downsides of inter-racial mixing--my friend +drama

College Confidential Community
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<p>OK, first off I am not a racist. I am NOT going to start spewing propaganda (so please don't delete my thread)
I just want some peer's input/opinions on a situation that happened today and left me crying.</p>

<p>I started the Asian Pacific American Club in my school about a year and a half ago with my best friend (we'll call her Sara). The thing is sara is half white and half vietnamese. She looks 100% white. </p>

<p>Back when we started the club, Sara was even more enuthusiatic about it than I was. She would organize all the meetings. Since most Asian Clubs revlove around FOOD and only FOOD, we decided that our club would be active. We would rally and protest, etc, agasint hate crimes (which happens alot agasint Asians since Asians don't speak up agasint them like black and latinos do). </p>

<p>So, fast forward a year and a half...Sara has decided to quit the club, the club SHE founded and was President of. It had nothing to do with her being half-white and feeling left out, which is probably what you are thinking (there are many mixed asians) but eventually I called her and what she told me completly shocked me.</p>

<p>She basically said after I kept on pressing the issue why she quit all of a sudden, "what is in it for ME? "Ya know, I LOOK white (w/ a white last name), it's not like I will ever suffer any anti-Asian HATE crime, so why should I waste MY time in a club that spends most of its time rallying agasint hate crime (the club spends alot of time doing outreach and being vocal about hate crimes). It's not like any thug will beat ME up or shout go back to your country you viet girl. Nobody's gonna judge me negatively cuase I'm asian, I LOOK white, ya know I AM white!!! I have lots of stuff to do, I could have spent my time hanging out or shopping!!!</p>

<p>Ok, so those weren't her exact words 100%, but basically it's 98% correct. Plus, she is one of those types that speaks as she thinks so everything comes into her mind and out her mouth. </p>

<p>When I go to sites like angryasianman.com (the name is a play on words...he's not really angry) It lists hate crimes that the media never wants to report on. Why is it that an asian girl (fillipina Marie Stephanie Gonzalez) can be attacked on a bus by thugs for "looking chinese" and the NY metropolitan Police department keeps pushing off looking into the case? The same thing with alot of asians suffering hate crime and the agencies don't want to look into it becuase the asian population in america and is so small that the agencies know they won't complain to media, sue, etc. Whenever latinos or blacks get picked on the agencies look into these hate crimes right away...becuase the latino/black population is a very large minority group and very vocal.</p>

<p>OK so this is my theory...(please mods, I am not being racist)...since Asians are the "invisible" minority group, lots of times Radio and TV people will make negatvie comments degrading Asians. This perpetuates an aura about asian being sneaky, devious, etc. (For you college kids this does trickle down to you, this stereotyping makes it harder to get GOOD teacher recs).</p>

<p>But now more Asian-Americans are protesting about this. They are speaking up agasint hate crimes and hate messages, and so maybe there is hope. BUT as Asians mix (usually with whites), something like 70% of asian Females marry white guys, their kids usually look white and stop caring about their half-asian roots. They turn a blind eye to racism, don't speak up, and reduce the asian census count. This makes Marketing agents, media, and other outlets more easily wave off Asian Racism. </p>

<p>This is only for Hapa mixes. A half-latino, half-black kid will always think of themselves as half latino or half-black, but all the half-Asian kids in my school say they are ONLY white!!</p>

<p>arrgh....I am the only one seeing this very strange phenomenon? I asked my friends and they were like either "duh!" or "whatever!"</p>

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<p>
[quote]
This is only for Hapa mixes. A half-latino, half-black kid will always think of themselves as half latino or half-black, but all the half-Asian kids in my school say they are ONLY white!!

[/quote]

I know a few half white half latino kids that view themselves as White. That isn't rare at all.</p>

<p>I tend to think that males will generally consider themselves whatever their father is. I don't know about females though. In the US male white/asian mixes are more likely to have white fathers (or whatever they visually look like).</p>

<p>
[quote]
BUT as Asians mix (usually with whites), something like 70% of asian Females marry white guys, their kids usually look white and stop caring about their half-asian roots.

[/quote]
I think your data is quite wrong, btw. I highly doubt 70% of Asian women marry whites. Furthermore, who cares if they throw away their half asian roots. Hell, most whites I know don't give a **** about their roots other than knowing what they are.</p>

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<p>Well, your friend is doing nothing more than inadvertently pointing out the idiotic shallowness of the concept of race, that even if half your genetic make-up is Asian (or whatever), all that REALLY matters is how you look. "Scientists" try to come up with all these scientific reasons for why race exists, but ultimately, it just comes down to what your face looks like. To some people, having slightly differently shaped eyes or noses make us as different as gorillas and chimps. I don't like the insensitive and ditzy way your friend made her point, but in a racialized world where all that matters is looks (as opposed to upbringing, culture, self-identification, etc.), what she's doing is perfectly reasonable.</p>

