Fill in the blanks: People who share a cultural identification can be grouped under a single ____, whereas those who share genetic descent are seen as belonging to the same ____.

• A. Ethnicity; Race
• B. Race; Ethnicity
• C. Nationality; Language
• D. Language; Nationality

Answer: (A)

Distinguishing ethnicity from race is about what people are grouped by: culture versus ancestry. People who share a cultural identification—things like language, customs, values, and a sense of shared history—are described as belonging to an ethnicity. Those who are grouped by genetic descent or perceived biological ancestry are described as belonging to a race. So the statement fits because ethnicity captures cultural identification, while race refers to presumed genetic descent. Nationality relates to citizenship, and language is a cultural/ communicative trait, not a measure of genetic descent, so they don’t fit the pairing.