Race, a social construction with no biological basis

A little girl feeding ducks at a park. She's wearing white tights. 

Can you tell what her race is? Is she black, white, Asian, etc?

Photo by: Rebecca Gourley

What is race? Is it biological? Can someone tell by looking at our DNA what "race" we are? Yes, it's called the Human Race. But, no, you cannot differentiate between "black," "white," "Asian," etc.

Races, according to the U.S. Census (link currently not working due to government shutdown), are narrow classifications that describe individuals based on their perceived identity. The fact that these descriptors have evolved and changed over time shows that there is so scientific or biological basis for them. The discussion about race has been heating up and here are some examples for your enrichment.

An opinion piece by DeWayne Wickham illustrates the racism that is still in the minds of some people in the U.S. He connects a link between modern day racism and the Affordable Care Act. Suggesting that we are still stuck in this divide between these social classifications shows how far we have yet to go.

Scroll about one-third of the way down this article to see this quote from writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, "...no coherent, fixed definition of race actually exists." The entire article tackles the "Race is a social construct" statement eloquently. Historically, Coates explains, race has been defined in many different ways; in the U.S., not only did southern whites define themselves as a different race from blacks, but also from northern whites.

Continuing to talk about the historical references to race as a social construction, The Dish explains it well with a lecture given by Dr. Charles Mills entitled "Does Race Exist?" (video). Charles Mills is a professor of philosophy at Northwestern University and says "the reality of race is basically a reality that is socially created." He explains how it's political as well as social. To reiterate something from above, Mills says that racial classifications have evolved over time and are different from country to country. If you move, you can probably assume a different race.

Please, feel free to comment below if you would like to weigh in on the topic, and/or if you can tell which "race" the little girl in the picture is.