What is My Race?

United States
June 18, 2011 4:05pm CST
Okay, I guess I chafe a bit at the question. I run across it with every survey I take. I don't know about you, but I belong to the human race. I find it offensive to claim there is any other. I grew up color blind and chafe at the very notion of separation of peoples. In my hometown we had a huge Filipino community and the native community but we blended and I never had any notion of any difference other than some of the cultural events that, really, were open to anyone, anyway so what was the diff? A few days ago I shared the movie "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" with my daughter. Our favorite line in the whole film was delivered by Sidney Poitier when he tells his "father", "You see yourself as a black man, Dad. I see myself as a man." In a single line, Mr. Poitier encapsulated my view. My daughter's father, unfortunately, saw himself as a black man. I saw him as a man. He could never understand that. When I applied for my chauffeur's license to drive taxi in my hometown, the police officer I turned in my application to insisted that "human" was not an appropriate response. I won that argument. So...when I am confronted with these questions, I usually will check off "prefer not to answer" but sometimes that is not an option. Then I will check off "other". What really tweaks my bubble is when they ask a separate question about hispanics...as if they are somehow different from any other culture. Like they are not as legitimate as any others? And then there's just a yes or no option! I personally feel that these questions perpetuate the separation of the peoples and racism because they keep the different cultures separate in the minds of the people. I am an American. My ancestors came from Europe and America (I have some Mohawk ancestry, too). Culturally, though, due to the many immigrants that settled the US, I enjoy elements of many cultures that I lack ancestry from. I love Filipino food, I enjoy much of the black elements in music, I love northwest native art and like some of the Japanese and Chinese art as well. I use some Kosher elements in my cooking and frankly, most of my food is Mexican style. I embrace all of the diverse cultures that make up my country. So, ethnically, I am an American, 100%. So...what is your race? LOL
9 responses
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
19 Jun 11
What a great post you wrote! It clearly expresses what a beautiful person you are inside. I agree that questions that seek to label us, only perpetuate separation and racism within us. I have moved halfway around the world from my hometown, and I have been discriminated at job opportunities because of the color of my skin. As I also see one race, some people still see differences.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
20 Jun 11
I think I'll do that! I'll start off at the many online job boards that I have. Maybe, they'll get the hint.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Jun 11
We can only hope.
• United States
20 Jun 11
Too true, my friend, which is why we all must take a stand against these separations at every opportunity we get. I would suggest that all of us who fill out any kind of questionnaire refuse to answer this particular question and/or fill in "other" and if it wants a specification or you can write in your answer, put "human". Eventually they will get the hint and quit asking this stupid question.
@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
19 Jun 11
I hate when I have to answer this question and have to hunt to find white or caucasian. I think there was one time were there were so many minorities listed that I had to list my race as "other" because white wasn't even listed.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Jun 11
Well, to look at me one might consider me "white" but I don't recognize any separations so I always put "other" unless they have the option to not answer. No one is truly white except albinos. We are all shades of brown and even albinos are more pink than white.
@anklesmash (1412)
19 Jun 11
Ethnically i am white British as most of the people where i live are in a small town on the English/Welsh Border.However i just see me as a normal bloke like any one else regardless of race and i try to treat everyone i come across as i would like to be treated i also like to find out about other cultures through travelling and trying things such as their food and reading about their history
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Jun 11
I would replace your term of "race" with "shade". We are all one race, "Human", just different shades of brown (everyone is brown, just different shades of it). After all, it is what is inside of us that makes us who and what we are, not what shows on the outside.
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
19 Jun 11
hi friend, the Philippines is considered the melting pot of cultures, so you would not see such diversity in any other part of the world except maybe in the U.S. Realy I never gave it much thought, I only judge people when they do something wrong or bad to me , I never generalize on anything, and I'm always very keen to learn and show genuine interest on other peoples race, culture and ancestry.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Jun 11
Amen, my friend. I really wish my daughter's father could have grasped this concept. He was so bent on fostering his anger, he could not bring himself to understand my vision and took his anger out on me. I believe it was a big part of the reason dumped me like he did.
@pguims (2)
• Philippines
19 Jun 11
I am a Filipino and thanks for loving our culture. I am proud to be who I am...
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Jun 11
As should we all be. Too sad that many people carry an anger inside that keeps the walls up when they should be breaking those walls down and enriching their lives as well as the lives of those around them. It is in sharing our cultures that we truly become one people...which we all are. After all, we are all children of Adam and Eve. If we go back in our genealogy far enough, we are all related.
• United States
19 Jun 11
Ethnically, I am German, Irish, English, and lots of other things due to marriages. My paternal grandmother can trace her lineage back to a family who immigrated in the 1840s from eastern Germany. I am Catholic, so I consider myself human like you. :)
1 person likes this
@jwfarrimond (4473)
18 Jun 11
English - the biggest mongrels on the planet!
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63604)
• United States
18 Jun 11
I'm from predominately northern European, but that doesn't count the alien... I kid around that I'm part alien because I'm allergic to the planet. I do resent these kinds of questions, and wish they had "human" as a response, or, at least, Terran.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 11
Yuppers. In this day and age of the internet, we really have a worldwide melding of cultures so this question is really moot, anyway.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
19 Jun 11
Asian, a mongoloid. My grandfather of mother's side has chinese blood and my father's side, i had no idea. I am a Filipino. I am neither proud nor regretful to be a Filipino. I can do anything as anyone. I can be at my best in things i like to do...
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Jun 11
As can we all. My point is that we are all human and that is the only race out there...the human race.