Final answer:
A Minority group consists of people with a prominent ethnicity different from the surrounding community and is characterized by differential treatment and less power. The term minority often persists due to its association with collective discrimination and subordination. Asian Americans are an example of a perceived 'model minority'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The group of people that has a prominent ethnicity different from the surrounding community is known as a Minority group. According to Sociologist Louis Wirth, a minority group is any group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in society for differential and unequal treatment, and who, as a result, regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination. The characteristics that distinguish a minority group include unequal treatment and less power over their lives, distinct physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and a high rate of in-group marriage. An example of a minority group that is often highlighted as a 'model minority' is Asian Americans.
Minority groups may also form collective identities, such as pan-ethnic groups, to build bridges or gain recognition without erasing their individual ethnicities. This collective identity can be complex and context-dependent. The term 'minority' often still persists over the more descriptive 'subordinate' because, despite a group's size, the term encapsulates the experiences of discrimination and lack of power relative to the dominant majority.