The SIPS DEI Council is open to anyone in the SIPS community who would like to participate in building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community in our school through monthly online meetings and working groups on various topics. New voices, viewpoints and energy are always welcome. For more information and Zoom link for our next meeting, email: sips-dicouncil@cornell.edu. Visit the SIPS Diversity, inclusion, & accessibility webpage.
The language of diversity, equity, and inclusion: Race and ethnicity
What follows is from the Cornell AgriTech DEI Bulletin. Many thanks to our colleagues Anna Katharine Mansfield and Amara Dunn-Silver, Cornell AgriTech DEI Council co-chairs, who are taking such a strong lead with their DEI efforts. They write, “Like any group, DEI practitioners use jargon as a shortcut to convey specific meanings that may be unclear or confusing to anyone unfamiliar with the terms. As part of our DEI Bulletin series, we are exploring some key terms, concepts and practices that are important to DEI.” If there’s a topic you’d like them to explore, contact Anna Katharine or Amara, or you can submit a suggestion anonymously.
The U.S. is expanding the official list of race and ethnicity options on federal forms, giving Americans more ways to self-identify. But since we know that, biologically, humans are all the same race, why do we need more options? Shouldn’t we just move on from the ‘myth of race’ entirely?
Unfortunately, the lack of genetic evidence doesn’t erase the power of race as a social construct, granting unequal access to opportunities and resources. Because humans inherently prioritize visual data, we unconsciously categorize each other using physical traits. In the 18th century this led to European (‘white’) scholars sorting the world’s population into five ‘races’ based on assumed origin and skin color, such as ‘black’ for sub-Saharan Africans and ‘yellow’ for East Asians. This Eurocentric system is the historical basis of race categorization in the U.S., where the only federally recognized races were ‘white’ and ‘black’ until the 1850’s.
In contrast, ethnicity refers to cultural identity, and may include factors like language, shared ancestry, religion, and tradition. Ethnic identity is often socially imposed, but can also provide an important feeling of belonging and sense of self. In the U.S., the only legally-defined ethnicity has been ‘Hispanic or Latino,’ a broad designation requested by numerous smaller cultural groups to allow collective lobbying for federal funding. In the new listing, these groups are now listed as choices for race.
As a social construct, racial identity encompasses both internal and external points of view-that is, how you self-identify and how others perceive you. Like ethnicity, self-defined racial identity can bring a sense of belonging and shared experience. External racial identity often defines the opportunities and disadvantages someone experiences in a society, such as ease of landing a job interview or health outcomes. It also changes from place to place; for example, Barak Obama is considered ‘black’ in the U.S. but ‘white’ in Brazil.
Race and ethnicity play central roles in our sense of self and our treatment by a given society, and the U.S. government’s expanded list will allow individuals to communicate their identity with more precision and nuance. Embracing that nuance helps create communities that celebrate diversity instead of urging assimilation.
Ways to expand racial understanding:
- Reflect on your own race and ethnicity and how they shape your interactions with others. We all have racial and ethnic identities, and psychologists have defined various frameworks to understand racial identity development. Knowledge of these stages can increase empathy and may help ease otherwise awkward interactions.
- Don’t fall into the ‘colorblindness’ trap. Many people, especially white Americans, have been taught that it’s taboo to notice race, much less mention it. This ‘politeness protocol’ denies both the pride people feel in their racial identity and the racism they have experienced. Instead, be ‘color brave’ and normalize respectful discussion of race.
- Seek exposure to other races and cultures. Americans are more likely than ever to live in racially-segregated communities, heightening our sense of difference and distrust. To expand your familiarity and appreciation of other points of view, try books, shows, and movies centering the experience of different identities, or take advantage of cultural events to learn more.
At Cornell AgriTech, we grow things, including appreciation of other races, ethnicities and cultures.