The Populace of America and Ethnic Diversity
The populace of America is sizable and made up of many racial and ethnically diverse groups. Many of these tribes first immigrated to America. Hispanics and Asians are a couple of the ethnic groups that fall under this demographic. Before the introduction of the slave trade, there was no African American community. People who identify as Native Americans are those whose ancestry is in North, Central, or South America. Multiracial individuals now exist as a result of interactions and marriages between different races over time. (Reardon and Kim, 239). One can find out their true race and heritage by taking a DNA ancestry test. This paper will discuss Eubanks Ralph's discussion which highlights DNA ancestry testing and opinions on race and ethnicity.
Racial Passing and its Impact
This discussion is timely as it highlights various important issues that still exist today. For instance, racial passing which is the ability of a person to be considered as a member of a category that is not their own. The author's mother is biracial and she could sometimes pass for white. At one time she saw her old classmate who was passing for white as it helped him get a job in a place that strictly discriminated against black employees. In this case, racial passing was used for personal gain. Racial passing is still common today, for example, a number of biracial people pass as black so as to fit in (Daniel, 700). They do this in order to avoid stigma and to obtain opportunities such as scholarships and employment reserved for black people.
Racial Segregation and Racism
Another reason why the author's discussion is timely is that it touches on racial segregation. The author's mother identified as black and even hid the portrait of her father since he was white because of the intense racial discrimination in Mississippi at the time. In the earlier years, existence of Jim Crow laws which enforced racial segregation made it very difficult for people from different races to intermarry. Additionally, Racism is depicted by some of the white college students who found out that they had African heritage and wonder whether it was a result of negative deeds like rape or promiscuity (Eubanks, 28). This shows the stigma that white people experience due blacks. This is still going on up to date though more people have embraced members of different races and believe in humanity and not racism.
The Growing Number of Multiracial Individuals
Eubanks' discussion is noteworthy as it includes the issue of multiracial people. According to the discussion, the number of people who are multiracial has been growing over time. DNA ancestry tests taken by many students showed that many of them were of mixed ancestries. A good number of students were not aware of their diversity prior to the test. For instance, the author realized that he has Asian genetic material in addition to European and African genes. This is an indication that racial purity is decreasing (Eubanks, 29). Over the years people from diverse ethnicities have interacted and bred children who carry this mixed genetic material. For example, the author's wife is of multiracial descent and so is the writer. Their children are therefore multiracial.
Redefining the Concept of Race
It is also worth noting that categorizing oneself as a member of a certain race is decreasing due to the rising number of multiracial people. The author's son Patrick for instance, is of diversified ancestry but considers himself an American. He believes that race is made up by people so that they can define themselves (Eubanks, 22). This is because Patrick grew up in a world without racial boundaries and is therefore more open minded and less interested in defining himself by a certain race unlike his father. There are other people who also support this notion of embracing each other despite one's racial background. "Additionally, a goal of higher education is to educate students to become citizens within a demographic multicultural society" Johnston, Marc P. "The concept of race on campus: Exploring the nature of college students' racial conceptions." Journal of College Student Development 55.3 (2014): 225.
Embracing Diversity and Overcoming Cultural Myths
The discussion is important because demographically, the population is becoming more multiracial hence it is becoming much harder for one to describe themselves as a member of a certain ethnic group. The Hispanics for example do not fit into either black or white racial category (Johnston, 235). The population of the Hispanics and multiracial people is growing thus indicating that new concepts of our point of view on things are necessary. It is also fundamental to engage in frank discussions on race and involving members from diverse ancestries. Cultural myths are the reason there is division among some ethnic groups. It is necessary to teach people that racism and ethnicity yield no benefit, if anything, they push us backwards. We are all members of the human family and should avoid being clouded by cultural myths which hinder us from interacting with people from other racial groups.
Embracing the Concept of Humanity and Unity
In conclusion, it is quite clear that racism is easy only when there are only two races in existence with significant numbers. Multiple ethnicities that overlap whereby none is the majority makes racism harder. Multiracism is growing in America and therefore it is becoming harder to embrace a specific race. Racial discrimination and stigma is still an issue to date but it is not as intense as in the earlier days of Jim Crow laws (Johnston, 241). More people are embracing diversity as the number of intermarriages is growing. Our focus should be on the concept of humanity and uniting people regardless of their genetic ancestries. People need to be taught that we are all equal and the differences are just natural and a part of the variety of the universe.
Works Cited
Daniels, Jessie. "Race and racism in Internet studies: A review and critique." New Media & Society 15.5 (2013): 695-719.
Eubanks, Ralph W. “Color Lines: How DNA Ancestry Testing Can Turn Our Notions of Race and Ethnicity Upside Down. (Cover Story). “American Scholar. 83.4 (2014); 18-31
Johnston, Marc P. "The concept of race on campus: Exploring the nature of college students' racial conceptions." Journal of College Student Development 55.3 (2014): 225-242.
Reardon, Jenny, and Kim TallBear. "“Your DNA Is Our History” Genomics, Anthropology, and the Construction of Whiteness as Property." Current Anthropology 53.S5 (2012): S233-S245.
