Race is a power of illusion created by europeans to differentiate themselves as superior. This was an economically beneficial move on their part to categorize other races and create a social construct that is race. Race has become a huge defining aspect in humanity over the years. In a written piece by Dhingra and Rodriguez, they mentioned, “Race is such a significant way of organizing and categorizing people in American society that we are often confounded when we encounter a person whose race we cannot immediately make sense of”. Which made me realize just how much race affects people daily in micro transactions. The ideology of “race” is acknowledged all the way back to colonial times to create an easier way to distinguish the colonized from the colonizers thus creating this veil of superiority. Years later, many studies were made creating a scientific reasoning towards other races deeming “white” as supreme all the while justifying the enslavement of black men and women. Of course now, modern research shows that these studies are false but at that times this misinformation was strongly believed in which only fed into the socially constructed verdict that races other than white were inferior. From the reading, “Asian America: Sociological Interdisciplinary Perspectives”, It explains to its readers how racial classifications alter through time which overall showcases the general idea that race is not just a political construct but a social and economic one as well that has nothing to do with human anatomy nor science. It is institutionalized to actively separate and differentiate different people based on European standards and it is clear that their goal was to create and instill the idea that they are the dominant, superior race.
Reading and watching multiple pieces focused on race and its roots has been a huge realization for me. In the Philippines and I’m sure many other countries, people glorify the white man. The Philippines adores light skin and straight hair while also encouraging their daughters to marry men specifically white to uplift their image. It is a sad fact that this happens in many parts of the world. Till today we still fight for representation within the media and challenge western beauty standards.
Hey Liz,
I definitely agree with that point. Especially with their colonizing ways, where they pushed themselves as superior and that the ways/views of the Natives are lesser than. Those false studies are what propagates us into the social conflicts we have today instead of us all rallying behind a single cause. You are right, especially in the Philippines where most skincare products feature actors/actresses with clear white skin. It’s rare to see a Filipino with natural skin on those products.
You raise such an important point here, Danielle, about the ways that ideas of beauty and worth are shaped by histories of colonization, and that this becomes a site of profit for the related industries. I hope we can talk about this more in class.