Over the last few weeks the concept of race seems to have reasserted itself into our consciousness despite the fact that many had hoped we had entered a post racial age. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to remind people how arbitrary the concept of race is. The idea of race as it is applied to humans is a construct of the human mind -- not a biological fact.
http://racerelations.about.com/od/understandingrac1/a/WhatIsRace.htm
An interesting point is the fact that many racists can't actually identify who's who. Many Southeast Asians and Middle Easterners have found that they are frequently mistaken for blacks in America. Some American Indians are mistaken for Chinese, Japanese, or other Asian ethnic groups on the basis of their skin colour, eye structure, and hair colour and texture. Some Central and South Americans and many Puerto Ricans are perceived as Arabs. In like manner, many Arab Americans or Persians are thought to be Latinos. Race is, indeed, in the eye of the beholder.
Add the concept of ethnicity and things get really crazy. Even when we know someone's background it can be hard to classify them. Case in point: my wife was born in Mexico but her father is a white guy from Arkansas. Thus, is she 100% because she was born in Mexico? 50% because he father's from Arkansas? Add the fact that her great grandmother was a full blooded Central American Indian and things get even crazier. Is our light skinned one-year-old white because she has blue eyes and reddish hair? Is her sister with darker skin and almond eyes still Hispanic or Native American? Does it even matter?
Its clear than anytime a politician starts to talk about us vs them or tries to impute certain characteristics to certain racial or ethic groups that he/she is full of BS.
http://racerelations.about.com/od/understandingrac1/a/WhatIsRace.htm
An interesting point is the fact that many racists can't actually identify who's who. Many Southeast Asians and Middle Easterners have found that they are frequently mistaken for blacks in America. Some American Indians are mistaken for Chinese, Japanese, or other Asian ethnic groups on the basis of their skin colour, eye structure, and hair colour and texture. Some Central and South Americans and many Puerto Ricans are perceived as Arabs. In like manner, many Arab Americans or Persians are thought to be Latinos. Race is, indeed, in the eye of the beholder.
Add the concept of ethnicity and things get really crazy. Even when we know someone's background it can be hard to classify them. Case in point: my wife was born in Mexico but her father is a white guy from Arkansas. Thus, is she 100% because she was born in Mexico? 50% because he father's from Arkansas? Add the fact that her great grandmother was a full blooded Central American Indian and things get even crazier. Is our light skinned one-year-old white because she has blue eyes and reddish hair? Is her sister with darker skin and almond eyes still Hispanic or Native American? Does it even matter?
Its clear than anytime a politician starts to talk about us vs them or tries to impute certain characteristics to certain racial or ethic groups that he/she is full of BS.
