Race and Cultural

A detailed Summary of Race and Cultural

The concepts of race, racism and cultural relativism are distinct issues that have influenced race relations today and in the past. This paper will describe each issue and its affect on slavery and the subjugation of Indians in America.

Race and racism are often confused concepts. They do interrelate, but they are separate issues. Race can be strictly defined as the difference in human beings distinguished by physical features such as the color of skin, hair and eyes and the shape of features and body. The division of race by this definition can be very limited to the three primary divisions Caucasoid, Negroid, and Mongoloid. These divisions are broadened when the definition of race is expanded to include the difference in human beings based on geographic area and similar habits, beliefs, and traits. American Indians as a group do not fit into any of three primary divisions. "In theory, Native Americans taken together belong to what most anthropologists would call a basic race. Yet, on the whole, they tend to be a loose residue of tribes rather than a racial entity." (Hacker p. 5)

What is important to realize about the concept of race is that it is a human creation. (Hacker p. 4) It is a concept that dates back to

Racism grew out of this recognition of differences between human beings. Certain beliefs started to be formed about the differences and those beliefs were then assigned to the entire race as it was defined. For example, when discoverers first came to America, they found the land inhabited by Indian tribes. Compared to "western civilization," the Indians' lifestyles, tools, customs, etc. seemed primitive. Similarly, African tribes were of a primitive nature in westerners' opinion. The white westerners failed to see any sophistication in these societies. They may not have at that time been able to say that Indians and Blacks had some sort of gene deficiency, but basically that is what they believed. The Whites started to see these race members as human beings not entitled to same freedom or land ownership as they were. In the case of Blacks, White slave owners saw them as a race that was intended for manual labor tasks and could be owned, like animals, to handle these bu!

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Racists fail to relate to the similar tendencies of people when they are of different color. For example, Black slaves and many American Indians were converted to Christianity. This major similarity of belief and religious practice did not kept racists from oppressing these people. All human beings usually have a natural love and high hopes for their children. That similarity is not enough to break down racism.

When discussing racism, it is important to note that there is a "context" for it to exist

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Approximate Word count = 1061
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Politics