“Race” is socially defined, and the definition changes over time. Here is some bibliography for those who might be interested:+Jacobson, Matthew Frye. 1998. Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.+Goldstein, Eric L. 2006.The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity. Princeton: Princeton University Press.+Roediger, David R. 2005. Working Towards Whiteness: How America’s Immigrants Became White: The Strange Journey from Ellis Island to the Suburbs. New York: Basic Books.+There was a time when Irish immigrants were not considered white. And of course Jews weren’t white for a long time, but now, mostly, they are. What about Hispanics? Some say yes, some say no. And of course there’s the one drop rule.
I’ve heard Obama say that he’s mixed. The addition of the category “mixed” is an interesting development in US thought about race. When I was growing up, there was no such thing. There were a lot of very light “colored people” (as we said where I grew up), but no one ever called them mixed. Many “whites” are also mixed, though they may not know it.
ConserveGov over 10 years ago
The PC Police are back in force!Just ask the Duck Dynasty folk.
lonecat over 10 years ago
“Race” is socially defined, and the definition changes over time. Here is some bibliography for those who might be interested:+Jacobson, Matthew Frye. 1998. Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.+Goldstein, Eric L. 2006.The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity. Princeton: Princeton University Press.+Roediger, David R. 2005. Working Towards Whiteness: How America’s Immigrants Became White: The Strange Journey from Ellis Island to the Suburbs. New York: Basic Books.+There was a time when Irish immigrants were not considered white. And of course Jews weren’t white for a long time, but now, mostly, they are. What about Hispanics? Some say yes, some say no. And of course there’s the one drop rule.
woodwork over 10 years ago
going way, way back, genetic experts say Adam and Eve were probably a cafe au latte shade in order to have allthe genes for all the colors of mankind
lonecat over 10 years ago
I’ve heard Obama say that he’s mixed. The addition of the category “mixed” is an interesting development in US thought about race. When I was growing up, there was no such thing. There were a lot of very light “colored people” (as we said where I grew up), but no one ever called them mixed. Many “whites” are also mixed, though they may not know it.
pirate227 over 10 years ago
I hear another non-existent character is white too, Jesus…
maxnoon over 10 years ago
Santa Claus is an imaginary chararcter and therefore can be any color we want to imagine him.
I Play One On TV over 10 years ago
When I am asked my race, I always reply “Human”.
edward thomas Premium Member over 10 years ago
What does that say about the KKK who see mankind divided by race, and see “colored” in every situation?