The
Misinterpretations of Race
Race
is defined as a group of individuals that share supposed physical and/or
genetic traits. The sociological concept of race suggests that we are
socialized to differentiate individuals by their physical/external attributes.
We are brought up to believe that we can identify another individual’s race
just by looking at them. We divide individuals into categories of race based on
the color of their skin, the texture of their hair, and the shape/color of
their eyes. Because we are socialized to accept and integrate the concept of
race into our lives, we try to attribute these physical/external differences to
internal differences. The scientific concept of race suggests that these external
attributes must derive from some sort of genetic similarity.
In
the film “Race: The Power of an Illusion, Episode 1,” Pilar Ossorio states, “there
is just as much or more genetic difference between individuals within the same
racial group as there is between different racial groups.” In this same film, a
group of students had their mDNA tested for genetic markers. Mitochondrial DNA
is passed down to an individual from their maternal side. The group of students
consisted of different races including Black, White, Asian and Latino. Before
the study was conducted, the students hypothesized that they will have more
similarities with others that are racially the same as them. However, the
results proved Ossorio’s statement. The student’s mDNA demonstrated that the
students had just as much or more difference with the other students that were
racially the same as them than with the students who were not racially the
same. The physical traits that we adapt through environmental differences do
not reflect genetic differentiation (Templeton, 2013).
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According
to the United States Census Bureau, there are five races in which an individual
can identify with (http://www.census.gov/topics/population/race/about.html).
These races include White, Black/African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian/Other
Pacific Islander and Other. An individual can mark more than one box in this
section of the census. This makes it difficult for me to choose a race when
filling out forms because I do not identify myself with any of these races. I
consider myself Hispanic and not any of the previously mentioned races.
However, according to the United States Census Bureau, Hispanic and Latino
is not considered a race instead they are considered an ethnicity. Ethnicity
is defined as belonging to a social group that has similar cultural
backgrounds.
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| https://goo.gl/images/2OXv0U |
Noticeably,
many individuals of Hispanics and Latino/a ethnic background have been
identifying themselves as white. According to a New York Times article,
researchers found that approximately 2.5 million of Hispanics/Latinos who
choose “Some Oher Race” in the 2000 census changed their race to “White” in the
2010 census (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/upshot/more-hispanics-declaring-themselves-white.html?_r=0).
This research suggests that in fact choosing a race can be very confusing for
Hispanics because the options provided are not relevant enough. According to “Criollo,
Mestizo, Mulato, LatiNegro, Indigena, White, or Black? The US Hispanic/Latino
Population and Multiple Responses in the 2000 Census,” the way that Hispanics
identify their race is based on what age the individual entered the country,
socioeconomic status, and the ability to pass as White. This suggests that Hispanics
are labeling themselves as white based on stereotypical beliefs of what it
means to be white.
Works
Cited
Amaro, H., &
Zambrana, R. E. (2000). Criollo, Mestizo, Mulato, LatiNegro, Indigena, White,
or Black? The US Hispanic/Latino Population and Multiple Responses in the 2000
Census. American Journal Of Public Health, 90(11), 1724-1727
Templeton, A. R.
(2013). Biological races in humans. Studies in History and Philosophy of
Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical
Sciences, 44(3), 262-271. doi:10.1016/j.shpsc.2013.04.010
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