<p>
[quote]
BUT as Asians mix (usually with whites), something like 70% of asian Females marry white guys, their kids usually look white and stop caring about their half-asian roots.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I don't know where you got that number from. According to my source (<a href="http://www.asian-nation.org/interracial2.shtml)%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.asian-nation.org/interracial2.shtml)&lt;/a>, here are the marriage breakdowns amongst U.S.-raised Asian-Americans.</p>

<p>INDIANS
White wives: 20.5%
White husbands: 21.1%</p>

<p>CHINESE
White wives: 19.3%
White husbands: 29.9%</p>

<p>FILIPINOS
White wives: 28.1%
White husbands: 40.5%</p>

<p>JAPANESE
White wives: 19.7%
White husbands: 28.1%</p>

<p>KOREANS
White wives:23.9%
White husbands: 48%</p>

<p>VIETNAMESE
White wives: 11.3%
White husbands: 22.7%</p>

<p>Generally speaking, Asian women tend to marry Whites at a rate of 10% more than Asian men. Some outliers are the Koreans and Filipinos, although there are many White-adopted Korean children in the U.S., and I think that puts that rate out of context. Also, it is worth noting that in every Asian ethnic group, there are more women than men for some reason, which would explain the higher outmarriage rates. </p>

<p>And yes, many "comedians" like to pick on Asians because it makes people think they're edgy and un-PC when they're too chicken to take on Al Sharpton and Co. Asians get ragged on the radio every week, and nothing ever happens, but Don Imus makes one comment and he's gone! Shock jocks are absolutely cowards at heart, and unoriginal ones at that as well. Every now and then, there'll be a new song about Chinese food deliverymen or maybe even about victims of tsunamis, and they'll feel all smug for being rebellious against PC culture while paying Al Sharpton protection money every week.</p>

<p>And indeed, who cares if Asian-AMERICANS throw out their Asian roots? European-Americans threw out their heritages long time ago. Unless you believe the rabid religious and cultural regressives who insist that America is a White Christian nation with very minimal contributions from other ethnic and racial groups, why is it wrong for Asians, just like Whites and even Blacks, to let go of their ancestors' roots and embrace America? It's not like they're an endangered people!</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Well, your friend is doing nothing more than inadvertently pointing out the idiotic shallowness of the concept of race, that even if half your genetic make-up is Asian (or whatever), all that REALLY matters is how you look.

[/quote]
I tend to think that the concept of race is quite real and is much more intrinsic than how the face looks. A simple gander at a track and field event would identify that.</p>

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<p>Yes, obviously, West Africans dominate in sprinting. However, we have to learn to not confuse certain regional traits with some clumsy over-arching concept of race. Not every member of the "Black race" is good at running. What about those lanky Masai? The skinny Kenyans? The entire Rwandan genocide was based on the "racial differences" of the Tutsis and Hutis, a concept most strange to the average person who just sees "Black people". And isn't it ridiculous to think that people like Ichiro Suzuki and Yao Ming have more in common with each than with people like Ricky Henderson and Dikembe Mutombo, respectively? </p>

<p>Sure, you can find patterns of differences amongst races, but what about the ones within? If you want to create support for the existence of the Black race because of their excellence in athletics, why don't we partition the White race as well? England and France suck at athletics, while Spain, Germany, and Italy are good: I guess there are two races right there!</p>

<p>While I agree that there are differences amongst people situated in different areas of the world, I hardly think that constitutes the existence of race. I'm different from my brother and my friends because we're not all clones from the same donor. Does that make us all of a different race? And I think it's convenient how the categorizations of race seem very selective in the way they best suit and justify the colonialist and imperialist ambitions of European powers in the heyday of their dominance.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Yes, obviously, West Africans dominate in sprinting. However, we have to learn to not confuse certain regional traits with some clumsy over-arching concept of race.

[/quote]
Sure. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Not every member of the "Black race" is good at running.

[/quote]
Absolutely true. But West Africans are much better at sprinting, on average, than virtually anyone else. </p>

<p>
[quote]
What about those lanky Masai? The skinny Kenyans?

[/quote]

And Kenyans are much better, on average, at distance running than anyone else.</p>

<p>
[quote]
The entire Rwandan genocide was based on the "racial differences" of the Tutsis and Hutis, a concept most strange to the average person who just sees "Black people".

[/quote]
It's not that strange. Tribal warfare has existed forever. Acute physical differences signifying the clan/tribe differences are quite easy for humans to understand. Hell, the average physical characteristics of different European groups are relatively easy to identify.</p>

<p>
[quote]
And isn't it ridiculous to think that people like Ichiro Suzuki and Yao Ming have more in common with each than with people like Ricky Henderson and Dikembe Mutombo, respectively?

[/quote]
They have more in common genetically. Simply realizing that fact is not ridiculous.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Sure, you can find patterns of differences amongst races, but what about the ones within?

[/quote]
You are basing your argument on poor media definitions. Genetic similarities (and thus physical similarities) within groups of related people are simply caused by inbred genetic trees. </p>

<p>
[quote]
If you want to create support for the existence of the Black race because of their excellence in athletics, why don't we partition the White race as well?

