Question

Marco is a fourth-generation Mexican American. Both his grandparents and parents were born in the United States. Neither he nor his parents have learned Spanish and he does not often think of his heritage. Most of his friends do not think of him as Hispanic or Latino. However, on Cinco de Mayo, Marco likes to go out and celebrate by eating Mexican food and wearing a sombrero. Marco’s relationship with his ethnicity can be described as what?

Answer 1

Answer: symbolic ethnicity.

Explanation:

Marco is experiencing what it is known in sociology as symbolic ethnicity. It is a nostalgic connection to, love for, and pride in a cultural tradition, even when the person does not incorporate any other aspects of the ethnicity in his/her everyday behavior and life.