While reading this weeks readings, my mind couldn’t help but contemplate what it is that brings people together and, conversely, what it is that drives them apart. A reoccurring theme can be found throughout the readings; that of race. In the Sanjek readings, we find people of varying ethnicities coming together to learn from each other and share culture, and even select their own ethnic identities. In Gregory, we have people of the same ethnicity coming together to help better their lives and solve problems collectively, while at the same time attempting to reach out to other peoples and not alienate them from the community. In Anbinder, we see people fighting and arguing over politics and race, but the same time, we see them come together over the same ideas.
So what’s the deal? Race and cultural identity seems to be both the glue that binds and the wedge that divides people. Much of this can be attributed to politics and the nature of political discourse. Take, for example, the riots in the Five Points described in the readings. While it seemed like the big riot was a clash between the Irish and those trying to limit their power, it was much more complicated than that. Those supporting the Republican police were not all supporters of them and many of them had Irish identities themselves. Despite their political differences which had caused riots in the past, Mathews and Kerrigan both fought for the police force when the “Dead Rabbits” crossed into their territory. To them, it was a turf war, other politics be damned.
Politics also helps explain the general benefit of coming together: There is power in numbers. In Gregory, this point was made extremely clear by the things the block organizations and other political activist groups could do versus the things individuals accomplished on their own. And despite differences in views and approaches, people came together under common goals and were able to achieve. Yes, this was mainly for those in the better area of East Elmhurst rather than those in Corona, but it was still an accomplishment. Who can join together was still based mainly on race, though some believed it was important to branch out to the wider community and not stay strictly in black Corona.
As I ponder these ideas, I can’t help but think that it is possible that while the concept of race may cause hatred and violence, it also causes people to come together with an identity and as a community. Personally, as a Jew, I find myself within a larger community of Jews regardless of where I am on the planet. We share a culture and a language, and many goals and purposes. It makes me feel connected to other people I never met, and likely never will. I assume other people feel similarly about whatever ethnic groups they find themselves to be a part of.
Which brings me to my main question: Would the world really be better off without the concept of ethnicity? I know we’ve thrown the idea of a race-less future around in class, but is it really an ideal? I’m not taking any side here, I’m just really curious about what people think. Obviously racism and intolerance is bad, but is the idea of race and cultural identity inherently wrong, or is it just it’s application which has failed? In other words, if we could get rid of all racism and bigotry, would we be better off with individuals identifying to a particular subgroup of people in addition to mankind, or is it ideal that we all have no group identity other than the human identity we all share? Share your thoughts.
To begin with Yossi’s point ethnicity definitely defines who we are, it gives us a sense of community. However, I also believe the likelihood of ever having a society that is racless and fairly improbable. For one this would require people to give up their religion, and their past. Considering the America is a place with people of firm religious beliefs, they will not willing give theirs up in order to supposedly create equality.
If we were to say that this raceless society could one day exist, I believe it would create equality. Like the supreme court ruled separate is not equal. And unless we can all relate and merge in someway we will forever be segregated and therefore inherently unequal.
However, another question to propose is are different ethnic groups really the same thing as different races? Some would argue that race is merely a social contract and ethnicity is where we are from. Though this is true, I feel that the two have merged. In reality they are not the same thing but because so many people think they are, they have become that way. Therefore, I believe the two can never be separated as long as people think they are the same issue. And to a certain extent a level of equality will never exist unless both of ethnicity and race magically disappear.
I can definitely identify with Joe in terms of my Jewish identity. Regardless of where my family and I find ourselves, the first question on our minds is if there is a “Jewish Community”. This is quite normal- birds of a feather flock together. Although with a majority of one ethnicity or race often comes the neglect of another. In my neighborhood, since there is an overwhelming Jewish majority, the representation is often only concerned about the needs of the jewish community. This has led to venomous feuds with the non-jewish minority. One example is the closing of public schools; most Jewish students in the community go to private schools, leaving the public schools empty, or filled with out-of-towners. SO when the funding for public schools was severely cut by the local government, huge conflict ensued. It is impossible to please everyone. Joseph’s proposal to eliminate race and ethnicity completely in order to eliminate racism will probably not do very much at all. There will inevitably be differences between people. Height, weight, athleticism, intelligence, and political views are just some of the reasons that many students in my high-school were at odds, despite the shared ethnicity and religion! It is human nature to fight, and most of the time the reasons are mere excuses to justify violence. “Reasons” are just a means to a violent end. There is never a valid reason for violence.
