Do you see race?

Question

well first i want to say that i know race is more of a social concept of physical difference than an actual biological difference.

anyway...i was listening to this black radio station 95.9 (which i LOVE) and some white guy called in and commented that he was married to a "spanish" woman and he doesnt like that we acknowledge race and call people "black, white, hispanic, etc."

the host basically responded saying that when he meets people he does see race and he can respect and appreciate all races. i love that because i feel the same. i hate it when people walk around trying disassociate themselves from color to be polite and correct. i want people to see a "black girl" when they see me because thats what i am and its a part of my ancestors struggle and my experience as a minority in america. why would i want to diminish that for the sake of whats polite to talk about in public? i think you should be proud of your heritage, race, culture, etc. whatever. no bigotry. appreciation.

Answer 1

well, yea, I totally agree.  I am white, if I see a black person, I see a black person.....but I dont think that is a bad thing as there isnt any hatred or anything to go with that....you just notice stuff about people.  

Some people say that if u notice that someone is black, then you have issues....I dont believe that....I think we all see stuff about other people, like if they are ginger, tall, fat, good lookin......

people are just people afterall,

its weird that people make you feel that you are being racist when you are not.....political correctness gone mad

(also I fancy black guys so course I notice :-) )

Answer 2

It depends on how the person carries him/herself.  I work at a hotel, so if a person comes in and starts acting suspicious, I notice their race (along with how tall they are, what they're wearing, etc.) incase I have to call the police.  If a black man walks in to the hotel refusing to present a credit card or ID, and he's wearing baggy pants, a hat to the side, sunglasses, and gold chains (and walking with a limp, what's up with that?), I treat him just like a white guy who does the same exact thing.  If a black man comes in wearing a suit and politiely asks "do you have any rooms?" instead of "Yo B, U gots any rooms hya?", I don't notice his race, just that he was professional and respectable.

Answer 3

I agree.  If you don't see a black woman, then you don't see me.

Answer 4

You're getting good answers here.

There is less difference between all the kinds of people than there is between all the varieties of dogs. That's all race is, is a variety.

However, race is not simply about skin color. There are genetic diseases that are found more often in people of a specific race - for example sickle cell anemia in black people and spina bifida in whites (particularly Irish). The various races also have different cultural heritages. This is very evident in things like personal space and tolerance for touching. For example Japanese and Chinese people don't like to be hugged in public. Germans are also reluctant to show affection in public. Africans are quite demonstrative. There is no right or wrong here; on this score people just have to be sensitive to each other. Race, like gender, is a complex thing but racial differences can be celebrated, and mixing gene pools of various races is very good because it helps to eliminate genetic diseases.

Answer 5

I acknowledge that there are different races and that people come from different backgrounds.  I think everyone sees race; however everyone will react to race differently.  Some people will not associate themselves with other races but their own.  In this day and age and the strides we have made it amazes me of the racism that still exists out there in this world.  As I said, i do see race but i don't see color; let me explain.  I judge people by who they are not by what color they are.  I do not stereotype someone because they are black, white, or Hispanic.  I discriminate by your personality and the type of person you are.  I applaud and acknowledge what races have to go through to defend themselves however they shouldn't have to but in this world unfortunately they do.  I would hope one day that people would accept everyone for who they are.

Answer 6

I "see" race, I just don't care about it.  I like people for who they are, and I don't care what their ancestry is.  It's nice that we all have different ethnic backgrounds, but I wish it wasn't such a focus at times.  I work with teenagers of a different race, and they are ALWAYS harping on this fact.  I keep telling them that it doesn't matter what color people are, but they insist on calling things "black music," "white girl clothes,"

etc.  I tell them people are just people, all the same species, not cats and dogs, fish and amphibians, but they harp on racial differences constantly anyway.  I always wonder what it is like to live in countries where everyone is practically the same race.  I can't even imagine what that might be like.  I love our diversity, but I also wish people could just accept it and let it go.

Answer 7

I agree with what you said. I do see the differences in people when I look at them, but it doesn't matter most of the time.

Answer 8

I don't believe different races exist, but I believe we are all different, both culturally and genetically. We should be proud of beingf unique. I am proud of my Norwegian heritage and I would not want to be anything else. I want to be recognised for who and what I am. I am an individual, yes, but I am also a Norwegian.

Answer 9

I agree with you totally.