ethnicity

People's own sense of cultural identity; a social term that overlaps with such concepts as race, nation, class, and religion.

Social scientists use the term ethnic group to refer to groups or societies who feel a common sense of identity, often based on a traditional shared culture, language, religion, and customs. It may or may not include common territory, skin colour, or common descent. The USA, for example, is often described as a multi-ethnic society because many members would describe themselves as members of an ethnic group (Jewish, black, or Irish, for example) as well as their national one (American).