He probably has very little (read as: absolutely nothing) to do with our class, but I couldn’t help but think of Plato when I read the last bit of Joseph’s post. I know that’s weird, but I can explain. I’m really just referring to Plato’s famous “Allegory of a Cave”, through which he introduces the idea that the road to truth or ultimate reality is a road that goes from the particular to the universal. Particularities, according to Plato, are imperfections – the sources of closed-mindedness and parochialism. I once read a book (called “The Dignity of Difference” by Jonathan Sacks) that argued that the influence of this particular philosophy was so vast that it led, in part, to many of the world’s wars. When we believe that there is only one truth that applies to all mankind at all times, we conclude that anybody who does not believe like we do is wrong. That’s where the imposing comes in which, when brought to the extreme, can lead to devastating war.
Ultimately, when it comes down to it, argues Sacks, Plato was wrong. Our reality lies in our particularities, in our differences (Please be advised that my mediocre paraphrasing is most certainly not a reflection of the book, which is actually brilliant). The answer to getting people to live together in harmony does not lie in thinking that we are all the same. It lies in respecting our differences, in being able to say “he does not believe as I do” or “he does not act/look like I do – but that is okay. I can still respect him and treat him with the dignity that he, as a fellow human being, deserves”.
My point here (and I do have one) is that effacing the concept of ethnicity is not the way to solve the problem of racism and bigotry. 1 – because it won’t work and, if implemented, will most likely have some really, really bad consequences and 2 – because that is not the core of the problem at all. Having a concept of difference among humanity is not wrong. It’s just the fact of the matter. It’s when we apply supremacy to one form of difference over another that we start to flirt with intolerance. At the risk of yet again coming off as a naïve and quixotic optimist, I will say that I think we can only learn to live together not when we write off the “otherness” of the other, but when we realize that the other – regardless of who he may be, what he may believe, or what he looks like – is not subordinate to ourselves.
I think while the people within an ethnicity may feel comforted by the sense of community, it may lead to even more tension with other people. If there is such a great community within your ethnicity, why even associate with other people? In fact, why wouldn’t you just live strictly with people of your ethnicity? Well, I guess this is what actually ended up happening, as often there were blocks of housing overtaken with just one ethnicity. However, this can lead to a sense of exclusion by other people. Especially now that there are people who would consider themselves “American,” some people might feel out of place seeing a thriving community right near them.
I know that in my hometown, there’s basically Jews and Hispanics. I think it would be a safe estimate that within 2 miles of my house there are about 10 synagogues. Actually, neighboring my town are 3 other towns with a large Jewish contingent. This didn’t happen all at once, but developed slowly over the years, just like the neighborhoods we’ve been reading about. Some people moved there, and they told their friends and family. When they were looking for a place to move, they decided to move there too. When my family first moved out of Manhattan to New Jersey, we were far away from most of our extended family. Now, almost all of my cousins live in my town or the one next to us.
No one told us to do this. None of these people read Five Points and said “Hmmm, that sounds like a good idea.” People naturally flock to people who are similar to them. If we got rid of ethnicities, could we fix this problem? Perhaps. Or maybe as Zack said, people would find other similarities to bond over. You’re tall too? We can live near each other and have tall ceilings! You also like sports? Let’s move to that neighborhood with great basketball courts! There will always be some advantage to living near people who are like you. However, it is important to remember to be integrated into society as well. Learn about other cultures, and spend time with people outside of your own.
The concept of race is something that we have created. However, I do not think it is a bad thing. In some situations we have given race a negative connotation. The fact that we have generalized the riots that occurred in the Five Points proves that we easily associate races/ethnicities with specific events or ideas. If we choose to look at race in a different light, we would notice more often the things about race that bring groups together.
Many people and groups take pride in their cultures, and taking this away would diminish this. Think about all of the unique characteristics of neighborhoods such as Corona. They would be so different without the cultures. It would lack the amazing platanos maduros on every corner and the cute Italian infrastructure. In other words, the ideas of race and cultural identity are in no way wrong. It is a part of who we have become. We have just made it bad thing in certain situations.
No matter what we engrain in our children, the concept of ethnicity will always exist. This is easily illustrated by the tendency to “flock together” as Zack mentioned above. Even if a “color blind” world were created, as imperfect humans we would probably find other excuses to group and alienate. On that note, the concept of “ethnicity,” “race” or culture in itself is harmless and healthy. In fact, I am very proud of my Haitian heritage and find the concept, values, similarities and differences amongst various cultures fascinating. The only issue which surmounts is when one decides to place their ethnicity or race above others for superfluous reasons, as spurred by eugenics.
