Ethnic studies is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary academic field that focuses on the study and analysis of socially constructed categories such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, nationality, and citizenship. It critically examines the histories, experiences, cultures, and perspectives of marginalized racial and ethnic groups, especially people of color, within social, cultural, historical, political, and economic contexts. The field emerged in the United States during the civil rights era and social justice movements in the 1960s to empower people of color and challenge traditional academic perspectives that were often Eurocentric. Ethnic studies explore how racial and ethnic categories are produced, resisted, inhabited, transformed, and linked with systems of power and inequality including colonialism, labor- capital relations, and social justice. Ethnic studies uses tools and insights from various disciplines such as history, sociology, political science, anthropology, literature, and others to study race relations, racialization, representation, racial formation theory, and intersectionality with gender, sexuality, class, and other identities. The discipline aims to make visible the struggles, contributions, and lives of historically marginalized communities and foster a more critical understanding of race, racism, and social justice. Students in ethnic studies programs engage with diverse materials and perspectives and can pursue careers in fields like education, law, politics, social work, journalism, public health, and more. It is also incorporated in some educational standards to address ethnic education comprehensively. In summary, ethnic studies is the critical, interdisciplinary exploration of race, ethnicity, and related social categories, focusing on marginalized groups' histories and experiences to promote understanding and social justice.
