Race Is a Social Construct

Alana Santarelli

ENG 1301 P07

Essay 3

Race is a Social Construct

In the year 2015 race is being used as a construct. Not only in the year 2015 but throughout this worlds history. Our society has made individual boxes, for each different race. In “Paint the White House Black” Michael P. Jeffries explains that: “Race is socially constructed, meaning that it is an idea produced by human thought and interaction rather than something that exists as a material fact of life on earth” (Jeffries 1). Race being a social construct has not only been occurring in the United States but all over the world. There is “No biological basis for racial categories” (Jeffries 1) yet the world categorizes you by physical characteristics and judges you by your ethnicity, without leaving a space for people who are more than one race.

Do race and biological basis go hand in hand? We as humans are all made up of the same cells and atoms. Therefore, why would categorizing race have anything to do with their biological making? Dr Otto states in an article that “Race as an anthropological concept had a prominent role during the 19th century (Cotton, 2009; Davidheiser, 2008). At the time the world population was divided into: mongoloid, Caucasian, Negro, and aborigines” (Otto 1). For example, a Brazilian may have darker skin, but does that make them black? Their ethnic background has no correlation with African American decent. So why put them under the same category? Jeffries says biologically that “Humans do not have separate subspecies or races the way some animals do, and genetic traits like skin color are inherited separately from other physical and mental traits, such as eye and hair features, blood type, hand-eye coordination, and memory” (Jeffries 1). Race is dependent on skin color now, just as much as it was in the past. Ta-Nehisi states a magazine that “"Race," writes the great historian Nell Irvin Painter, "is an idea, not a fact."” (Coates 1).

If you grew up your entire life thinking you were something you’re not, how would that make you feel? One day you find out your ethnicity is not what you think. Instead of being 100% African American you are 0%. Your skin is black but you have no African American in you. What category would you be placed under when filling out an application? White? If I had found out I’m not Italian, I think my entire life would be crippled. A part of who you are is a lie and there’s nothing you can do. The world makes race a social construct when they ask you to identify yourself under one of the many categories. Those categories are being used as a construct. On the other hand, it can be used just as a way to identify the person when your meeting for the first time. Either way, it’s not formatted correctly for people who are more than one race. If your only 1% African American, do you check the African American box? Or do you check White? Does your ethnic background have an effect on your ability to do a job? In an article about race, Mevorach says “That there are no precise generic races because race is a metaphor, a social construct and a human invention” (Mevorach 1).  Race is being constructed within the society when your asked to check ‘White, Black or Asian’.