Ethnicity & Ethnic Studies

Social and Housing Statistics Section. Demographic and Social Statistics Branch United Nations Statistics Division Report published in August of 2003. Ethnic data is useful for the elaboration of policies to improve access to employment, education and training, social security and health, transportation and communications, etc. It is important for taking measures to preserving the identity and survival of distinct ethnic groups. This paper deals with the efforts of countries in collecting data on ethnicity using population and housing censuses.

The specific ethnic and/or national groups of the population which are of interest in each country are dependent upon individual national circumstances. Some of the criteria by which ethnic groups are identified are ethnic nationality (i.e., country or area of origin, as distinct from citizenship or country of legal nationality), race, colour, language, religion, customs of dress or eating, tribe or various combinations of these characteristics. In addition, some of the terms used, such as “race”, “origin” or “tribe”, have a number of different connotations. The definitions and criteria applied by each country investigating ethnic characteristics of the population must, therefore, be determined carefully and with the involvement of or consultation with representatives of the groups which it desires to categorize. By the nature of this topic, these categories and their definitions will vary widely from country to country; therefore, no internationally accepted criteria are possible.

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Participation of ethnic and racial minorities in the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's has heightened public interest in their unique histories and drawn attention to their contributions to the United States.

The Declaration sets essential standards to ensure the rights of persons belonging to minorities and as such is a key reference for United Nations work. It offers guidance to States as they seek to manage diversity and ensure non-discrimination, and for minorities themselves, as they strive to achieve equality and participation.

Since 1960, Treatises and Documents, Journal of Ethnic Studies, publishes a wide range of scholarly articles on ethnic and minority issues, with special emphasis on topics relevant for the so-called Alpine-Adriatic-Pannonian geographical area. Its editorial board consist of distinguished experts and top scientist, such as the famous author in the field of multi culturalism Prof. William Kymlicka, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Prof. Fernand de Varennes, the world authority on linguistic policies Prof. Colin Williams and many others.

Collection of Resource Links on Ethnicity published by the University of California-San Diego Libraries.

This link brings the user to a list of specific archival collections featuring various ethnic and racial connections. There are also various inter-disciplinary resources found throughout each listing that connect in some manner on the study of ethnicity.