Essential Terms in Race and Ethnicity

This accessible A-Z book provides readers with quick access to the definitions and histories of a variety of well-established and contemporary sociological terms on race and ethnicity.

This essential reference is for any student, academic, or politician who needs to understand the historical and contextual meaning of words related to racial and ethnic issues in America. This one-volume work provides readers with a resource that explains the backstory of racially specific language and the social context of what those words mean in relation to hierarchies of power in the United States. Entries provide easy-to-understand information on what included works mean and, in particular, how those words came into being and are used today.



The book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of terms and phrases involving race and ethnicity, covering established definitions with updated, contemporary examples. Most importantly, the book includes scores of definitions that have entered the race vernacular in the last decade. These definitions will be of use to any high school, college, or graduate student or researcher looking for theoretically informed and empirically grounded definitions of topics common to studies of race and ethnicity.


* Provides readers with sophisticated yet accessible definitions of key terms on race and ethnicity, written by academic scholars who are experts in their fields

* Introduces topics in a dictionary format, providing immediate access to information

* Offers contemporary examples to ensure up-to-date understanding of race and ethnicity terms

* Defines terms that have come into existence in the last few years