all patients, especially those who have strong intentions for VBAC. Black and Hispanic participants challenged the VBAC calculator's incorporation of race and ethnicity as a risk factor and resisted the implication it produced, especially that their bodies were less capable of achieving a vaginal birth. Our findings suggest that patient-led approaches to assessing and interpreting VBAC probability may be an untapped resource for achieving a more person-centered, equitable approach to counseling.

Intersectionality contesting privilege; fostering inclusion

ABSTRACT Identity categories have the potential to become salient factors for unequal treatment within a public school setting in Ethiopia. Public school teachers can experience administrative procedures and processes differently based on the identity categories they belong. Hence, this situation can become a condition for the problem of horizontal inequality within public schools with teachers of diverse social identities. Horizontal inequality was investigated at the state level using unitary identity category difference. However, horizontal inequality within school diversity using an intersectional perspective is ignored, particularly in the Ethiopian public school context. Accordingly, this study investigated horizontal inequality within school diversity using an intersectionality lens. We investigated out-group member teachers’ horizontal inequality experience within a public school setting through ideas conceived of equal treatment for public school teachers. Using qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology design the data were collected from 10 former teachers sampled with both snowball and maximum variation techniques. Content analysis of the data not only revealed that the intersection of ethnic, race, religion and political affiliation identity categories determine teachers’ access to privileged space within public school diversity but also the manner of horizontal inequality establishment and othering instruments. Horizontal inequality within public schools’ diversity may be eliminated by first admitting it exists and then taking additional measures to ensure equality policies and legislation are implemented to serve their intended purposes.

Temporal validation and updating of a prediction model for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus

ObjectiveThe original Monash gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk prediction in early pregnancy model is internationally externally validated and clinically implemented. We temporally validate and update this model in a contemporary population with a universal screening context and revised diagnostic criteria and ethnicity categories, thereby improving model performance and generalizability. Study Design and SettingThe updating dataset comprised of routinely collected health data for singleton pregnancies delivered in Melbourne, Australia from 2016 to 2018. Model predictors included age, body mass index, ethnicity, diabetes family history, GDM history, and poor obstetric outcome history. Model updating methods were recalibration-in-the-large (Model A), intercept and slope re-estimation (Model B), and coefficient revision using logistic regression (Model C1, original ethnicity categories; Model C2, revised ethnicity categories). Analysis included 10-fold cross-validation, assessment of performance measures (c-statistic, calibration-in-the-large, calibration slope, and expected-observed ratio), and a closed-loop testing procedure to compare models’ log-likelihood and akaike information criterion scores. ResultsIn 26,474 singleton pregnancies (4,756, 18% with GDM), the original model demonstrated reasonable temporal validation (c-statistic = 0.698) but suboptimal calibration (expected-observed ratio = 0.485). Updated model C2 was preferred, with a high c-statistic (0.732) and significantly better performance in closed testing. ConclusionWe demonstrated updating methods to sustain predictive performance in a contemporary population, highlighting the value and versatility of prediction models for guiding risk-stratified GDM care.

Acral lentiginous melanoma incidence by sex, race, ethnicity, and stage in the United States, 2010–2019

IntroductionAcral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is a rare type of melanoma associated with delayed diagnosis and poor survival rates. This study examines ALM incidence rates in comparison to all other melanoma types. MethodsWe used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registries and the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, which together cover 99% of the US population. We calculated age-adjusted rates and rate ratios for ALM and all other malignant melanomas by sex, race and ethnicity, stage, and year of diagnosis (2010–2019). ResultsALM incidence rates were significantly lower among non-Hispanic Black persons (1.8 per 1,000,000); non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander (API) persons (1.7 per 1,000,000); and Hispanic Black, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), and API persons (1.5 per 1,000,000) compared to non-Hispanic White persons (2.3 per 1,000,000). Rates were significantly higher among Hispanic White persons (2.8 per 1,000,000) compared to non-Hispanic White persons. For all other melanoma types, incidence rates were significantly higher among non-Hispanic White persons compared to persons in each of the other racial and ethnic categories. The percentage of melanomas that were ALM ranged from 0.8% among non-Hispanic White persons to 19.1% among Hispanic Black, AI/AN, and API persons. ConclusionThese findings suggest that awareness of the potential for ALM in patients of all races and ethnicities could be balanced with an understanding of the rarity of the disease and the potential for the development of other melanoma types in racial and ethnic minority groups.

