A short discussion
The concept of race is only about 300 years old. Is that shocking to you? When would you have guessed it was created?
Things to consider:
1. If race is a fairly new concept, developed in the same century as the pressure cooker and the discovery of bacteria, does that give you hope for the future? Why or why not?
2. If race does not exist as a biological reality, does that mean racism does not effect peoples lives? Explain.
3. Consider the two other examples in of social constructions in lecture: national boarders and time zones. These are things we would never discover in nature. Does that mean they cannot impact you? What would happen if you showed up to work late with the excuse that time zone’s are a social construction? Would you boss accept this excuse?
4. If race and ethnicity are different things, they certainly come together in complicated ways. One important way they come together is through Afro-Latino/a identity. As was demonstrated in the video in lecture 15.2, many slaves were taken to Latin America. There are many people who identify both as coming from Africa and being Latino/a. Does this complicate the idea that Race and Ethnicity can be separated? What do you think?
Consider the following video of people discussing their Afro-Latino/a identity:
