Monday, February 6, 2012
Race & Identity
Race is a way of classifying others and ourselves into a certain identity. Race is closely associated with ethnicity, which can be used to define various characteristics such as where we or our ancestors are from geographically, what cultural backgrounds we share, etc. I think race is a pretty useful way of classifying ourselves, but I also think that it depends on what is being measured. For example, race would be vital in observing health disparities to determine which race is suffering more from a certain disparity compared to the general population. If we analyze the prevalence or incidence rate of a certain race, it can help us determine whether or not the cause of the disparity is linked to their race or ethnicity. I guess using race to classify people is useful when it comes to social matters. As far as allowing people to check more than one race when filling out the U.S. Census Bureau, I think it should not matter how many one checks. I feel like it is inaccurate to check that one is simply Asian if the person is half Vietnamese and half Italian.
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Hello Michelle,
ReplyDeleteYour post is very well written and thought out. I think race is one aspect that can define our identity. More so, I think race is still an issue in our society. For example, during President Obama's first two years as President may people depicted him in unfavorable ways such as debating if he was born in the USA or not. Moving on, race is closely associated with ethnicity. Sometimes I get race and ethnicity confused because they commonly used interchangeable. I feel many people in our country classify themselves by race and ethnicity because they take pride in our culture. For example, I am proud to black and break barriers in the African-American community. Additionally, we use race when taking the USA census and/or analyzing voting trends in our society. More so, I think the industry of Advertising relies on race so they can market their products to certain demographics. So that's rap.
-Sir Keithington
I have to 100% agree with you on your final comment of your post. I also believe that it is not accurate to only check on the Census Bureau. 9 out of 10 times, people have much more than just one race to choose. Every person I know as well is as least a couple different races. And to be honest, that is what makes everyone so unique. It may be a cliché but the United States really is a melting pot of all different races, ethnicities, backgrounds, and ideas. It’s great to be in San Francisco getting a bowl of clam chowder at the Warf and then turn around and you’re in China Town. It allows us to experience each other’s cultures and what we all have to offer.
ReplyDeleteDaniellev