Stereotyping and biased language in online environments: Misconceptions, decontextualization, and identity projections

Stereotypes are overgeneralized assumptions about different groups of people based on their nationality, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, or other social categories. This study examines the role of context in stereotypes found on online media. In particular, the study focuses on stereotypes of the Lebanese and Saudi people by examining the reactions of YouTube users to 30 YouTube videos. Ten of these videos present Lebanese and Saudi individuals positively, 10 neutrally, and 10 negatively. The data was collected from YouTube users’ comments on these 30 videos and analyzed mainly by identifying common themes and patterns. The findings showed that stereotypes were virtually absent in the YouTube users’ comments on the positive and neutral videos. However, they were prevalent on the negative videos. Most of the stereotypes found in the data were factually inaccurate, reductionistic, or decontextualized in nature. Only a few seemed to be based on real-life experiences or actual encounters with Lebanese or Saudi people. Overall, the findings suggest that, although some may be based on real-life experiences, stereotypes are often emotionally triggered and represent an overreaction to context-specific narratives, events, or actions. The findings will be discussed in terms of identity dynamics in the Arab World.

Research on the Clothing Classification of the She Ethnic Group in Different Regions Based on FPA-CNN

In order to achieve the effective computer recognition of the She ethnic clothing from different regions through the extraction of color features, this paper proposes a She ethnic clothing classification method based on the Flower Pollination Algorithm-optimized color feature fusion and Convolutional Neural Network (FPA-CNN). The method consists of three main steps: color feature fusion, FPA optimization, and CNN classification. In the first step, a color histogram and color moment features, which can represent regional differences in She ethnic clothing, are extracted. Subsequently, FPA is used to perform optimal weight fusion, obtaining an optimized ratio. Kernel principal component analysis is then applied to reduce the dimensionality of the fused features, and a CNN is constructed to classify the She ethnic clothing from different regions based on the reduced fused features. The results show that the FPA-CNN method can effectively classify the She ethnic clothing from different regions, achieving an average classification accuracy of 98.38%. Compared to SVM, BP, RNN, and RBF models, the proposed method improves the accuracy by 11.49%, 7.7%, 6.49%, and 3.92%, respectively. This research provides a reference and guidance for the effective recognition of clothing through the extraction of color features.

Underrecording and underreporting of participant ethnicity in clinical trials is persistent and is a threat to inclusivity and generalizability

ObjectivesPeople from ethnic minority groups are underserved by randomized trials, and poor representation of these groups reduces generalizability of results. There is no guidance on which ethnicity categories are appropriate for use in trials and thus inconsistency exists. The purpose of this study is to establish, in a large sample of trials, if participant ethnicity is recorded, how it is obtained (categories used), and if its reporting varies from its recording. Study Design and SettingWe reviewed trial documentation for 407 randomized controlled trials published in the UK National Institute of Health Research library from 2016 to 2021. We extracted data on the recording (if it was recorded and the categories used) and reporting (if the categories remained the same as those obtained, or not) of ethnicity for each trial along with demographics. In the analysis we categorized the manner of recording and reporting of ethnicity in the trials according to UK Census ethnicity categories. ResultsEthnicity was recorded in 67.3% (n = 274) of trials. The location in the trial report where ethnicity was recorded was available for 42% (n = 116) of trials. The details on how ethnicity was collected (predefined categories or self-defined) was available for 54/274 (20%) of trials and details on the specifics of the categories recorded was available for 44 (16%) trials. Of the 44, 6 of those did not go on to report on ethnicity in the trial report. Of the remaining 38, only 13 reported ethnicity exactly as it had been recorded. Taken as a whole from the 407 trial reports examined 9.3% (38/407) of trials demonstrated exactly how they both recorded, and reported, ethnicity. Authors made reference to whom results were relevant in terms of ethnicity in 80/407 (19.7%). ConclusionEthnicity is underrecorded and underreported in clinical trials. This is a threat to the generalizability of the findings and needs to be improved.

