Olympia, the Chinese make up the majority of the population in Singapore so they are not ethnic.
If you would call White Christians in the US or the Han people in China ethnic, then I suppose the Chinese can be called ethnic in Singapore.
Do you quite automatically consider White Americans in Sudan or Taiwan ethnic?
A dictionary defines ethnic as belonging to a cultural group, in which case everybody is ethnic. But I feel that a mainstream culture in a particular society or nation is generally not considered ethnic .
There are four official languages in Singapore including English which is very commomly used. The official Chinese is Mandarin which is encouraged by the government for "street" use as well in place of many Chinese dialects, including Cantonese which is not as dominent as in N America. (Mandarin is the language learned and used in Chinese schools.) The other official languages are to appease the Malay and Indian populations but they are more localized.
Olympia, the Chinese make up the majority of the population in Singapore so they are not ethnic.
But in a multicultural society, I think it would be quite appropriate use of language to ask, for instance, "What is the largest ethic group in Singapore?" -- really wanting to know.
In fact, I can't think of any other way to ask that question.
An interesting question. If everyone is the same, then the question of ethnicity wouldn't come up.
I think many people use "ethnic" as a PC substitute for "race"...
The U.S. is a multicultural society. What is the largest ethnic group in the U.S.?
The Chinese is the largest and least ethnic group of people in the world.
What exactly is an envoy? I know Michelle is a diplomat or ambassador or something, but I'm not sure what her job description is. Is she one of those pretty ladies you see at those ribbon cutting ceremonies?
Figure skater Michelle Kwan to be named U.S. public diplomacy ambassador
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/winter/2006-11-08-kwan-diplomat_x.htm
Michelle Kwan, the American figure skater who owns nine national championships and five world titles, is about to become a non-salaried U.S. diplomat ... Kwan will represent American values especially to young people and sports enthusiasts and is expected to travel widely, the official said.
I think the main thing is that her job is one-of-a-kind. There wasn't an existing post that Michelle was chosen to fill, and I'm sure her position doesn't have any established rank. Someone just had a good imagination and figured out that it would be a great idea to send out a young person who already had accomplished a lot in her life. I can't think of many young people who would be better representatives of their country.
.......... This is Michelle Kwan’s sixth trip abroad on behalf of the Department.
SportsUnited is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ premier sports exchange program at the U.S. Department of State. Athletes and coaches in various sports are chosen to conduct clinics, visit schools, and speak to youth overseas. The American athletes and coaches conduct drills and team building activities, as well as engage the youth in a dialogue on the importance of an education, positive health practices and respect for diversity. Since 2005, SportsUnited has sent over 100 U.S. athletes to 40 countries to participate in sports envoy programs.
SkateFiguring said:Since 2005, SportsUnited has sent over 100 U.S. athletes to 40 countries to participate in sports envoy programs.