Additionally I don’t feel that being different is bad, or good. It’s just different, my family is predominantly Mexican, because I’m lighter than just about everyone I’m called “guerro” this means whitey or white boy. This does not bother me, because it is only a descriptive term used to distinguish me from everyone else. I know that it is not said in a derogatory way or to hurt my feelings, however there are people today that would be offended by being described by their skin color.
For some reason everyone today feels that if they are singled out that it is something bad, or that because they are different from the majority that it means that they are lacking. It has become improper to describe someone as a black man, or white man, or Chinese man. All of these have been replaced with more proper elegant terms such as African American, or Caucasian, Asian. It has gotten to the point where policeman have to worry about whether or not they will be brought up on criminal or administrative charges because they were forced to take action against a minority or someone of a different race.
Everyone is ashamed of being different; they feel that there should be no distinction between their self and someone else. When in fact people are different, no one is built exactly the same. Some people are taller and more muscular, some are shorter, and not so muscular, some are hairy, some are not, some have dark skin some do not. These descriptors go on infinitely, but it all boils down to one thing, some people are built better to perform certain tasks in our research it showed that overall that people of African descent are usually better at sports. To say this boldly and state is as fact is most definitely Taboo in today’s society. Jon Entine of the award winning documentary “Black Athletes: Fact and Fiction” asked, “Is the fear of sounding racist hindering legitimate scientific inquiry? Entine believes so, noting that, "Anyone who attempts to breach this taboo to study or even discuss what might be behind the growing performance gap between black and white athletes must be prepared to run a gauntlet of public scorn, survival not guaranteed." With the publishing of Taboo (Entine’s Magazine), Entine doesn't have to worry about public scorn. It comes in all directions. University of California-Berkley sports professor, Harry Edwards, has been one of Entine's most vocal opponents. A former athlete and advisor to Black Olympians in 1968, Edwards, an African-American, subscribes to the theory that Black sports dominance can be traced to hard work, drive and practice i.e. "hooping in the hood."
In conclusion I believe that people of races are different. However I don’t feel that anyone race is superior, just that certain groups are better adapted, and more fit for certain activities, sports, jobs. I do not feel that any one group has been selected to be smarter, or have higher IQ scores. I feel that all information showing any race being less intelligent is skewed and down right racist reporting. Even in our book “Biological Anthropology” Michael Alan Park states “the difference in performance on IQ tests can be seen as heavily influenced by the socioeconomic limitations imposed on African Americans over the past several centuries”
Lastly, I feel that if people would acknowledge the fact that some of us are different and that this is not bad the world would have less conflicts in respect to race and religion. God made us different for a reason.
Works Sited
Books:
Park Michael Alan, Biological Anthropology, McGraw Hill Companies, Inc., 2002
Websites:
Black Athlete Sports Network
AAA’s Statement on Race
http://www.census.gov/
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/racefactcb.html
Race as a Fact
Aron Reyes
Physical Anthropolgy
Jo Rainie Rodgers
December 10, 2002
