Race: Human-Constructed Categories

The word race means human-constructed categories that assume great social importance. The categories are typically based on observable physical traits, or where the person is from. A person who is ninety percent Chinese and ten percent African American, but lives in the United States and has dominantly black features, he would be considered black. This goes along with racial common sense, which is “knowing” what race someone is by looking at them. Race has no biological characteristics, but can easily change the outcome of one’s life. Many people in society today categorize the race of someone by the color of their skin, and if that person is this color they are considered uncivilized, on the other hand the stereotype of the people with