As a small child I grew up learning racial etiquette through my schooling and peers. Some came from my parents, however my parents have some racial tendencies. One day I came home from school and mindlessly mentioned to my mother that I had an African American boyfriend. Immediately I realized my “mistake” as she jumped on my explaining the “biological reasons” that I should not engage myself in an interracial relationship. She told me that when “interracial relationships” decide to have children there are precautionary actions that need to be taken. She continued with how much discrimination that the child would receive because it was biracial. And being as she is a registered nurse, I just assumed she knew what she was talking about.
My mother is an example of a person who tries to justify their racism with science. As Barbara Rothman stated in her book, The Book of Life, “Part of the extraordinary power of racism, as with all ideologies, is its ability to incorporate any variety of facts and make them fit the belief.” (pg 57). Personally this makes me really mad, to justify not liking a person because they look different from yourself. Not to get extreme valley girl on you, but so NOT COOL! Even though I grew up in a southern family, that has some narrow minded view on people of different races, I do not consider myself a racist person, I have friends that are of a different race, and I do not think lesser of them.
Lastly I believe that these people who justify themselves will continue to do so. When someone tries to point them out, and tell them they are in the wrong, they just bring up more facts. And since they are “scientific facts” they cannot be argued. Personally I think the nation as a whole should try and move away from testing difference in race. When you separate people is studies because of race, it makes people feel offended.
stevengash Said:
on February 11, 2007 at 6:55 pm
You talk about how we should stop doing studies about the different races, but some good will likely come out of most the studies. The only study that I believe will cause the most problems is a study about intelligence, but aren’t there already stereotypes out there about the different races intelligence. So really the only thing that can come out that test is proving a stereotype to be wrong. There are also a lot of stereotypes where I think people would enjoy find out the results regardless of their race.
We also have to remember that stereotypes are there for a reason, it’s not because someone just decided to make something up. Take the example about how white men can’t jump; I don’t think that’s hurting anyone’s feelings, but I am curios as to how much higher the average black person can jump.
It is also important to realize that a study would be similar to a stereotype, it may point out a few difference, but it doesn’t mean that ever person in that race has to abide by those rules.
Anna Said:
on March 4, 2008 at 10:10 pm
i am currently in an interacial relationship and we have a ten month old daughter.
Though my family and most of my freinds have accepted the relationship, i find that strangers tend not to.
On several occassions people have tured there nose up a my daughter because of her colouring.
I dont see that it matters what colour ure partner is as long as you are happy with each other.