Etnis

Etnis, in many languages including Indonesian and Malay, refers to a social category of people defined by shared cultural traits such as language, religion, customs, and a sense of ancestral origin. It is a way to describe ethnic groups and identities that people recognize in themselves and others. Etnis is distinct from race or nationality, though these categories can overlap in social life.

Membership in an ethnic group is often based on self-identification and collective history; it may be ascribed at birth or chosen later, and can be fluid across contexts. Ethnic groups typically maintain cultural practices, rituals, music, cuisine, and dialects that reinforce group identity.

Ethnogenesis describes how new ethnic groups form through migration, intermarriage, colonization, and shared experiences. Diasporas may preserve or adapt their ethnicity abroad, while others integrate with new surroundings, creating hybrid identities.

Ethnicity shapes social life, including language use, education, and political representation. It can be a source of solidarity and pride, but also a basis for discrimination, segregation, or conflict. Governments address ethnicity through minority rights, language policies, and measures against discrimination, sometimes provoking debates between multiculturalism and assimilation.

Scholars emphasize that ethnicity is a social construct tied to culture and ancestry, not a fixed biological category. Self-identification, historical memory, and community practices all contribute to ethnic belonging, which can change over time and across contexts.