An ethnic elite refers to an ethnic group

Ethnic group

An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...

 which in a local context has gained a position of economic and power over that of other groups. Ethnic elites

Elitism

Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...

 may also foster ideologies and beliefs which serve to sustain their relative power.

The ethnic elite may be divided in two basic ways — either an 'elite ethnic majority

Ethnic majority

An ethnic majority refers to a condition in which a particular ethnic group comprises the majority of a particular population. It is frequently based on genealogy. For example, we can refer to the Caucasian race, or the Asian race, or the black race. However, it can also refer to a commonality in...

' or an 'elite ethnic minority.' The term market dominant minority has also been used.

See also

• Minority rights
  Minority rights
  The term Minority Rights embodies two separate concepts: first, normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic or sexual minorities, and second, collective rights accorded to minority groups...
  
  
• Dominant minority
  Dominant minority
  A dominant minority, also known as alien elites if they are recent immigrants, is a group that has overwhelming political, economic or cultural dominance in a country or region despite representing a small fraction of the overall population...
  
  
• Minoritarianism
  Minoritarianism
  Minoritarianism is a neologism for a political structure or process in which a minority segment of a population has a certain degree of primacy in that entity's decision making....
  
  
• Ethnocracy
  Ethnocracy
  Ethnocracy is a form of government where representatives of a particular ethnic group hold a number of government posts disproportionately large to the percentage of the total population that the particular ethnic group represents and use them to advance the position of their particular ethnic...
  
  
• Sinocentrism
  Sinocentrism
  Sinocentrism is an ethnocentric perspective that regards China to be the center of civilization and superior to all other nations. The related but distinct concept of the superiority of the Han Chinese ethnicity both within and without China is known as Han chauvinism.- Overview and context...
  
  
• White Latin Americans