Key Terms
Define race in your own words.
A way society groups people based on physical traits like skin color.
Which of the following is a policy? (immigration law, family traditions, cultural food practices, friendship group).
What is immigration law?
What does the word intersectionality mean?
Example: What is the combination of identities?
Is this an example of race, ethnicity, or nationality? “Maria is Mexican-American.”
What is ethnicity?
Why do we study systems and policies in Ethnic Studies?
Because they shape people’s lives and can create fairness or unfairness between groups.
Define ethnicity in your own words.
A group identity based on culture, traditions, language, or shared history.
Which of the following is a system? (education, a law, cultural holiday, friendship).
What is education?
A student who is an immigrant, female, and low-income may face unique challenges in school. Which concept explains this?
What is intersectionality?
Is this race, ethnicity, or nationality? “Kwame is Black.”
What is race?
Explain the difference between inequality and inequity with an example.
Inequality = some students have newer books and some don’t.
Inequity = the school system giving more money to certain neighborhoods, causing that inequality.
What is the difference between inequality and inequity?
Inequality: Refers to differences in distribution
Inequity: Specifically refers to unfairness or injustice
Name one system that affects your daily life.
Answers may vary.
Examples: School/education system, healthcare system, or transportation system.
How can race and class together affect someone’s access to healthcare?
Someone from a racial minority and a low-income background might face more barriers to healthcare than someone who only has one of those challenges.
A law that requires ID to vote can impact people differently. Is this an example of a system or a policy? Explain.
What is a policy? (It's a rule that exists in the voting system.)
Why is it important to recognize someone’s multiple identities?
Because people’s experiences can’t be explained by just one part of who they are.
Define intersectionality.
The way a person’s different identities (like race, class, gender) combine to shape their experiences.
Explain how a school grading system is a policy within a larger system.
School grading systems are methods of evaluating student performance within the larger education system.
Give an example of how two of your own identities shape your experience.
Answers may vary.
Example: Being both an athlete and a student means I have to balance practice and homework differently than others.
If students from different neighborhoods have unequal access to school resources, is this inequality or inequity? Why?
What is inequity? (System is unfair and gives some schools fewer resources.)
How can a system create inequality? Give one example.
Answers may vary.
Example: The criminal justice system may punish some groups more harshly, creating inequality.
Define policy vs system (give one example each).
Policy = a rule or law (ex: immigration law)
System = a bigger structure made up of policies (ex: education system)
True/False – “A family rule is a system.”
Why is intersectionality important to Ethnic Studies?
Answers may vary.
Example: It helps us see that people’s experiences can’t be explained by just one identity — we need to look at how identities combine.
Describe how a healthcare policy could impact different ethnic groups in different ways.
If a healthcare policy only covers certain types of treatment, it might hurt communities that are more likely to need other kinds of care.
How can policies be changed to reduce inequity?
Answers may vary.
Example: By making new rules that give more support to groups who’ve had less access or opportunities — like free lunch programs in schools.