I found the discussion of race in the Foner reading to be very interesting. The selection begins with an analysis of South Eastern Europeans and Jews and their struggle to become classified as “white.” I was always puzzled by this, as it seems to be common knowledge. Secondly, Foner discusses West Indians and their struggle to be distinguished from Native Africans. I find the latter to be extremely interesting, as it is something that I discussed in my sociology class last semester. We considered the U.S. Census, and the vagueness of the options available. For example, if one is “black” that does not consider the multitude of countries that they could originate from, either in the Carribean, Africa or even Trinidad. I was baffled by the harassment Foner mentioned in Howard Beach where Michael Griffith, a Trinidadian boy was struck by a car of white youth who chased him down after riots in Brooklyn. My class also discussed the social construction of race itself in contrast to ethnicity. What is the purpose of having both? What differentiates one from the other? If it’s solely physical characteristics, such as classifying those with a distinct nose as Jewish, how are we to accurately depict one’s race?
The biggest issue I have with ethnicity race in the US is that Hispanic/Spanish is not listed as a race. It shocks me that those of Latin ethnicity are forced to chose between White, Black, Asian, and Native American as race. Which brings my back to questioning the establishment of race in this country. It has been solely a force of division in the nation’s history, and is always changing, which again, makes you question its accuracy. According to my sociology course, those of Latin/Hispanic origin are expected to identify as “white” on the census. Why then are they viewed/treated so differently than others who identify under the same category? Hispanics are mercilessly under the scrutiny of many whites (consider those individuals from the Farmingville documentary we watched), and yet are classified under the same category as their tormentors. There is something extremely flawed with the radicalization in our country, and Foner’s reading only assured my thoughts on the matter.
