Vice President

Aalihya Whitener
ENGL 1101
What Is Race
28 August 2013 The Race Factor What is Race? Race can defined a group of people with similar descent. What is racism? Racism is the belief that race and the genetic issues that make up race or ethnicity are a primarily reliant on human traits and skills. The belief that ethnic differences create a natural superiority of a certain race. Xenophobia and a desire to feel superior are other two causes for racism in any culture. Racism started in America as soon as multiple ethnic groups came in contact with one another. Racism is brought on by ignorance.

While we understand that race is a social classification and not a biological one, it is still a very meaningful concept to most people in America. Race is a term that describes a group of people with similar descent. I believe race is determined physical specifications such as color, language, eye shape, or even things such as blood types. Human beings as a whole are described as the “human race;” I believe this to be an accurate definition as human beings (despite color, language, or any other physical characteristics) are all the same. Genetically speaking, we are all made up of the same “parts.” The term “race” is an all-encompassing statement used to define a large group, overall.

Ethnicity defines the background of a particular person or thing. This term encompasses many backgrounds and associations. Foods can be “ethnic” if they originate or are commonly consumed in a specific country or region. The same applies to human beings.
One’s ethnicity may be determined by his or her birthplace, religion, of beliefs. Ethnicity does not define physical characteristics, but rather backgrounds and traits.
The United States is a melting pot. This country is made up of thousands and thousands of different people from different places. The USA is home to many ethnic backgrounds; however, the population is a single “race.” We are all humans, as I have previously stated. Although our ethnic backgrounds may differ in many different ways, all in all, we are one race. This is important to bear in mind. Heritage should always be recognized, as it typically is in the United States. But acknowledging the vast backgrounds that exist in this country is the most important concept of all concepts.

Growing up in America in the 21st Century you are taught to be put into categories to feel different. No one person can be just themselves, when we all come from the same man, Jesus, himself. He made one man, and one woman. How is that we can change what has always been the same we all dwell from the same concept just different shades of color, who is to say we need judge because one is darker, or lighter than the other.

If we were just arguing about races of nonhuman animals, essentially the same uncertainties of classification would arise. But the debates would remain polite and would never attract attention outside the halls of academia. Classification of humans is different "only" in that it shapes our views of other peoples, fosters our subconscious differentiation between "us" and "them," and is invoked to justify political and socioeconomic discrimination. On this basis, many people therefore argue that even if one could classify humans into races, one should not.