Biological vs. Socially Constructed

In our day and culture, race has gained a lot of importance because it is often seen as characteristic to one’s self-identity.However, “race” is often debated whether race could be attributed to biology or if it is a socially constructed concept. In any case, there will always be a new study that will present new evidence to disprove either argument. When proving race is biological, scientists have gathered material that deals with how people of one race are very different from people of another race. These scientist may look at physically extremities, such as hair, eyes shapes and color, lips, facial structures, skills, tallness, width, skin color, etc. For example, they may look at how hair texture and length may differ between races.

However, the film, Race: The Power of an Illusion, Episode One, provides evidence that race is not a matter of biological diversity and genetic difference, but of a social construct that affects everyone in one way or another. As microbiologist, Pilar Ossorio stated, “There’s as much or more diversity and genetic difference within any racial group as there is between people of different racial groups.” The film goes on to show a workshop in which a group of twelve students were to do genetic testing to see who was genetically similar and dissimilar, in terms of race. The students were instructed to analyze and compare their blood and saliva samples to the rest of the eleven students in order to identify who are they most genetically similar too. To their surprise, the students found that those who were from a different race from themselves, had the most similar genetic analysis. This workshop serves as evidence that race should not be attributed to a biological process.

After the workshop was completed, the film further elaborated on these findings. The film stated that the reason why everyone is similar to one another, even across races, is because everyone has the same fundamental complex genetics. This is due to the fact that everyone has an ancestry that began in Africa. However, people began to migrate over time and began to interbreed. This lead to the making of varying physical characteristics, but not genetic variability. In addition, the film presents examples of how racial stereotypes play a role in today's society. For example, a African American track runner is preferred over a Caucasian tracker runner because of the stereotype that African Americans are better suited for this sport due to their long legs and superior muscles. Another example would be how most orchestras are composed of Asian Americans because they are considered musical prodigies.

When I am asked what my race is, I usually identify myself to be Hispanic because of the limited options there are on a survey or census. Even among the common people, everyone from a Hispanic descent is generalized to be either Mexican or Hispanic. However, when I am asked about my race specifically, I identify myself to be Mexican-Salvadorean. I was and continue to be proud of where my heritage comes from, however, that has never made me think that I was biologically different or better from someone who has a different heritage from mine. I always thought the difference between me and a person from a different race is our customs, traditions, and personality. This film further reinforces that everyone is essentially the same and there are no biological differences.

In my opinion, race is a socially constructed concept that continues to persist today because of the benefits and stereotypes that are attached with it. For example, there was a study done back in 2002 that required Caucasian and African American job applicants to send similar resumes with and without a criminal record to the same employer. In the study, it was found that Caucasian applicants without a criminal record were more likely to be called in for an interview than a African American with a criminal record. It was also found that Caucasian applicants with a criminal record were still more likely to be called in for an interview than a African American without a criminal record. This study allows one to regard the racial discrimination that regulates not only the job market, but also our culture's social status. In most cases, the people who benefit from the division of the races are Caucasians who are in power because it means that they are not uniting to fight for equality in all aspects of life, such as income, education, laws, health and job regulations, etc.