ABSTRACT
Appalling though it may seem, serious consideration has been given by both United States and Soviet strategists to the idea of selective targeting for annihilation of certain population segments in each other’s country. Sumner introduced the concept of ethnocentrism into American social science in 1906. Since then, the concept of ethnicity has been widely adopted by many academic disciplines, as well as by politicians and the public at large. W. L. Yancey, E. P. Ericksen and R. N. Juliani distinguish between ethnic salience—the selection of putative traits to characterize a social group—and ethnic identification—or the proclivity of group members to accept these attributions. The chapter reviews historical documentary evidence of a British plan to eliminate Black Caribs on the island of St. Vincent in 1797 while preserving the so-called “Yellow” Caribs, at the time thought to be a separate ethnic group.
