What makes a person a particular race?

[Martinus]

I think there is a basic fallacy in the question, and that is an assumption that the definition of race is universal, rather than culturally-specific to begin with.

The race means something different in the white-dominated West than in Eastern Asia, for example. I would say that the race is whatever the dominant culture and ethnicity in a given area considers to be a race.

For example, I'd say that in the white-dominated West, races are not equivalent in a logical sense. Essentially, imo, you are white only if you both biologically and culturally white. If either of this is absent, you are something else.

[Razgovory]

It's what the census office says you are.

[Octavian]

Racially speaking, I'm 75% Buckeye & 25% West Virginian.  I grew up in West Virginia.  But now I live in Ohio.  What am I??? 

A hick

[Tamas]

Your race is a given, you are white/black/Jaron/whatever regardless of anything else. But that does not determine your personality traits one bit.

[garbon]

I think there is a basic fallacy in the question, and that is an assumption that the definition of race is universal, rather than culturally-specific to begin with.

The race means something different in the white-dominated West than in Eastern Asia, for example. I would say that the race is whatever the dominant culture and ethnicity in a given area considers to be a race.

For example, I'd say that in the white-dominated West, races are not equivalent in a logical sense. Essentially, imo, you are white only if you both biologically and culturally white. If either of this is absent, you are something else.

We're Americans, we don't give a fuck what happens in Fruitistan or Poland, for that matter.

[garbon]

It's what the census office says you are.

The census office asks you...and depending on the options that they give you, you can be of different races. I remember learning that by the rules/organization of different census takings, I would have been black one year, white another (when children of mixed race were assigned their mother's race) and then mixed (had I been alive at all those points).  That's not very good at telling me what my race is.

[Razgovory]

It's what the census office says you are.

The census office asks you...and depending on the options that they give you, you can be of different races. I remember learning that by the rules/organization of different census takings, I would have been black one year, white another (when children of mixed race were assigned their mother's race) and then mixed (had I been alive at all those points).  That's not very good at telling me what my race is.

The question is what race are you.  Not what race were you.  If the census says that you were black one year and white another then that's how it is.

[Lettow77]

 Tamas, given that hungarians are so gloomy, how can you say that?

[stjaba]

In the U.S. a person has the option of choosing "White - Non-Hispanic" or "Hispanic White". For most of my life, because of my genealogical roots, I've chosen the former. Lately - as in the last year or so - I've been choosing the later. This is becoming an issue because I am applying for grad school this fall, and I've put down that I am Hispanic, because that is what I am culturally. This means that according to the school, I am a minority.

You're being a tad dishonest, in my opinion. Hispanic is an ill-defined term, no doubt. It is not a racial classification, so a Hispanic can be white, Asian, black, etc. The "official" government definition follows:

Hispanic Origin. Persons of Hispanic origin...are determined on the basis of question that asked for self-identification of the person's origin or descent. Persons of Hispanic origin, in particular, are those who indicated that their origin was Mexican-American, Chicano, Mexican, Mexicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Hispanic.

What's clear is that the basis of being Hispanic is one's origin or descent. Since your origin or descent, as far as you know, does not include anyone who is Hispanic claiming that you are Hispanic is kind of silly. Hispanic is basically a cultural/geographic term, but to be Hispanic you have to have been born in a Hispanic country or your blood parents or grandparents have to be Hispanic.

Luckily for you, no one "checks" your Hispanic-ness, so you should be fine, but I just think it would be embarrassing explaining to someone that you claim yourself as Hispanic on the basis of living with a Mexican family for several years and eating burritos.

[I Killed Kenny]

You can be African and you can be Black, or you can be American or you can be White.

You can't be a White Black, but you can be a White African.

Race is biology and culture is something else.

[Eddie Teach]

Its just absolutely implausible, and I hear it often enough that I had to snort. If breeding was random instead of selection based, perhaps then sure. But as it is? Some dystopian nightmare from a world-that-isnt, and nothing more.

It's happening dude. My cousin and my step-sister are both married to black people. Then look at the forum- Hans, Jacob, *derspiess, and Gaijin all have interracial marriages, probably as well a few I'm forgetting or don't know about.

[The Larch]

In the U.S. a person has the option of choosing "White - Non-Hispanic" or "Hispanic White". For most of my life, because of my genealogical roots, I've chosen the former. Lately - as in the last year or so - I've been choosing the later. This is becoming an issue because I am applying for grad school this fall, and I've put down that I am Hispanic, because that is what I am culturally. This means that according to the school, I am a minority.

You're being a tad dishonest, in my opinion. Hispanic is an ill-defined term, no doubt. It is not a racial classification, so a Hispanic can be white, Asian, black, etc. The "official" government definition follows:

Hispanic Origin. Persons of Hispanic origin...are determined on the basis of question that asked for self-identification of the person's origin or descent. Persons of Hispanic origin, in particular, are those who indicated that their origin was Mexican-American, Chicano, Mexican, Mexicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Hispanic.

What's clear is that the basis of being Hispanic is one's origin or descent. Since your origin or descent, as far as you know, does not include anyone who is Hispanic claiming that you are Hispanic is kind of silly. Hispanic is basically a cultural/geographic term, but to be Hispanic you have to have been born in a Hispanic country or your blood parents or grandparents have to be Hispanic.

Luckily for you, no one "checks" your Hispanic-ness, so you should be fine, but I just think it would be embarrassing explaining to someone that you claim yourself as Hispanic on the basis of living with a Mexican family for several years and eating burritos.

That's what I thought as well, seems to be a flimsy reasoning, IMO, unless there's more to it than what Meri is telling.

[Jaron]

Racially speaking, I'm 75% Buckeye & 25% West Virginian.  I grew up in West Virginia.  But now I live in Ohio.  What am I??? 

A hick

[Caliga]

It's happening dude. My cousin and my step-sister are both married to black people. Then look at the forum- Hans, Jacob, *derspiess, and Gaijin all have interracial marriages, probably as well a few I'm forgetting or don't know about.

*raises hand*

[Josquius]

America is a strange place, over there race does seem to very much have culture tied into it.
Here though its just skin colour.
Blacks can be totally British and raised by whites but to suggest they're not black is silly.

It's happening dude. My cousin and my step-sister are both married to black people. Then look at the forum- Hans, Jacob, *derspiess, and Gaijin all have interracial marriages, probably as well a few I'm forgetting or don't know about.

Many would even go as far to say that interracial marriages aren't just normal and acceptable but even on a base biological level desirable- you would be naturally attracted to someone with radically different genes to yours.
(then of course counter to this there are some who hold you look for a partner that resembles your mother and...other oddness)