Yael is Lithuanian and lives in New Jersey as a member of the cultural majority. What term best describes Yael's cultural group?

Yael is Lithuanian and lives in New Jersey as a member of the cultural majority. What term best describes Yael's cultural group?

• A. Whites
• B. White Ethnics
• C. Community of Color
• D. Refugees

Answer: (B)

In sociology, “White ethnics” refers to White people who come from specific European immigrant backgrounds and maintain distinct cultural traditions—like language, foods, and religious practices—within the broader White racial category. Yael is Lithuanian and lives in New Jersey, so she belongs to a White ethnic group: she shares the White racial category with the majority but retains a Lithuanian cultural heritage that distinguishes her from others who may share the same race. Choosing a broader label like “Whites” would miss the ethnic nuances of her Lithuanian heritage. Calling her a “Community of Color” would be inaccurate since she is White, and “Refugees” describes legal status, not cultural or ethnic identity.

In sociology, “White ethnics” refers to White people who come from specific European immigrant backgrounds and maintain distinct cultural traditions—like language, foods, and religious practices—within the broader White racial category. Yael is Lithuanian and lives in New Jersey, so she belongs to a White ethnic group: she shares the White racial category with the majority but retains a Lithuanian cultural heritage that distinguishes her from others who may share the same race.

Choosing a broader label like “Whites” would miss the ethnic nuances of her Lithuanian heritage. Calling her a “Community of Color” would be inaccurate since she is White, and “Refugees” describes legal status, not cultural or ethnic identity.