Race and The Power of an Illusion

Race – The Power of Illusion is a three part documentary about the origin of the term “race” and some individual views on how race is determined. The first episode; The Difference Between Us, explores the biological concepts of race and whether or not one’s race or ancestry can be determined by their mDNA or mitochondrial make-up. Based on the studies by the test group of students at Cold Spring Harbor Labs, the search for DNA similarities or differences among those physically identified as being part of a particular race did not produce the expected results. The idea that race is determined by biological characteristics was thought to unfold the mystery behind some racial athletic abilities, disease and health trends, and other abilities. Unfortunately with the testing, the connection has not been able to be made. Geneticists have not been able to group “races” by their DNA, but rather proven just how mixed everyone actually is.

Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould mentions how people are most always defined by their outer appearance which in most times is misleading or only a partial explanation of their make-up. He gives the example of Roy Campanella and Tiger Woods who are viewed as black, however also carry an equal percentage of another race not easily visible. Along with the physical illusion of so called races and the journey to prove the biological traits there was the idea that the biological traits may also validate the stereotypes among groups and justify inferiority or superiority. One theory believed in behaviors being derived from simple Mendelian genes; a person takes on the traits of their mother and father by taking one gene from each parent. Under this theory eugenics was promoted, keeping ethnic purity and supporting genocide by not mixing races between mother and father.

The second episode; The Story We Tell explores the history of race and the social influences in determining one’s race and status. Thomas Jefferson who was a slave owner himself contributed the words “…all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence, however this was so far from the truth by the actions of the early Americans. America began with a social class system automatically placing whites above dissimilar cultures, mainly the Native Americans whose land they took over, and the Blacks who they brought over from Africa to work as slaves. The original foundation of the white slave owner established a view of power versus submission or real equality. As some Native American tribes were considered “whites with tanned skin”, were able to assimilate into the white dominant group and become somewhat accepted, blacks were identified with slavery and considered a “different” people.

Because this system and view of people was established early on in America, it became the norm for newcomers and immigrants to automatically be placed on the racial ladder based on outward appearance. Not all Native Americans fit easily into the American model of acceptance and at some point even those who may have passed as white at one time (Cherokee) were soon robbed of their land and culture and placed at an inferior level to the white Americans. The film also brings to light the emphasis around the early world’s fairs and their focus of parading the inferiority of minority cultures with their displays of slavery times and Native American wars.

The third and final episode of this three part series; The House We Live In, goes on to discuss the outer appearances of individuals and how physical qualities contribute to establishing “race”. This series has gone through the biological theories of race and identity, the historical class based theory of race establishment and finally the piece that everyone can’t help but rely upon is the physical being. What one sees with his eyes may not be race alone according to Sociologist Melvin Oliver, but how people react, policies created, and actions based on the outer characteristics is what creates race. Blacks at one time were controlled by Jim Crowe laws, only allowing use of certain places, separate entrances, and lower class facilities being justified with “separate but equal” laws. If your skin was darker, your nose a little wider, and your hair a little more course or curly, you were treated different and bound by policies and segregation laws.

Outward appearance allowed some blacks to actually pass for white in some places. As immigrants from many other countries began to come to the United States, they had to be classified by outward appearance as well and in several cases denied the ability to become American citizens during a time when only Blacks and Whites could become citizens. Where did that leave Asians, Mexicans, and Native Americans? The Europeans that migrated to the United States, even though their languages were dissimilar, had a much easier time blending in to the so called “melting pot” of a nation. Housing and jobs have been unfairly divided among whites and minority ethnic groups based on their outward appearance which later served as the grounds for the Fair Housing Act and Affirmative Action. These were attempts to provide that “equal” feeling across the board, however social inequalities still exist along with individual feelings from one group to the next. Economists have reported another level of contribution to the inequalities in housing based on feelings and personal perceptions and that is the availability of home loans and property values in certain areas.

Minorities may not be able to easily obtain loans and/or property in higher valued property areas because of their income or wealth which has been said to be on average fifty percent less than the wealth of whites. People are born with the physical characteristics and biological characteristics which they cannot change. They also cannot change the American history and the heavily stereotyped society that has already been established. As Sociologist Dalton Conley says, “…until we recognize that there is really no way to talk about equality of opportunity without talking about equality of condition then we are stuck with this of paradoxical idea of a colorblind society in a society that is totally unequal by color”.

References

Race-The Power of an Illusion. 2003 California Newsreel. 5 Dec. 2006

Episode 1- The Difference Between Us Episode 2- The Story We Tell Episode 3- The House We Live In