[/quote]
Sure. If it's factual, go for it.</p>

<p>
[quote]
England and France suck at athletics, while Spain, Germany, and Italy are good: I guess there are two races right there!

[/quote]
Are you trying to imply that there isn't genetic dissimilarities between the populaces of Spain, Germany, and Italy? Please.</p>

<p>
[quote]
While I agree that there are differences amongst people situated in different areas of the world, I hardly think that constitutes the existence of race.

[/quote]
I think most use the term race to simply describe groups of similar genetic characteristics. Race simply refers to a very large "family" of genetic characteristics. A nuclear family, clan, and tribe are all families of genetic characteristics, but happen to be ultra low level - rarely having more than 50K people.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I'm different from my brother and my friends because we're not all clones from the same donor.

[/quote]
Yes, but you are ultra similar to brother genetically.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Does that make us all of a different race?

[/quote]
Most people don't define race on the level of individuals. But certainly they could describe you as different humans - which are just the building blocks of genetic relationships. You are of the same family, clan, and tribe...</p>

<p>
[quote]
And I think it's convenient how the categorizations of race seem very selective in the way they best suit and justify the colonialist and imperialist ambitions of European powers in the heyday of their dominance.

[/quote]
Random gibberish.</p>

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<p>So you acknowledge that there are many difference within races? Then what unites these apparently different people into races other than political/historical reasons? Why can't we all just be a bunch of little tribes, numbering in the hundreds around the world? The typical 5-race theory is also terrible at categorizing "non-traditional" races. For example, where do people in the Middle East fit in? They should be regarded as Caucasian, but then, some Whites don't want those dark-skinned religious fanatics as one of their own. So then the system crumbles, twisting and contorting to put a new scientific mask on an old face of White supremacy and purity. Western Europeans, Eastern Europeans, Jews, Arabs, Persians, and Indians are all Caucasians. But ha, are they all treated or regarded as the same?</p>

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<p>Ultimately, the idea of races undermines the Golden Rule, whether it seeks to do so purposefully or not. </p>

<p>"Maybe it's okay to do unto other as you would have them NOT do unto you, because you know what? They're not really like me. I learn from my mistakes and can be reasoned with: they're incorrigible. I deserve to be treated with respect and honour: their self-esteem is not as important to them." </p>

<p>And so on.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
So you acknowledge that there are many difference within races?

[/quote]
Obviously, who could deny that?</p>

<p>
[quote]
Then what unites these apparently different people into races other than political/historical reasons?

[/quote]
"Unites" is a term which generally refers exclusively to political or social bonds. But obviously genetics is another way to group/catagorize people.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Why can't we all just be a bunch of little tribes, numbering in the hundreds around the world?

[/quote]
There is no reason why we can't all be in 100s of tribes. In a genetic sense, we are in hundreds of little tribes. We are also in hundreds of thousands of smaller clans and far fewer "races". Being a part of a tribe doesn't preclude you from being part of a race. This is just common sense.</p>

<p>
[quote]
The typical 5-race theory is also terrible at categorizing "non-traditional" races.

[/quote]
It's pretty easy actually, if one simply uses common sense and realize that it is very generalized.</p>

<p>
[quote]
For example, where do people in the Middle East fit in?

[/quote]
I consider ME people to be Caucasian.</p>

<p>
[quote]
They should be regarded as Caucasian, but then, some Whites don't want those dark-skinned religious fanatics as one of their own.

[/quote]
People don't get to choose what the truth is. It seems like you have a problem with the theory because other people don't like it. Not only that, these other people sound idiotic.</p>

<p>
[quote]
So then the system crumbles, twisting and contorting to put a new scientific mask on an old face of White supremacy and purity.

[/quote]
It seems like you don't like the concept of race because it is espoused by idiots. Twisting facts has existed since the dawn of time. It doesn't make the facts wrong though.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Western Europeans, Eastern Europeans, Jews, Arabs, Persians, and Indians are all Caucasians.

[/quote]
Agreed. This is pretty obvious to anyone that can look at a face. If one was presented with 4 faces - one Western European, one Jewish, one Japanese, and one Nigerian - that person could easily identify the two faces most similar.</p>

<p>
[quote]
But ha, are they all treated or regarded as the same?

[/quote]
Didn't I already acknowledge people basing their prejudices off of things far smaller than mere skin color (Antisemitism being the premier example)?</p>

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<p>It's who they feel they are. I dont think its so place to question their motives. Racial Identiy is very hard as it is, on one needs someone behind them all the time telling them what they need to be proud of where they come from. To each its own.</p>

<p>I'm half black and Half Dominican, I'm both equally. But sometimes I proclaim myself more Dominican then anything else for the fact that was the culture I grew up around. My father was never in my life so I didnt get an introduction to any of the african american cultures but I did live in Dominican Republic for 6 years, Ate the food, Speak the language (its my first) even though I was born biracial sometimes it's just best to say what I really feel in my heart.</p>