Why are some people racist when there is only one human race on this planet?

Question

I was wondering why there is so much talk of "race" in the media and why there is that prejudice against people with a different skin colour, and why skin colour is connected to race at all.

At the moment, we are only one human race on this planet, at least since the Neanderthal people died out. Isn't it weird that people speak of different races?

Answer 1

I think it is fear and a lack of understanding.  In fact I think some people feel bad about themselves; so, they tell themselves that because they are a certain race, they are better.  I also think there are some people in the world who can't be "happy" unless there is someone or some group for them to hate. Ridiculous I know.  

Answer 2

Ignorance

Answer 3

Girl.. Tell me about it, Im fed up of people talking about trying to kick US mexicans out of this country... Isn't that racism too? ofcourse it is, they just dont realise how important we are to this country. On how much of an impact we cause to the economic system. I would like to see them try. But you know what? We will just come right back!

Answer 4

Some people have narrow thinking and they dont think about other human races. It is like a horse having eyepads to blind side views so that it can move only in forward direction. People become racist since they see only in one direction. If they can view all the directions, they will not be racists.

Answer 5

i don't necessarily agree with the neanderthal part, but you are correct, we are one human race, period.  people identify with others that are like them, whether that is nationality, culture, creed, tribe, class, age group, similar interests and yes, even color.  the race card is played up in the media because they are trying to incite racism, they are purposely trying to divide people and that is one sure way of doing it.  i have heard more about racism since obama started running for office than my entire 40 years on this planet.  it's bull.

Answer 6

Ignorance, prejudice, fear of the unknown, close minds, you name it. It never seizes to puzzle me why skin color can have such an impact on some people.

Answer 7

It is not 'race' per se... it is the cultural differences that worry people. Race is only involved because in the past, different ethnicities developed independent of each other, so cultural differences were easy to combine in any given 'different' group. Give it 100 more years and race will be a thing of the past, just another annotation as a cliche word of the past 200 years.

People that live a certain lifestyle will say that no-one should ever interrupt their way of life... which goes far into political arenas as well as social. However, this does not answer your question...

..the answer is that we are all genetically in the same line (more or less) but its the cultural differences that spark discontent, not the genetic profile. Culturally speaking, the anti-immigrant movement in many countries is a valid point because the mass influx are from people with very distinct cultural views that have failed to improve their own standards of living...and rather than rise above those habits, they instead relocate to countries where life is easier. The receiving country is filled with people that have zero intention of giving away free benefits to freeloaders and in return, they dislike the newcomers that have not 'paid their dues'.

Example: Hispanics/Lainos in northern america have a huge stigma for draining the resources of the northernmost 2 countries. But it does not change the fact that they have failed for several hundred years to change their cultural views to a new society like USA and Canada - which apparently they like since they are constantly moving there.

Does this have to do with race? Not at all.

If the economic roles were reversed, the whites and blacks of north america would be the 'dirty immigrants'. Its all in ones fear of cultural identity...if people cannot change themselves, then the receiving group is always going to be in fear of having their established way of life interrupted and altered.

Answer 8

Wow!

Excellent question. I think its because people dont like someone different than they are. Not everyone has the ability to colorblind, sotospeak. Thats a question people have been asking a long time and will continue to ask. You are very insightful to pick up on this sad fact of life.

Answer 9

yeah i get you . but that's humans , they love to be the best. like , a person thinks he's better than other people around him , and he and the other people that look like him think they are better than the others , and so on . people just have too much ego and stupidity

Answer 10

Jews, Christians, and Muslims all worship the same God and fight worse than anybody..so would different hues of skin color be any less reason to fight?

Race isn't the issue that people make it out to be.  Culturally accepted behavior among different groups is the main reason for division.  People who do not want this problem solved will constantly put the word "racism" out there.  Of course hatred based on skin color is totally irrational.  Skin color is inert and cam harm no one...but behavior  observed to be typicallof those with a particular skin color can.

The media refers to "race" to direct people away from the root of the problem as they are a tool of the ruling class.

Answer 11

That's like asking why, after all these thousands of years, mankind has not declared war obsolete.  Humankind has fatal flaws, among them an irrational fear/hatred of anybody who's different.

Answer 12

Coz their prats love x