Is race a social construct?

[John Marston]

Americans' understanding of who counts as "white" has changed dramatically throughout the country's history and even over the last century alone. This map — which covers a decade of immigration to the US, from 1892 to 1903 (via the JF Ptak Science Books blog and Slate) — is a dramatic illustration of what it looked like when "white" wasn't the same thing as European.

The Map

Here's how to read the map: each state (plus DC and Puerto Rico) gets an infographic describing its immigrant population. The right column of the infographic covers how many immigrants settled in the state each year, and how many of the country's immigrants that represented. The left column covers the occupations those settlers held. And the top bar depicts the ethnic mix of each state's new immigrant population, color-coded by race — with notes about the nationalities with the biggest populations

The immigrants represented on this map could apply for citizenship five years after arriving in the US, without having to go through intermediate steps like a green card, as most immigrants have to today. And they didn't even have to learn English to become US citizens.

 

[Correll]

The fact that there are large statistical differences between various racial and ethnic groups, IMO is evidence that the groupings have some basis in physical reality.

 

[Esmeralda]

Since time immemorial, race is a social construct. It is a universal phenomenon and has existed as such since the beginnings of civilization and human history.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Americans' understanding of who counts as "white" has changed dramatically throughout the country's history and even over the last century alone. This map — which covers a decade of immigration to the US, from 1892 to 1903 (via the JF Ptak Science Books blog and Slate) — is a dramatic illustration of what it looked like when "white" wasn't the same thing as European.

The Map

Here's how to read the map: each state (plus DC and Puerto Rico) gets an infographic describing its immigrant population. The right column of the infographic covers how many immigrants settled in the state each year, and how many of the country's immigrants that represented. The left column covers the occupations those settlers held. And the top bar depicts the ethnic mix of each state's new immigrant population, color-coded by race — with notes about the nationalities with the biggest populations

The immigrants represented on this map could apply for citizenship five years after arriving in the US, without having to go through intermediate steps like a green card, as most immigrants have to today. And they didn't even have to learn English to become US citizens.

Perceptions of race reveal a fundamental ignorance of biology. There's just one race, homo sapiens.

"A species is defined as a group of individuals that, in nature, are able to mate and produce viable, fertile offspring."

All humans can reproduce with one another resulting in offspring which can also reproduce (as opposed to say a mule with is sterile.) Thus one species, many appearences shaped by evolutionary adaptation depending on where they evolved.

 

[Correll]

Americans' understanding of who counts as "white" has changed dramatically throughout the country's history and even over the last century alone. This map — which covers a decade of immigration to the US, from 1892 to 1903 (via the JF Ptak Science Books blog and Slate) — is a dramatic illustration of what it looked like when "white" wasn't the same thing as European.

The Map

Here's how to read the map: each state (plus DC and Puerto Rico) gets an infographic describing its immigrant population. The right column of the infographic covers how many immigrants settled in the state each year, and how many of the country's immigrants that represented. The left column covers the occupations those settlers held. And the top bar depicts the ethnic mix of each state's new immigrant population, color-coded by race — with notes about the nationalities with the biggest populations

The immigrants represented on this map could apply for citizenship five years after arriving in the US, without having to go through intermediate steps like a green card, as most immigrants have to today. And they didn't even have to learn English to become US citizens.

Perceptions of race reveal a fundamental ignorance of biology. There's just one race, homo sapiens.

"A species is defined as a group of individuals that, in nature, are able to mate and produce viable, fertile offspring."

All humans can reproduce with one another resulting in offspring which can also reproduce (as opposed to say a mule with is sterile.) Thus one species, many appearences shaped by evolutionary adaptation depending on where they evolved.

Race, in this usage, is not claiming that people of other "races" are a different species.

No one claims that both German Shepherds and Chihuahuas are not dogs, but only a fool would claim there are no differences between the two groups of dogs.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Americans' understanding of who counts as "white" has changed dramatically throughout the country's history and even over the last century alone. This map — which covers a decade of immigration to the US, from 1892 to 1903 (via the JF Ptak Science Books blog and Slate) — is a dramatic illustration of what it looked like when "white" wasn't the same thing as European.

