--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We just say there are five, you know…" description: "\"We just say there are five, you know, racial groups in the US. I say that these folks are what we call a sixth American. There's something different. T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/michael-emerson-4622_categories_we-just-say-there-are-five-you-know-raci_1014798.jpg" --- # We just say there are five, you know, racial groups in the… ![“We just say there are five, you know, racial groups in the US. I say that these folks are what we call a sixth American. There's something different. They are somebody who - they don't exist in any particular racial category, so they all feel it and they kind of congregate to each other.” quote by Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/michael-emerson-4622_categories_we-just-say-there-are-five-you-know-raci_1014798.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/michael-emerson-4622_categories_we-just-say-there-are-five-you-know-raci_1014798.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdf/michael-emerson-4622_categories_we-just-say-there-are-five-you-know-raci_1014798.jpg) > “We just say there are five, you know, racial groups in the US. I say that these folks are what we call a sixth American. There's something different. They are somebody who - they don't exist in any particular racial category, so they all feel it and they kind of congregate to each other.” [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He identifies a mixed‑heritage group as a distinct “sixth American,” highlighting fluid racial identities. **In simple terms:** Mixed heritage forms a new identity. Key Takeaway Recognize fluid identities. Themes identity diversity inclusion Mood thoughtful critical Type sociological inspirational When to use this quote - education - policy making - media representation - community dialogue Key Concepts social construct intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing a “sixth American” affect social cohesion? - What challenges arise in redefining race? A Different Perspective Some may resist redefining racial categories. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Racial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racial/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [The racial categories that are used in a given society (for example, in contemporary America) are biologically meaningless, but sometimes it turns out that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-sober/the-racial-categories-that-are-used-in-a-given-society-for-example-in/) [Elliott Sober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-sober/) > [Growing up as a black kid with a white father who loves you, who affirms you, who was part of your life is fundamentally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-jealous/growing-up-as-a-black-kid-with-a-white-father-who-loves-you-who/) [Benjamin Jealous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-jealous/) > [Although skin color is undoubtedly the most salient signal of racial identity in America, other actual or imagined bodily features have also been seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-kennedy/although-skin-color-is-undoubtedly-the-most-salient-signal-of-racial/) [Randall Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-kennedy/) > [Racial profiling is illegal, and I do not support it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-sandoval/racial-profiling-is-illegal-and-i-do-not-support-it/) [Brian Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-sandoval/) > [It's not surprising to me that in a country born of racial genocide, the issue of race is still an open wound on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/it-s-not-surprising-to-me-that-in-a-country-born-of-racial-genocide/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [The reason to have more racial diversity on any team is because it's helpful to have different perspectives on any issue. 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How will we worship?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-whenever-different-groups-get/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I think people respond to villains because people in general are more villainous than heroic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-think-people-respond-to-villains-because-people-in-general-are-more/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [So you find a lot of these sixth Americans congregate in these interracial congregations. They hang out together at work, at school, wherever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/so-you-find-a-lot-of-these-sixth-americans-congregate-in-these/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [There are roles that are terrifying because they're large or you may feel that they're out of your line, but I'm never terrified once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-are-roles-that-are-terrifying-because-they-re-large-or-you-may/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [We do not have an American culture. We have a white American culture and a black American culture. So when those two groups try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/we-do-not-have-an-american-culture-we-have-a-white-american-culture/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I think of myself as a problem-solver. 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