We need to understand what race is
What makes a white person white
as a biological concept race refers to a category of people who share certain inherited physical characteristics e.g. skin color, skin tone, eye shape, eye color, hair texture, etc
some groups dont fit into the categories
natives of india, and pakistan, have caucasoid facial features, but dark skin
there is no “pure” race, groups have been interbreeding for centuries in the US 70% of black people have some white ancestry, and 20% of white people have at least 1 black ancestor
same gene that does skin color determines eye color
sociological definition of race: a group of people who are perceived by a given society to be biologically different people are assigned to one race or another by public opinion which is molded by society’s dominant group
the dominant group in terms of race gets to determine the categories and it is to their advantage to limit who gets to be part of the group
race may be a myth in terms of biology, but it has real consequences on how we experience life. We perceive race, and may be treated / treat others different because of race. it becomes part of our experience. -s