Monday, October 3, 2016

Revision : Human Identity


 Latisha Amaker                     

10/3/2016

 

In the film Race: “The power of illusion” episode 1  microbiologist Pillar Ossorio  commented “ There as much or more diversity and genetic differences within any racial group as there is between people of different racial groups”. In the film we noticed the relationship between race as a sociological concept by the demonstration that was given by the students.  There are no genetic markers that define race.By taking a genetic sample to find similarities and differences it was shown that mitochondrion DNA shows similarities and differences between the group and individuals. Genetically we aren’t really different from one another. To summarize what Tonya Maria Golash- Boza in her book “Race & racisms a Critical approach” although we know that there are physical difference between people, it is not enough to say that we belong in different racial groups. Scientist have tried to find a biological compound to determine what race is by examining the human body; such as: {Skulls, face structure, feet, hands and eyes} in different races to compare if any similarities were found of the human race- yet this was not enough.

For many years society has used the physical appearance to define what is race, and what makes people different? We know that race is not based on biological difference between one another, but a way to view people on an individual level. We categorize people in a class of race based off their cultural, physical abilities, body shapes, etc. We know that race is what society use to define an individual, but what defines race?  Comparing phenotypes skin tones, facial structure, eye shapes, hair textures, body shapes and characteristics traits are some and still some of the ways people use to differentiate racial groups. As mention in the literature (“Race and Racism” page 2): Race refers to a group of people who shares physical and cultural traits as well as cultural traits as well as common ancestry”.

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In a New York Times article 9/6/2016 “Race and Racial identity are social constructs” By Angela Onwauachi – Willie “Race is not biological. It is a social construct. There is no gene or cluster of genes common to all blacks or all whites. Were race real in the genetic sense, racial classifications for individuals would remain constant across boundaries” She mentions a person that can be classified as one race in the United States can be looked differently in another part of the world. An example of this is when we were in class and Professor Lewis- McCoy mentioned that he was a white male. Because our theory on what a white male should look like base on what society has made us to believe strongly show that races has not been define. To be fair we can generally state what we want to believe a person is because there is not scientific difference. Race is a social concept which allows us to continue to categorize people into groups which is used in today’s generation; Examples: government purposes, employment, schools, real estate, and general living.

 The Huffing Post posted an article 2/9/2016 “What Scientists Mean When They Say ‘Race’ Is Not Genetic” – Michael Yudell discussed why the genetic factors were irrelevant when it came to race, similar to Angela Onwauachi – Willie. It was only a way to distinguish the difference in people.  In the 1930 and 40’s interracial relationship were forbidden. There was no way to measure race except from what people saw. What seems to be white was white, what looks to be black/ Negro was Negro same with Native Americans.

 I like identify myself as a mixed American. When asked I say that I am Puerto Rican and Black.  My mother is Puerto Rican and my dad is African American. I enjoy the cultural difference between the two however I do believe that anyone who is of a Hispanic background is also and can be considered Black. I enjoy the food the music of both backgrounds however growing up I find it to all be the same; from the  instruments used in music to the food that we eat. The culture has the same meaning just with slight difference example: the spices we use in the foods that we eat to make makes it taste different. Consider the spices as genes we all have different genes but are still biologically the same in some way. Even growing up and meeting many people from across the world and experiencing different cultures some of our stories are  the same yet the cultural difference is what really makes us different.

https://sites.google.com/site/babsspringconference2011/_/rsrc/1468861533979/Home/untitled3.JPG

https://sites.google.com/site/babsspringconference2011/

 

References

 

Golash- Boza, Tonya Maria (2016) Race & racisms: A Critical approach New York Oxford University Press

Yudell Michael, “What Scientists Mean When They Say ‘Race’ Is Not Genetic”  The Huffing Post web. 9 February 2016: 1print



 Onwuachi-Willig Angela, “Race and Racial Identity Are Social Constructs” The New York Times web, 6 September2016:1 Print




 “ Race the power of Illusion” Film PBS documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7_YHur3G9g

 

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