RACE BLOG
Race… Real and Imagined
by Sam T. October 5, 2009 10:44 AM

Despite our diversity in skin color, hair texture and so forth, race is an illusion from the perspective of human biology.  Research has shown that humans simply do not divide by race on the basis of biology or genetics.  Yet, U.S. health and wealth disparities reveal that race is a social reality with staggering economic consequences for us all.  According to a recent Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies report, racial inequalities in health care access and quality added more than $50 billion a year to direct U.S health care costs from 2003 to 2006.

Beginning Saturday, October 3rd, the Los Angeles community can explore these and other topics when the RACE: Are We So Different? traveling museum exhibition opens at the California Science Center. The exhibit’s arrival in Los Angeles marks the west coast debut of the RACE exhibit as it travels to nearly 50 cities across the nation.

The exhibit is part of a larger public education program designed by the American Anthropological Association to enhance understanding of human diversity and race, past and present.  A key goal of the project is to foster dialogue and creative solutions to social problems that are part of the racial landscape in America.

So, let’s start the conversation.

When – and how – is race real?  When is race imagined?  And why should we care?

Comments
Mark M said on October 5, 2009 10:54 PM:
Having to work for a large police department in Los Angeles, my view of race has changed throughout the years. In 20 years I have come to the realization that many people feel that race is more important than competence. I have seen so many people, who are what I call "pure race" thinkers, believing that they can ride their particular race's train to the top. It is very sad when people care more about what race based group they belong to rather than just being good at their job. Very sad, but true. Being Multiracial, I don't have that luxury of being taken care of by "my kind" and have been passed over and screwed over by these "pure race" thinkers. I wish people would realize that we are but one race, that is the Human Race and just let each person strive and thrive on their own.
emma said on October 6, 2009 6:58 AM:
i think its a shame on people who get bullied because there are different compared to other people. i wish people would just leave them alone, its not their fault the way the come out, its not anyones fault. i think people may bully other differnt people because there mabey different, jealous, no friends nothing else to do, stuff happeneing at home, can't think of any other reason why. If we were al the same it would just be a boring world. theres no need to bully people just leave them alone.yu never nkow mabey in the futureryoull start getting bullied, you never know.
samantha said on October 6, 2009 6:59 AM:
BLACK AND WHITE ARE ALL THE SAME !
lorna! said on October 6, 2009 7:02 AM:
i like this view:)!
chloe&caitlin;)! said on October 7, 2009 3:51 AM:
if we are all human then we are all the same!
(: said on October 7, 2009 4:02 AM:
the black children sed that the black doll was the worst because its black, and the white dolls the best because its white.
jenny said on October 7, 2009 4:04 AM:
this websites weird :/ the black folk are racist to there self :S
Jess said on October 7, 2009 4:05 AM:
It doesnt matter what colour you are, or what race you're in, or what religion you have. It doesnt matter about your appearance either. We shouldnt judge people on what they look like. We should judge them if theyve done a bad thing, like kill somebody, not on disability or general appearance. Why judge somebody because you think they have faults? We all have faults, and we dont like it when people judge us.
:) said on October 7, 2009 4:06 AM:
We are the same.
Leanne said on October 7, 2009 4:06 AM:
I think that people judge others alot because looking in a certain way doesnt mean that thats who you are or how you act. i know lots of people who are black and asian , cna they are some of the nicest people i have met. being black isnt something to make fun of , someone who is black is still a human being like all of us , but with a diffrent coloured skin. i dont see why people discriminate these days , its just childish.
Kymberley. said on October 7, 2009 4:07 AM:
Does it really matter if you're black, white, asian or anything like that? Because were all human aren't we? Yeah we are, this is just my opinion but I think it's a crime to be racist. Not just racism but other things like discimanation on appearance, like height, wieght, eye colour, hair colour, etc. We shouldn't judge other people because they're different, you are different too, and everyone has faults.
Ralph said on October 7, 2009 12:45 PM:
People don't think differently or feel differently because of their skin color or physical features. But they do think differently and feel differently because of the way they are treated by others. "Race" exists because it is believed to exist and because people treat each other differently based on their beliefs. This exhibit is great because it challenges our beliefs.
Jus'Frankie said on October 9, 2009 9:56 AM:

Everyday, I wake up and look at my current circumstances I do realize that race is real.  When I go to work and comments are made referencing the color of our president, I realize that race is real.  When I am denied job opportunities that I am well qualified for, and it turn see friends of the friends program in tact I realize racism is real.  I believe race becomes imagined when a person feels threatened, and to hold onto what power they are holding onto they look for the most easy and accessible, which in alot of cases is race.  Think about when Mccain started to lose the election, one of the first things, "He's the one" refering to the antichrist.  Racism is a means to justify power nothing more nothing less.

Nancy K said on October 11, 2009 4:14 PM:

Race is something we have created in our social environment that allows people to still categorize others. When people do not allow themselves to think from another perspective we are only closing our selves in a box of ignorance.

Deborah said on October 12, 2009 11:08 PM:

I am a Mexican woman and other cultures, race are fine with me. I have two children that are Bi-racial. We are all one human race. We all have blood flowing thru are veins and each of us have a beautiful mind. At time they get lost but we are all just one race. One race is NOT better then the other

Lady Juliet said on October 15, 2009 12:11 AM:

God is an artist.

The various races are the colors on the palette used to create a beautiful protrait of diversity.

The devil came along with a spray can of racism to destroy the portrait.

ashley said on October 16, 2009 1:05 PM:

even if were a different race were all the same and people shouldnt be so racist...  

December bloom said on October 16, 2009 2:56 PM:

There always are and always will be people who have problems with / views on others based on their own expectations of how they think they should be.  We see it everyday - even if the person is the same colour as them they have other factors to use to enable discrimination i.e. weight, height.

However judgements based on what people perceive as "race" are extremely dangerous.  This type of discrimation varies from outright hatred and extreme violence towards people because of the colour of their skin, to certain discrimatory views on groups of people based purely on colour.

Surely it is time to allow common sense and decency determine how we treat others? The most integral part of us all are our souls and something as magnificent as a soul should not be compartmentalised by something as insignificant as the colour of the body it inhabits. As is often said - Be the change you want to see in the world.........

Yaser said on October 17, 2009 5:53 PM:

According to my opinion racism should not be there.There should be no differece between black and white.Here we are humans with well educated minds,which should not let us to choose this kind of racism.We should care to avoid the racism because it gonna effect our social life,which creats a problem.I think all humans comes under one tree,where each and every one are treated properly.

Nancy said on October 18, 2009 7:07 PM:

I wonder which doll children of other colors would have chosen.  The doll test was very limited in scope.   There are lots of reasons why a black child might prefer the white doll.  Would white children choose the black doll?  We are assuming that the reason most of the black children chose the white doll is related to their self-image.   We shouldn't assume to know the reasons for their choices.  

Nonetheless, I cannot deny that the young women in the rest of the video are telling it like it is.  Many of us want what we don't have.  I sometimes wish my dark, straight hair was blond and curly, and my white skin were darker.  The world would be a more beautiful place if we all let our own unique beauty shine!  (And spent our time and energy on more worthwhile pursuits, such as working towards eliminating racism.)

Tara Craft said on October 20, 2009 7:33 PM:

OMG I just watched A Girl like ME, I got tears in my eyes, we were required to watch it for anthropology. I could never imagine my own 4 year old daughter thinking that a black doll was good and a white doll was bad. I t was the saddest thing, how are theses kids supposed to grow up with any self esteem when its alredy absent at such a young age and why? Race doesn't exist every human being has the same genotype! This video was insightful yet very disturbing.

valarie said on October 21, 2009 7:31 PM:

I work withn little children and in my opinion if everyone looked at one another like children do we wouldnt have racism or haterd. Children dont see anyone by their race or color of their skin but by how they treat one another. Children want to make friends not enemies they want to love not hate. Racism and hate are taught to our youth no one is born to hate or discriminate. If we were all as innocent and open minded as our children then the world will be a better place.

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