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