The Map

Here's how to read the map: each state (plus DC and Puerto Rico) gets an infographic describing its immigrant population. The right column of the infographic covers how many immigrants settled in the state each year, and how many of the country's immigrants that represented. The left column covers the occupations those settlers held. And the top bar depicts the ethnic mix of each state's new immigrant population, color-coded by race — with notes about the nationalities with the biggest populations

The immigrants represented on this map could apply for citizenship five years after arriving in the US, without having to go through intermediate steps like a green card, as most immigrants have to today. And they didn't even have to learn English to become US citizens.

Perceptions of race reveal a fundamental ignorance of biology. There's just one race, homo sapiens.

"A species is defined as a group of individuals that, in nature, are able to mate and produce viable, fertile offspring."

All humans can reproduce with one another resulting in offspring which can also reproduce (as opposed to say a mule with is sterile.) Thus one species, many appearences shaped by evolutionary adaptation depending on where they evolved.

Race, in this usage, is not claiming that people of other "races" are a different species.

No one claims that both German Shepherds and Chihuahuas are not dogs, but only a fool would claim there are no differences between the two groups of dogs.

The differences are supericial and transient. Drop a white reproducing population into Africa and over time their skin will darken as their descendents adapt to higher UV. Drop blacks into Germany and over time their skin will lighten due to less UV. That's all the difference is though. It's adaptation, not permanent or different in any significant way.

 

[Correll]

Americans' understanding of who counts as "white" has changed dramatically throughout the country's history and even over the last century alone. This map — which covers a decade of immigration to the US, from 1892 to 1903 (via the JF Ptak Science Books blog and Slate) — is a dramatic illustration of what it looked like when "white" wasn't the same thing as European.

The Map

Here's how to read the map: each state (plus DC and Puerto Rico) gets an infographic describing its immigrant population. The right column of the infographic covers how many immigrants settled in the state each year, and how many of the country's immigrants that represented. The left column covers the occupations those settlers held. And the top bar depicts the ethnic mix of each state's new immigrant population, color-coded by race — with notes about the nationalities with the biggest populations

The immigrants represented on this map could apply for citizenship five years after arriving in the US, without having to go through intermediate steps like a green card, as most immigrants have to today. And they didn't even have to learn English to become US citizens.

Perceptions of race reveal a fundamental ignorance of biology. There's just one race, homo sapiens.

"A species is defined as a group of individuals that, in nature, are able to mate and produce viable, fertile offspring."

All humans can reproduce with one another resulting in offspring which can also reproduce (as opposed to say a mule with is sterile.) Thus one species, many appearences shaped by evolutionary adaptation depending on where they evolved.

Race, in this usage, is not claiming that people of other "races" are a different species.

No one claims that both German Shepherds and Chihuahuas are not dogs, but only a fool would claim there are no differences between the two groups of dogs.

The differences are supericial and transient. Drop a white reproducing population into Africa and over time their skin will darken as their descendents adapt to higher UV. Drop blacks into Germany and over time their skin will lighten due to less UV. That's all the difference is though. It's adaptation, not permanent or different in any significant way.

It is permanent from a human perspective of time. It would take many generations, at least.

Significant? That's debatable.

You would not use a Chihuahua to herd sheep.

 

[Publius1787]

Americans' understanding of who counts as "white" has changed dramatically throughout the country's history and even over the last century alone. This map — which covers a decade of immigration to the US, from 1892 to 1903 (via the JF Ptak Science Books blog and Slate) — is a dramatic illustration of what it looked like when "white" wasn't the same thing as European.

The Map

Here's how to read the map: each state (plus DC and Puerto Rico) gets an infographic describing its immigrant population. The right column of the infographic covers how many immigrants settled in the state each year, and how many of the country's immigrants that represented. The left column covers the occupations those settlers held. And the top bar depicts the ethnic mix of each state's new immigrant population, color-coded by race — with notes about the nationalities with the biggest populations

The immigrants represented on this map could apply for citizenship five years after arriving in the US, without having to go through intermediate steps like a green card, as most immigrants have to today. And they didn't even have to learn English to become US citizens.

Are dog breeds a social construct? Is the fact that whites and blacks have a higher propensity of certain diseases a social construct? Is skin pigmentation and hair texture a social construct? Is using your DNA to figure out where in the world your ancestors come from a social construct?