This enjoyment of other cultures is alluded to as Sanjek describes the observed festivals celebrated in Corona. Just as with holidays as St. Patrick’s Day, Carnival, or the annual Labor Day Parade, thousands of people yearly celebrate cultures that are district from their own. This is the true beauty and essence of the American salad bowl.
While on multiple levels I find fault with the prejudice and discrimination associated with race, I do not believe that the world would be a better place without race. Like Zach said, there will always be something that people search for in order to differentiate themselves from others.
In an article by Janet Farrell Smith that I recently read, she questions whether the racial norms that society establishes works as a form of inclusion or exclusion. I found this interesting because in our previous class discussions, race seemed to be a topic of division, working as a source of prejudice and hatred. However, we have not discussed in class the many benefits that can arise from race. While race has caused much hardship for minority groups, it allows such individuals to form a community in which they can share experiences and develop support systems for each other. in the Gregory reading, he continually mentions individuals like Arthur Hayes and groups like the Civic Association that developed informal ties with those in their community in order to make a change for future generations. Those living in Corona faced much discrimination, but worked to find a path to a better future. While many whites used the concept of race to exclude blacks from their society, blacks were using the very same concept to develop a sense of unity and as a driving force for change.
I do believe that there are benefits to having different races in society, however, I feel that society as a whole must learn to appreciate these many differences. Until then, we will never know the unifying potential that we have as a HUMAN race, and will continue to suffer from exclusion and hatred.
Joseph’s question on whether getting rid of ethnicities would be beneficial or not reminded me of something my English teacher once said. He said that “I think the best way to end poverty, war or hunger is to tear down the barriers of each country. Instead of calling ourselves the Americans, Russians or Australians, we should all unite and call ourselves ‘the Earthlings’. We would all be together in one society, called Earth. We would be each other’s family. Then there wouldn’t be any starvation..because surely, you wouldn’t let your siblings starve.” As absurd as this thought is, it wouldn’t hurt to imagine this utopia. There would be no discrimination, no racial stereotypes and bullying. Everyone would be ethnically equal.
On the other hand though, part of what makes America such a prosperous country is the great diversity we have. People of all different races have united under one country, contributing a variety of culture for us citizens to indulge in and learn from. A large part of our education comes from what we see around us in our society. From museums to festivals to holidays, we all learn from and celebrate traditions of other races. Without different ethnicities, we definitely would not be as cultured as we should be. I agree with Carlsky in that no matter what, the concept of ethnicity will always exist. Each ethnicity has too deep and rich of a culture to just abandon.
So I know I mentioned in class that i thought it was “interesting” how little kids can’t see color (in terms of people’s skins) and I didn’t really have a position on the subject, just thought it was an interesting concept. I would love to hear of an experiment where a little kid was raised without ever being told about race, and see what happens…however this is obviously kind of immoral. Although I didn’t have a position before, I find myself agreeing with my lovely classmates in that the elimination of race or ethnicity would not be the best…as many people said in their comments before me we are human and it is in our nature to categorize people…if not by race by something else like intelligence, beauty, wealth and so on. So if children grew up not knowing the difference between a black or a white person, then they would just find other ways to categorize other children. I have also come to the conclusion, that although it seems being “color blind” means being un-judgmental, which is not the case, the fact that children cannot tell a black person from a white person, is more due to their naivety than to their desire not to categorize people based on physical characteristics. At one point I thought it would just be better if no one recognized race therefore no one would discriminate and we would all be like children again, but that thought was only for a second when I realized that wishing this meant wishing that everyone was naive to the reality of the world, especially to the role race has played in our history. Now I kind of equate talking about race with children with talking about the birds and the bees. “The talk” is something that all of us have gone through whether formally from your parents or through you friends (which was probably more interesting). Just imagine what would happen to our children if we didn’t talk to them about things like this. Naivety to race and ethnicity will not solve the problem, just like not talking to children about the birds and the bees will not stop them from making certain decisions. In fact the lack of this type of education among our children will result in even more reckless behavior due to a lack of knowledge about these things.
