While race is a biological concept according on its nature, the discussion about one’s racial identity has slowly become political and social as new concepts are being introduced into its definition. Over the years, race was not longer seen for being a part of a biological trait but a social identity. Unfortunately, instead of taking pride over one’s race there are some who felt that it is indignation. Society has marginalized people according to their racial identity. Race has been used to classify people and segregate them from who is superior over the other.
Race has become an issue of preference. This racial issue is especially the case for people born of mixed-race because instead of this (i.e. race) uniting two races together, it betwixt culture apart. Society has imposed that no one can enjoy the privilege of having two races. In the event of mixed race, a person has to choose which one he keeps and which he would drop (Spickard). Naturally, to avoid any indignation, mockery, prejudice that is often associated with a particular race the person o mixed-race would choose the one who is believed to be above the other. For example, a Filipino-American descent would most like drop the Filipino racial identity because the American status is comparatively better in the sense that is more accepted. Thus, when a Fil-Am decides to be American and denounce his Filipino heritage he faces indignation amongst his fellow Filipinos calling him a sell-out. Now, that would be less problematic if the Americans would embrace him as though he is naturally born purely American. Otherwise, he would be called a wanna-be.
Overall, Paul Spickard was correct in saying that we are all mixed, biologically speaking. We are all product of the mixing of genes of our parents. Since colonialism has been a wide part of our history, intermarriages and inter-union could not be avoided. Thus, it resulted to offspring that are of mixed-race. There is no need to segregate people according to race because it is no longer easy to identify whether one is a mixed racial decent or not unless DNA testing is conducted.
Work Cited
Spickard, Paul. "The Illogic of American Racial Categories." 27 June 2014. Frontline: PBS Online. 28 June 2014 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jefferson/mixed/spickard.html>.
