Which is generally more important to people's identities and cultures: race/ethnicity or nation?

[Tooting Carmen]

This is an interesting debate I would like to raise. Imo a lot of people here on TA put too much emphasis on race, and yet surely most White and Black Americans have culturally more in common with each other than either do with Russians or Nigerians respectively - not only the language but also food, religion, TV, arguably music. What's more, despite its severe socioeconomic inequalities which to some extent are linked to race, I'd even argue the same is true of most White and Black Brazilians too.

[Isleño]

This is an interesting debate I would like to raise. Imo a lot of people here on TA put too much emphasis on race, and yet surely most White and Black Americans have culturally more in common with each other than either do with Russians or Nigerians respectively - not only the language but also food, religion, TV, arguably music. What's more, despite its severe socioeconomic inequalities which to some extent are linked to race, I'd even argue the same is true of most White and Black Brazilians too.

Well it depends on the country. Countries like the USA and Canada or even South Africa, race is important to many people and not to others. In most the rest of the world, I think nationality or ethnicity is important. But don't get me wrong, nationality is also important to the USA and Canada too.

Take myself for instance, what is important to me is my ethnicity and my region of the US mainly. Race is a factor at times, but it's not something I focus on. However, I will challenge people's bigotry against my own or similar peoples. To me, nationality is also important. I like American nationalism, being proud to be an American. As far as my culture, my ethnic culture I share with no other group in my country. However, I do share general American southern culture with all races and ethnicities of the south.

I believe more people make race a big deal here on this site because members of this site are focused on DNA, anthropology, ancestry and nationality. But in real life, race doesn't come up so frequent to me. It's not like I see a black American or an Asian American and and I'm like whoa, they are black or they are Asian. No.

I'm more concerned about the Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic nonsense in the US. Why is it we separate Hispanic whites or black from non-Hispanic whites or blacks? Is it because of mestizos? It's really a hard question. Do you know how many times I've filled out a form and they ask me to choose between Hispanic and white? It's ridiculous because I'm both at the same time.

[Tooting Carmen]

Well it depends on the country. Countries like the USA and Canada or even South Africa, race is important to many people and not to others. In most the rest of the world, I think nationality or ethnicity is important. But don't get me wrong, nationality is also important to the USA and Canada too.

Take myself for instance, what is important to me is my ethnicity and my region of the US mainly. Race is a factor at times, but it's not something I focus on. However, I will challenge people's bigotry against my own or similar peoples. To me, nationality is also important. I like American nationalism, being proud to be an American. As far as my culture, my ethnic culture I share with no other group in my country. However, I do share general American southern culture with all races and ethnicities of the south.

I believe more people make race a big deal here on this site because members of this site are focused on DNA, anthropology, ancestry and nationality. But in real life, race doesn't come up so frequent to me. It's not like I see a black American or an Asian American and and I'm like whoa, they are black or they are Asian. No.

I'm more concerned about the Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic nonsense in the US. Why is it we separate Hispanic whites or black from non-Hispanic whites or blacks? Is it because of mestizos? It's really a hard question. Do you know how many times I've filled out a form and they ask me to choose between Hispanic and white? It's ridiculous because I'm both at the same time.

Yes the "Hispanic race" is the biggest nonsense of the lot. Why don't they just ask for Mestizos and let that be that? Nevertheless, that does in a roundabout way bring me back to my basic question: would two Cuban immigrants in the USA - one White and one Black - feel they have more in common with each other, or would they identify more strongly with White and Black Americans respectively?

[Kamal900]

Among my people, it's nationality. We are pretty diverse in terms of genetics and etc.

[Shah-Jehan]

nationality.

[Mortimer]

to me nationality is not important, i even changed my nationality 15 years ago, i hand back my serbian nationality/citizenship and gained the austrian (i had to do this because austria doesnt allow dual citizenship) but i will never be austrian even my best friends think of me as foreigner, just two weeks ago when i went out for a drink with my best friend she said "when are you going back home for a visit again are you going this summer" so she thinks my home is in serbia not in austria. but thats normal. she is not racist at all. so nationality is not important to me at all. culture and ethnicity are equally important to me, i dont even believe in race all humans are the same race/species but there are different ethnicities.

[Hadouken]

but usa is a new world country

[Isleño]

Yes the "Hispanic race" is the biggest nonsense of the lot. Why don't they just ask for Mestizos and let that be that? Nevertheless, that does in a roundabout way bring me back to my basic question: would two Cuban immigrants in the USA - one White and one Black - feel they have more in common with each other, or would they identify more strongly with White and Black Americans respectively?

No, two Cubans in the USA, one black one white would feel they have more in common than their English speaking counterparts. The bigger question would be, would a white American and a black American visiting Cuba feel they have more in common with each other or their Spanish speaking counterparts (since the US is more race-oriented) What do you think?

[Mortimer]

i voted race but it should be "culture and ethnicity" but you have only race as option.

[Tooting Carmen]

No, two Cubans in the USA, one black one white would feel they have more in common than their English speaking counterparts. The bigger question would be, would a white American and a black American visiting Cuba feel they have more in common with each other or their Spanish speaking counterparts (since the US is more race-oriented) What do you think?

Good question indeed. If both were hardcore racists they'd say the White or Black Cubans, but otherwise they'd say each other, especially assuming they spoke little or no Spanish.