Trends in Cumulative Disenrollment in the Medicare Advantage Program, 2011-2020.

The Medicare Advantage (MA) program is rapidly growing. While previous work has found that beneficiaries with substantial health needs disenroll from plans at higher rates, the long-term frequency of disenrollment is not well understood. To compare cumulative disenrollment trends in the MA program by beneficiary and plan characteristics. This retrospective, serial cross-sectional study included beneficiaries with any MA enrollment from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2020. Data analysis took place from September 2022 to March 2023. Beneficiary characteristics, including race and ethnicity, length of Medicare enrollment, dual eligibility, and comorbidity burden, and contract characteristics, including vertical integration status, premium, and MA star rating. The main outcome was disenrollment from an MA contract within 5 years. Rates of cumulative disenrollment by beneficiary and contract characteristics were compared. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the correlation between a contract's 1-year disenrollment and the contract's disenrollment over a longer period. The sample included 82 377 917 beneficiaries (524 442 225 beneficiary-year observations; 56.7% female; mean [SD] age, 71.9 [10.3] years). After 1 year, 13.2% of nondually enrolled and 15.9% of dually enrolled beneficiaries had left their contract, increasing to 48.3% and 53.4%, respectively, after 5 years. Black enrollees disenrolled at the highest rates among race and ethnicity categories, with 14.8% disenrolling after 1 year and 52.6% disenrolling after 5 years. Contracts had a median disenrollment rate of 9.8% (IQR, 4.5%-19.0%) after 1 year and 56.1% (IQR, 23.1%-79.0%) after 5 years. Contracts rated 5 stars had substantially lower 5-year disenrollment rates (23.0% after 5 years compared with 41.2% for 4- to 4.5-star contracts and 67.2% for 3- to 3.5-star contracts). Disenrollment from a contract after 1 year was not well correlated with disenrollment after 5 years (r, 0.46). This cross-sectional study found substantial cumulative rates of disenrollment from MA plans within 5 years between 2011 and 2020, with wide variation in 5-year disenrollment by contract. The findings suggest that evaluating long-term disenrollment rates in MA performance measures may capture different outcomes than single-year disenrollment alone.

Assessment of HLA-DPB1 genetic variation using an HLA-DP tool and its implications in clinical transplantation.

HLA-DP is a classic transplantation antigen that mediates alloreactivity through T-cell epitope (TCE) diversity and expression levels. A current challenge is to integrate these functional features into the prospective selection of unrelated donor candidates for transplantation. Genetically, HLA-DPB1 exon 2 defines the permissive and nonpermissive TCE groups, and exons 2 and 3 (in linkage with rs9277534) indicate low- and high-expression allotypes. In this study, we analyzed 356 272 exon 2-exon 3-phased sequences from individuals across 5 self-identified race and ethnicity categories: White, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American, and American Indian or Alaskan Native. This sequence data set revealed the complex relationship between TCE and expression models and the importance of exon 3 sequence data. We also studied archived donor search lists for 2545 patients who underwent transplantation from an HLA-11/12 unrelated donor mismatched for a single HLA-DPB1 allele. Depending on the order in which the TCE and expression criteria were considered, some patients had different TCE- and expression-favorable donors. In addition, this data set revealed that many expression-favorable alternatives existed in the search lists. To improve the selection of candidate donors, we provide, disseminate, and automate our findings through our multifaceted tool called Expression of HLA-DP Assessment Tool, consisting of a public web application, Python package, and analysis pipeline.

Child protection inequalities for Pasifika children in Aotearoa New Zealand: diverse realities

ABSTRACT Child protection inequalities are population group differences in contact rates, experiences and outcomes of child protection systems. This article reports rates of Pasifika children’s contact with the statutory child protection system at three outcomes: substantiation, having a family group conference, (FGC) or entering care (placement), and describes intersections between these outcomes and socio-economic deprivation. Including all children resident in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2019–2020 aged 0–17 years, this study compared rates between sole Pasifika, Pasifika plus other ethnicities (Pasifika+), and Non-Māori, Non-Pasifika (NMNP) children. Substantiation was twice as likely for Pasifika, even after controlling for sociodemographic factors, and Pasifika children were 25% more likely to enter care than NMNP children. As socio-economic deprivation increased, rates of substantiation increased for all groups, but most sharply for Pasifika+ children. Sole Pasifika children had the highest rate of substantiation and FGCs in the least deprived quintile of socio-economic deprivation, but the lowest FGC and placement rates in areas of highest deprivation. Pasifika+ children had double the rate of sole Pasifika children for placement in high-deprivation areas, but this was equal to the NMNP rate. Findings are analysed via theories of inequalities. Aggregated ethnic categories obscure considerable variation in within-group experiences.

