The social ambiguity of race and ethnicityPosted in Anthropology, Articles, Media Archive, Social Science on 2010-10-20 21:04Z by Steven |
The social ambiguity of race and ethnicity
Campus Times
Serving the University of Rochester since 1873
2010-09-30
One of the reasons why I fell in love with anthropology is because I realized that race isn’t an inherent part of who we are. Through careful socialization, via standardized tests and my parents, I had always known that when asked my race, the appropriate answer was Black/African-American/Non-Hispanic.
But lo and behold, this year as I attempt to “naturalize” myself — either by attempting to lose the weight that I have been hiding behind for so many years or cutting my hair to respect and appreciate the natural curls bestowed to me (in spite of mainstream society’s warped ideas about beauty, particularly Black beauty) — my physical transformation, seems to constantly dismantle my assigned racial category…
Read the entire article here.