Race is defined as a cultural category composed of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important. Ethnicity is a shared cultural heritage based on having common ancestors, language, or religion that confers a distinctive social identity. (Macionis, 2005)
It is my opinion that the reason that "White and Asian students define success tin school as earning high grades or African-American students define success as doing as well as other black students and not falling or Hispanic students define success as attaining a white-collar job in an office after graduation" (CTUOnline, 2006) is because of today's academic standards and the use of stereotype development.
The above statements are from Grace Kao, who is a renowned Professor of Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. She received her BA in Sociology at UC, Berkley and her MA and PhD at the University of Chicago. She has done much research in race and ethnicity, Education, Adolescence, and Adaptation of Immigrants.
English: This is a chart illustrating the percenta...
English: Figure depicting the ability of racial/et...
Racial/ethnic self-identification in New York City...Among her resume is a list of books that she has co-authored such as "Do Race and Ethnicity Matter among Friends" and "Interracial Relationships and the Transition to Adulthood". Dr. Kao has found a relationship between students in various racial and ethnic categories and the fact that they apply these stereotypes to themselves. (Macionis, 2005)
Another reason that, while students of all racial and ethnic categories say they want to do well in school, they measure success only in relation to their own category. In saying this she means that as long as they don't fail, Black students feel success means doing as well as the other Black students. To Hispanics, success means avoiding manual labor and ending up in an office job and for White and Asians, success is earning high grades and going on to...