WRITING ASSIGNMENT: 1st Critical Essay

Incorporate your own personal ancestry (whether you are of Asian ancestry, Pacific Islander ancestry or not) into how the organization of “ethnicity” and “pan-ethnicity” as well as your “ethnic identity” (and “pan-ethnic” identity) inform and influence how you understand yourself *and* how you understand what it means to be Asian Pacific American (Asian American, Pacific Islander) in the United States.  What is “ethnicity?”  How is it different from or connected to “race?”  What is “pan-ethnicity?” Are APA’s an ethnic group?  racial group?  pan-ethnic group?  What is the difference between (if any) being part of an ethnic group, being part of a pan-ethnic group, being part of a race, *and* having an ethnic identity?  What are the similarities (if any) of  being part of an ethnic group, being part of a pan-ethnic group, being part of a race, *and* having an ethnic identity?  Give examples about yourself or others you know.  They can be personal examples or examples of others you know (or from the media).  Support your positions.  When stating opinions, they must be “informed opinions.”  Be sure they can be supported with logic, reason, and evidence.