Human microbiome variation associated with race and ethnicity emerges as early as 3 months of age.

Human microbiome variation is linked to the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of many diseases and associates with race and ethnicity in the United States. However, the age at which microbiome variability emerges between these groups remains a central gap in knowledge. Here, we identify that gut microbiome variation associated with race and ethnicity arises after 3 months of age and persists through childhood. One-third of the bacterial taxa that vary across caregiver-identified racial categories in children are taxa reported to also vary between adults. Machine learning modeling of childhood microbiomes from 8 cohort studies (2,756 samples from 729 children) distinguishes racial and ethnic categories with 87% accuracy. Importantly, predictive genera are also among the top 30 most important taxa when childhood microbiomes are used to predict adult self-identified race and ethnicity. Our results highlight a critical developmental window at or shortly after 3 months of age when social and environmental factors drive race and ethnicity-associated microbiome variation and may contribute to adult health and health disparities.

The Ethnic Proportionality of Teachers and Students and the Link to School-Level Outcomes

In England, there are proportionately more White British teachers than White British pupils, and so there is a mismatch between the proportion of teachers and pupils of each ethnic minority group. This mismatch may reduce the number of appropriate role models for some pupils and has been linked to differences in school processes and the behaviour and treatment of ethnic minority pupils. The evidence is weaker regarding any link between ethnic disproportionality and attainment. This paper uses school-level school workforce and pupil attainment data to assess this link. The results are presented as correlations between teacher/pupil characteristics and attainment scores at ages 11 and 16 and as regression models predicting attainment scores using teacher/pupil characteristics. There is no evidence here that ethnic (dis)proportionality is linked to discernible differences in pupil attainment once relative poverty is taken into account. However, as the data are linked at the school level rather than the individual level, we cannot separate the attainment of pupils of different ethnic origins, and the ethnic classification for teachers is simply binary. We are working to overcome these data limitations and hope to present future analyses based on individual data with more detailed ethnic groupings to provide a more definitive result.

Black Cities in Brazil:

The interpretation of black cities aims to better understand the reality of black spaces, racial segregation and territory. We assess that the idea of racial segregation is based on categories of social class, gender, ethnicity and race and territory, however, the reality of the Americas, especially Brazilian, must be observed, especially the time-space of colonization, slavery and racism. We used as a theoretical-methodological instrument, first, the statistical data of the IBGE Census of 2010, on the population classified by blacks and whites, and income. Second, for a better design, we dialogue with authors from both fields of ethnic-racial relations and the literature on the city, the urban and the territory. In our considerations, it will be a great challenge for the Americas, Brazil and Bahia, the promotion of public policies for the inscription of anti-racist and democratic cities with equity.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Ethnicity: Hispanic Self-classification and Appraisal in an Online College Forum

Research has frequently remarked on the conceptual overlap of racial versus ethnic categories at the macro-level, as well as on individual-level inconsistencies across multiple dimensions of race. Less research has focused on the interpersonal negotiation of racial self-classification and identity claims-making, or on the norms that govern racial appraisal. This study uses a case at the boundaries of the Hispanic category to ask: what norms of self-classification and social appraisal do interlocuters draw on in their interpretation of ethnic categories? I answer this question using a unique dataset of posts from a college admissions forum, in which prospective applicants ask, “Am I Hispanic?” Findings reveal that ancestry forms the most rigid boundary, though interlocuters debate whether ancestry is biological or cultural. Cultural identity is also necessary, though more loosely defined. Specific, noninstitutionalized traits, such as phenotype, language, and surname, are considered neither necessary nor sufficient. Findings highlight the enduring primacy of ancestry and the importance of social appraisal in the college application context.