America free of races and ethnicities is impossible for me to imagine. It is true, there is only one race, and that is the human race. However, to train our society to become blind to our differences to me seems ignorant and counterproductive. When we walk down the street we are constantly surveying our surroundings, consciously and subconsciously (I hope). It is human nature to categorize. We can label people as Black, Hispanic, Asian, or white just as we label people as tall, overweight, or hairy. However, the danger lies in the stereotypes we attach to each of these labels. While labeling individuals as “overweight” may lead us to conclude that these people can’t put down the Doritos or do not exercise frequently, the stereotypes we associate with each racial label can lead us to much harsher and consequential conclusions. For example, if real estate agents steer Blacks away from more affluent neighborhoods because Blacks are associated with crime, racism begins to show its ugly side to say the least. When wealthy white Christians put up signs in front of their golf courses reading “no dogs or Jews” in the 1920s, “innocent” labeling proved to be an unjust rationale of exclusion.
I do not see Americans turning a blind I to race in the future, but I optimistically hope that the prejudices associated with the races we acknowledge melts away and a truly equal democracy emerges. Furthermore, today I feel that more and more people are embracing their ethnicities because these differences are what makes them unique. I can identify with Joseph’s personal example of feeling connected to Jews worldwide. Ethnicities, cultures, and religions provide many of us with a source of meaning in our lives. In an age where everyone is trying to be an “individual,” our distinct heritages are often welcomed in ways unseen in the past. Yesterdays waves of immigrants came to America and ceaselessly tried to blend in to American society and culture. Today, it is not the case.
Honestly, I see no point in contemplating something that is impossible. Not, unlikely or not probable, but literally impossible. I do not believe that our world can come to exist without discrimination. Not because I condone or support it, quite the opposite actually, but because it is within our nature to categorize and compare ourselves and others. If we were all of the same race and ethnicity, I have no doubt that we would find something to differentiate one group from another, to distinguish uniqueness and create classes and levels. It is just what we do. We might have to be the same exact person, in features, personality, and socioeconomic class, and maybe then we would stop discriminating against one another. But what kind of world would that be if we were all the same person?
To answer Joseph’s question, I do not think the world would be a better place without ethnicity. Ethnicity is what makes a group unique and interesting. Without it, we would lose a huge chunk of the social sciences as well as leave the world with a huge identity crisis. How are we to assume our identity if there is nothing to identify with? The greater good that comes from having racial and ethnic diversity outweighs the corruption that arises from it. So many things to learn and try that are outside your own small world! Why destroy that because some people chose to mutilate its meaning?
It is the human natural greed and pride that forces us to create a hierarchy of ethnicities. We put others down so that we may be elevated and special. There is no basis for this discrimination, just coupled prejudices that have been passed down unquestioned and unchallenged. Eventually the newer generations are engrained with intolerance and will genuinely believe that it is correct.
Intolerance. The word is even evil. It implies that you have a choice whether or not to stand someone. I get tolerating and not tolerating certain behaviors. But people? How can you not tolerate people? They’re human beings! It’s such an absurd idea!
Firstly, I would like to apologize for my late response, I’m sad I missed out on a good discussion. However, it actually relates well to the video we watched today in class. The idea of racism was thrown around a lot, but when it came down to it, the Mexican immigrants just wanted to be recognized as human beings with feelings. I believe negative racism causes an “Us Vs. Them” mentality, a sort of “Taking Back America” vibe.
I think Yossi brings up a really valid question. Although I firmly believe that negatively pointing out differences between races is bad, I agree that having a certain background or ethnicity is definitely a good thing. In fact, if there was a complete abolishment of ethnicity, I think a lot of culture would be lost because each race and ethnicity comes with its own history, pride, and culture.
It is important to feel like you are part of a group, especially if there are certain people who are not in that group. It makes you feel important. I know this is a weird reference, but joining a sorority has brought me a lot of joy because I can feel like I’m a part of something that has history and pride. Similarly, the feeling of being part of the Macaulay group, and having the insights of others with similar minds readily available is really refreshing. If I was simply one in 10,000 students of Queens College I would feel lost, sad, and socially isolated.
The racism seen in the readings and that of the video in class was definitely not okay. Margaret, really should not be allowed to attest against the Mexican Americans. She’s absolutely ridiculous. Anyway, that type of acknowledgement towards races and ethnicity does not have to define all ethnic and racial encounters. A true appreciation for ones’ own ethnicity and that of others is something people should strive for. Total abolishment of races should not have to be the answer. If people could simply accept the differences of others and grow to appreciate them, I believe the world would be a better place.