Essay

• Begin Reading Mama Lola• Themes: Race, Religion, Healing,

Gender, Colonialism, Refugees, Transnationalism

• Not a research paper• Discuss your topic with me• Look at the paper-writing guide

What does Race Mean?

March 21, 2005

What does Race Mean?

• A system for sorting people into categories.

• Two factors– Identifiable Characteristics– Meaning

Race is a Modern Idea

• Ancient societies (Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, etc.) divided people according to religion, class, status or language, not physical difference.

• English word for race doesn’t appear until 1508.

Race is not Genetic

• No characteristic, gene or trait separates members of one “race” from another.

• Traits we associate with race do not vary coterminously.

Human Subspecies don’t Exist

• Humans species is not old enough• Human populations are not

isolated enough• Humans are one of the most

genetically similar of all species.

Skin Color is only Skin Deep

• Genes for skin color have nothing to do with genes for hair type, eye shape, blood type, talents or abilities.

• Knowing someone’s skin color doesn’t necessarily tell you anything else about them.

Most Variations are Within, not Between Races

• There is very little variation within the human species.

• 85% of that variation can be found within any one local population

• Two randomly selected Koreans may be as genetically different as a Korean and an Italian.

Slavery Predates Race

• Human societies have enslaved one another throughout history

• Based on conquest, debt or other circumstances

• North America’s slave trade is a unique set of historical circumstances

Race and Freedom are Linked Historically

• American “equality” was a new concept

• Early economy based on slavery• Race helped explain the denial of

rights to some members of society

Race “Naturalized” Inequalities

• Social inequalities among races was justified as “common sense” based on “natural” or “biological” understanding of race

• American Indians, war against Mexico, excluding Asian immigrants, institutionalized racism

Race: not biological but still real

• A powerful social idea• Gives people different access to

opportunity and resources• In U.S. advantages

disproportionately channeled to white people

Colorblindness is not Equality

• Pretending race doesn’t exist will not undo centuries of inequality.