learntoquestion ltq discussions

Originally posted by buttercup on October 22, 2023 14:29

The ideas of race science were appealing to Europeans and Americans because it reduced their cognitive dissonance associated with their racist actions and beliefs. White people wanted to preserve their superiority over other races (superiority complex) and they believed race science justified their actions. These white people acted so controlling over other races because they were actually insecure, and their cruel actions stem from a place of weak self-esteem and sense of identity. In other words, white people act superior because they are scared of feeling lesser than anyone else, so in order to get ahead, they create race science to give them a reason to feel better about themselves.

There was a wide variety of different impacts each policy/law had on society. For the Gentleman’s Agreement and the Chinese Exclusion Act, they led to a decrease in the immigration of Japanese and Chinese people to the US. They isolated Asians already in the country from the rest of American society based on the idea of polygenism and/or being separate but equal. The annexations of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines were all based on the idea of the white man’s burden. This idea was published only a little over a century ago, and it is the belief that white people have the duty to civilize the other races because they are savages and not as developed as the white race is (they are not capable of governing themselves). It is connected to race science in that it believes all non-whites are inherently inferior to white people and their race is the cause of their lower intelligence and skill levels. The convict lease system, which was essentially a continuation of slavery, is also connected to race science in that they used the white man’s burden and arguments of race science to justify their actions (ex. Black people are completely different species, they are inferior to whites, and they need to be kept in check).

Although they have been “debunked,” the beliefs of scientific racism and differences between races are certainly still with us in society. Racial discrimination can be seen all over the world, such as police brutality targeted towards Black people, sinophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic, racial profiling/stereotyping, bullying on the basis of race, and microaggressions. These ideas remain prevalent in society because it is propelled by the instinct to categorize people as “us versus them.” They begin to think about how the “us” is superior to the “other,” which establishes a hierarchy, so then they begin to dehumanize and treat the “other” badly in order to affirm their belief that they are superior. Applying this to the idea of race, white people identify with their own race, then classify everyone else as inferior and as completely different species of human (the main idea of race science). This helps them justify their actions of segregation, enslavement, colonization, etc. Although this is not the common belief in the present, the effects of these beliefs and the actions of white people are knitted into the fabric of American society (systemic racism, wealth gap, etc.).

One statement I resonated with was “recognizing privilege and using that to uplift people of color, as well as hearing and listening to their stories, is one way that white people can help,” which was stated by pigeondrivesabus. I agree with this because white people should not be speaking on behalf of minorities and should instead use their privilege to spread the voices of people of color. In order to help counter racist ideology, critical race theory should be taught in schools, and issues concerning race need to be discussed with clear definitions. It should be a working discussion with real action involved. Also, race, racism, and the history of it all should not be swept under the rug to rush in a new era of color-blindness and a non-racial society. Saini says in Is Race Science Making a Comeback? “... race is real in society. It's real in politics. It's real in the ways that we treat each other. It's visceral because we have made it visceral in our everyday lives, and it has a biological impact because of that.” I agree with her statement because although race is a social construct, it matters because we have made it matter, and has devastating effects that are hard for privileged people to see. The hierarchy we have constructed has led to racial disparities in basically all aspects of society. So really, we have fallen into our own trap, and this complex issue is something that takes everyone’s strength and effort to fix. But I believe we will be able to fix it, even if it does take a long time!!

Something very interesting that I hadn't thought about before I read this response was how white people used cognitive dissonance to lessen the impact of their actions, and how race "science" helped increase and justify that cognitive dissonance. I was also intrigued on how you explained that white people were insecure about their own place in society, so they had to convince themselves that it was their job to civilize different races. I agree that even though these ideologies have been outdated, they are still very prevalent in society. This is especially seen in wage gaps, which I hadn't thought about. I also enjoyed the wording and use of language in this response, it is very well articulated.

