Race v. Ethnicity

Uh oh. Now the class is really heating up. A subject often deemed taboo, but essential to our society, is the question of what constitutes race and ethnicity. Are there similarities? Is there a difference? Could the two be one and the same, or are they on the opposite sides of the spectrum. In this week’s article Mapping the Terrain: Definitions, the author seeks to truly define race and ethnicity. The problem is, both terms have become so muddled and distorted, it is almost impossible to create a simple one-line definition. Both words have become part of our lexicon, but in many instances, not in a positive manner.

Race, if one were to truly define it not according to society’s distorted manner, is a purely biological term, stating that it is “a genetically distinct sub-population of a given species” (21). To me, this is how I see the world. Yes, we may have a range of skin shades, different body attributes, etc., but each and everyone is a human, with the same genetic coding. As a Latina, my DNA is no different than a white, black, Indian . . . anyone! Race seeks to have others defined, to put them into little categories, and keep them there, a vicious cycle of hierarchies, prejudices and lies. There is but one race: the human race.

The idea of ethnicity, with its emphasis on both “self” and “other” definitions, is a more positive way of describing the difference, and similarities, between groups. Granted, it also may become a question of power, but on the whole, I believe ethnicity does not wish to subjugate others in the manner race does. It mostly searches for a way to create a common ancestry among people, linking their cultural practices, historical expierences, or intergroup interaction (17).

The most important message I gathered from this subject is that it is all a creation of society, or a social construct. It really does make perfect sense, seeing that humans find nothing better to do but create new manners in which someone is better than another. Dr. Campbell’s anecdote of the Star Trek episode really hit home, especially with its powerful ending of the juxtaposition of the white half v. the black half. Even during the class, it was easy to see how this subject is so powerful, and meaningful to every individual. On the other hand, it is also apparent how easy it is to dismiss everyone’s individual experience. Every day, every person, deals with his or her own encounters. I do not know what other’s go through, just in the same manner they do not know what I go through. Who gave the right, to any individual, to judge what experience ranks higher? It is only by embracing every individual’s ideas that society has any way of actually moving forward.