In a previous blog (http://anthropologicalconcepts.weebly.com/blog/-evolution), I briefly discussed the reason why humans come in all sorts of colours. In our current society we take these differences and make them even more different by giving them different “races.” But where and when did this term “race” separate people just because of skin colour? I will discuss this in the following Fun Fact Friday.
What exactly is “race?” In our modern society it is defined as “a group of people of common ancestry, distinguished from others by physical characteristics, such as hair type, colour of eyes and skin, stature, etc.” It is then secondly defined as “the human race, human beings collectively.” Strange how the definition that divides us is the one we think of first when we hear the word “race.” The term “race” has had many different meanings dating back to the 1500s; the ones who used this were English speakers. “Race has been used synonymously with species, as in “the human race.” But it is since the 1600s that it referred to culturally defined groups. And it is strange because when people say “the English race,” or “the Japanese race,” they are speaking of nationality.
With our different ancestries it is sad that we had to create a word for the prejudice and hate some feel for those differences. It is not only ignorance of someone who has never met or interacted with another ethnic group, it is, I think, fear; fear of the unknown or fear of someone different. I am speaking of racism. “Racism is based on the…false belief that along with our physical characteristics, humans inherit such factors as intellect and various cultural attributes. Such beliefs also commonly rest on the assumption that one’s own group is superior to other groups.” I can understand if this was common in the times before science, but now that we know that it is just genetics and ancestry that give us our skin colours, you would think that it would stop. Sadly though, especially in recent affairs in the United States, it seems to be going backwards. “Races are products of the past. They are relics or times and conditions which have long ceased to exist. Racism is equally a relic supported by no phase of modern science.”
What exactly is “race?” In our modern society it is defined as “a group of people of common ancestry, distinguished from others by physical characteristics, such as hair type, colour of eyes and skin, stature, etc.” It is then secondly defined as “the human race, human beings collectively.” Strange how the definition that divides us is the one we think of first when we hear the word “race.” The term “race” has had many different meanings dating back to the 1500s; the ones who used this were English speakers. “Race has been used synonymously with species, as in “the human race.” But it is since the 1600s that it referred to culturally defined groups. And it is strange because when people say “the English race,” or “the Japanese race,” they are speaking of nationality.
With our different ancestries it is sad that we had to create a word for the prejudice and hate some feel for those differences. It is not only ignorance of someone who has never met or interacted with another ethnic group, it is, I think, fear; fear of the unknown or fear of someone different. I am speaking of racism. “Racism is based on the…false belief that along with our physical characteristics, humans inherit such factors as intellect and various cultural attributes. Such beliefs also commonly rest on the assumption that one’s own group is superior to other groups.” I can understand if this was common in the times before science, but now that we know that it is just genetics and ancestry that give us our skin colours, you would think that it would stop. Sadly though, especially in recent affairs in the United States, it seems to be going backwards. “Races are products of the past. They are relics or times and conditions which have long ceased to exist. Racism is equally a relic supported by no phase of modern science.”
| Racism also had an effect on relationships, not by the feelings of individual peoples. For the United States “interracial” marriage was illegal in most of the states til 1967 (map to the right illustrates which states made it legal and when, and the image below the acceptance rate of said marriages). It is embarrassing that the United States only repealed this law 50 years ago. And it was all thanks to a light and dark skinned couple that took their case to the Supreme Court so they could get married. Even now, 50 years later, it is legal, but it is still frowned upon in areas where some still see themselves as “superiour” to others just because of their skin colour. It is also maddening when someone believes someone else is part of their “race” because of their skin colour, but when they find out they are not, their relationship drastically changes. |  the states in the grey no laws were passed, the states in the green repealed in 1887, the states in yellow repealed between 1948 and 1967, and the states in the red made it legal only when the law was overturned in 1967  |
Instead of using “race” we should all strive to use the word “ethnicity” because that word illustrates differences in cultures and nations, not skin. I do not mean to spout sunshine and rainbows but I can only hope that in the future, hopefully not too far in the future, that we will all see that we are all the same inside. We all have bones, we all have muscles, we all have blood (which is the same colour), and most of all, we are all human. I hope you enjoyed this Friday's fun fact! If you have an itching to get to the bottom of a small fact that has been festering in your mind, or if you have a blog topic you would like me to cover, or if you would just like to express your thoughts on this first Fun Fact Friday, please feel free to comment below.
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