Humans sometimes depict races using skin color. For instance, a person that is Asian may be considered 'Yellow', while an African will be considered, 'Black'. Considering this think of the following:
1. If a person is half Black and half White what color are they?
2. If a person is 90% White and 10% Black, but you cannot see any signs of African in them then what color are they?
3. If a person is mixed with Dutch, Chinese, African and European then what color are they?
4. Is someone from Spain White?
This is a fallatious way of determining race. The scientific community has actually declared that there are no races in humans based on pigmentation. The reasoning is that only 1/10,000 of the human DNA is based on pigmentation. That leaves 9,999/10,000 ways that we are similar. There are more differences between a man and his wife of the same pigmentation than there is between that man and another man of a different pigmentation of his same stature.
When I look at people I tend to look at them more on their culture rather than their "race." I think it's so neat to look around and see all the different types of cultures around me. Who cares what color anybody is? I'm whiter than the sand out at the beach, and the girl who was classified as my twin in the dorms was a black girl. But we easily could have passed as having grown up together as sisters because of how we were with each other and with how in tune we were with each other.
I am very 'white,' both in my skin color and my lifestyle. I fit many white geek stereotypes. From this vantage point, it seems we have become oversensitive as far as 'race' issues are concerned. It is fine to notice that somebody has a certain skin color, just as one would notice eye or hair color, height, facial expressions, or fashion statement. It is a part of the sum total of appearance. Race is part of identity. It is ludicrous how we either try to avoid the issue altogether or overcorrect. My black friends do not call themselves Descendents of the African Diaspora. If it comes up, which is quite rare, they just say black, or occasionally African-American. They are not oversensitive to race issues, waiting to pounce on any language I use that could be considered offensive. They are normal, good people.
If you enjoy satire, this site does a very good job of poking fun at what I often see.
Message Edited! Howe, I removed the link because I find it offensive because the pictures they put are not even real (they pasted pictures of black people next to them and so on) so I cannot trust the content of such web site, I think the purpose behind is racial. Some of the comments also are offensive. |
Oh yeah, we'd always joke around with each other, but we knew we weren't being mean about it. Like if she'd do something clumsy, because she's so incredibly clumsy, I'd be like "Blame it on the black girl." When I did something so country, after she got done laughing at me, she'd be like "Girl, you are too white for words." To us, it's no different than being like "Blame it on the brown hair" and stupid little comments like that. I think it is a matter of not being too sensitive, especially when people are taking it lightheartedly. Now, there is a boundry, and it's sad that we still have racial prejudices, and I have been the first one to reprimand somebody for bashing somebody's race.
I am very white as well. I enjoy heavy-metal, and abhor rap. I am a geek who's sole purpose in life is making others feel stupid, or else watching a ton of anime, exercising, and reading a lot of books.
I would agree with Howe, but I also dislike stereotyping. Not all people who are considered 'hicks' listen to country-music, and the south isn't perpetually warm. Black people do not necessarily enjoy rap, and europeans don't necessarily go to the opera every waking hour.
I prefer to classify people individually, and I don't divulge in categorizing people by race or class.
I feel we are drifting from the original topic which seeks to disclose how we describe races. I understand what all of you are saying, stereotyping is wrong, but it is not the subject of discussion. Think of it this way... if you were born from a half Chinese / Spanish mother with a father that is half African / White then what race are you? It is not a matter of what others think about you, it is a matter of how you see it, and thus the questions that Neo proposed are legit.