Here's what Google AI answers to the question, 'Are ethnicity and race the same thing?': "No, race and ethnicity are not the same thing. While both are social concepts used to group people, they refer to different aspects of identity. Opinions on Reddit's r/sociology reflect that while users often see both as social constructs, they distinguish them by physical traits versus shared culture. Race Based on outward physical traits like skin color, hair texture, and facial features. Assigned by society based on how people look Lacks a distinct biological or genetic basis. Ethnicity Based on shared culture, such as language, religion, traditions, and history. Rooted in a common geographic origin, ancestry, or heritage. Often self-identified and connected to a group a person feels they belong to. Key Differences Overlap: A person can have both. For example, someone can be of the Black race while having a Jamaican or Irish ethnicity. Flexibility: Ethnicity can sometimes change or be adopted over time as people connect with different cultural practices, whereas race is typically externally imposed by society. (Note: My bolding) Hope that helps explain things a bit more clearly for you. The above definition of ethnicity is slightly different to my view as I stressed the common geographic origin as being the main factor. Nevertheless, I'd argue that the AI reply is pretty much consistent with my view that ethnicity can't be used to justify racism. Of course, you might disagree and still want to act as an apologist for racists.
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