Final answer:
Race is generally defined by physical appearance, with examples including 'Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander,' 'Black or African American,' 'Hispanic or Latino,' and 'American Indian or Alaska Native.' Ethnicity is characterized by shared culture and language, commonly illustrated by the U.S. government's categorization of 'Hispanic' or 'Not Hispanic.' Both are social constructs that have evolved.
Step-by-step explanation:
When identifying characteristics such as race or ethnicity, it's crucial to recognize the distinct meanings of these concepts. Race is typically associated with a person's phenotype, mainly their physical appearance, which has historically been used to categorize individuals into groups. In the United States, racial classification has deep roots in the colonial period and the subsequent legal systems up to the Jim Crow era that reinforced certain racial concepts. Conversely, ethnicity relates to shared culture and often includes language, as it is one marker Americans use to categorize people into different ethnic groups. For example, in the U.S., the categorization of 'Hispanic' or 'Not Hispanic' often utilizes linguistic heritage as the main distinguishing feature.
Notable racial categories include 'Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander,' 'Black or African American,' 'Hispanic or Latino,' and 'American Indian or Alaska Native.' These categories have been shaped by social and legal systems and, at times, have included categories devised based on geographic regions or skin tones.
Ethnicity, as demonstrated by linguistic heritage, encompasses a broader range of cultural practices, beliefs, and languages. It is important to understand that these classifications are social constructions rather than fixed biological differences, and they have changed over time and vary across cultures and regions.