The annihilation or attempted annihilation of a people because of their presumed race or ethnicity is known as

• A. Ethnocide
• B. Genocide
• C. Assimilation
• D. Segregation

Answer: (B)

Genocide is the deliberate destruction of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, in whole or in part. The phrase “annihilation or attempted annihilation” is exactly what genocide describes, because it centers on intent to destroy a group of people based on their identity.

Ethnocide refers to eroding a group’s cultural identity rather than its physical destruction. Assimilation is the process by which a minority group adopts the dominant culture, often losing distinctiveness. Segregation is the enforced separation of groups, not necessarily aimed at destroying them.