Originally posted by behappy19 on October 21, 2023 14:33

Europeans and Americans believed that they were part of the superior race of the world. This was obviously false; however, the ideals of race “science” supported their beliefs. Along with being the “superior” race, Europeans and Americans felt as though they were “obliged” to “civilize” groups of people who were deemed inferior to them. This was seen with the creation of The Indian Residential School System in America as well as Canada. The objective of these “schools” were to assimilate Native American children into society, but this was false. The actual truth behind the creation of this system was that it wanted to erase native American culture completely. Europeans and Americans blindly believed in race “science” because it benefited them as it gave them a “valid” reason to colonize other countries and blatantly ignore their rights as human beings. The Berlin Conference is a prime example of this since it was a discussion between the western countries about the partitioning of Africa. This conference led to the mistreatment of many African tribes specifically the genocide of the Herero people by Germany. Race “science” gave these colonizers “justification” for their terrible actions and further incentive to “civilize” the world.

The United States of America prided itself on being a land of freedom, but this just was not the case. People of color were treated as second class citizens and were forced to endure policies and rulings such as Plessy vs. Ferguson. Plessy vs. Ferguson was an important Supreme court case that legitimized the “separate but equal” doctrine for public facilities. The public facilities offered for people of color were inferior in service and accommodations which appealed to the idea that white people were the superior race. Although the United States claimed that all citizens were equal their laws proved that this was not the case. Segregation emphasized the pseudo-science belief that people of different races should be classified differently. Race “science” gave white Americans “justification” for going against the Constitution. In modern America people of color continue to be segregated through the separation of neighborhoods. People of color are often affected by redlining which favors lower class white neighborhoods over lower class black neighborhoods. Furthermore, the lack of opportunities and privilege are still precedent in today’s society for people of color. An example of this is how people of color are more likely to be wrongfully imprisoned. This can be tied back to the Convict Lease System. This system used a loop hole in the 13th amendment to gain free labor. Those who were targeted were people of color because they were viewed as “sub-human.” Today there is a higher percentage of people of color incarcerated because they do not have the privilege of being able to navigate the justice system.

Believe it or not, race “science” ideals are still prevalent in society, although the methods used to prove these differences were incredibly flawed. White supremacist groups continue to be active today and even perform protests. Although the KKK may not be as prevalent as it once was there are still people who are part of the far-right terrorist organization. These ideas still exist because there are still major divides between races. In the article, “Is 'Race Science' Making A Comeback?” Shereen Marisol Meraji states, “I've read genetics textbooks on race that say race is all silly — we should all let it go and live in this kind of colorblind world. Well, no, because that's not the world that we live in. These things matter, because that boy when I was 10 years old did not throw rocks at me because of genetics.” Racism has been embedded into society for so long that it will not just fade away even though this “science” has been debunked. To counter the revival of this ‘new’ racist ideology is to keep it from infiltrating politics. Race and politics should not be intertwined because everyone should be treated equally. If this is not done then racist rulings and laws can be passed and the United States will go back to how it was in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

This response made a lot of points that were very similar to mine. We both touched on how race science made Europeans feel justified for the oppression of minority groups because there was "scientific evidence" that justified them treating different groups as inferior. This response also talked about the oppression of African Americans and how it affects their place in American society today. We both agreed that while race science is less prevalent today, it sort of took on a new form and because of this people still discriminate between groups through stereotypes etc. Both of us also touched on how the historical significance of race and the ways in which this history affects us today kind of forces us to still talk about the concept even if it was disproven.

Originally posted by bumblebeetuna on October 23, 2023 06:50

Race science was extremely attractive to white Europeans and Americans during the 19th and 20th centuries because it legitimized two of the most important factors of their growth: colonization and capitalism. The Berlin Conference of 1884 cemented colonization as the primary way Europe would increase their power for the next century. America soon followed in the 20th century, colonizing native American lands, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Colonies were so important because they provided raw materials, free labor, and markets for goods produced at home. But people at home knew colonization was violent, messy, and unchristian, no matter how good the propaganda. This led to a lot of cognitive dissonance; members of European societies, many of them Christians, felt wrong about colonizing on the basis of economic growth. Race science was the solution for leaders. By pushing forth the idea that God had designed non white people to be servants to white people, and that the people they were colonizing were a different, subhuman species, people at home felt fine about supporting their nation’s colonization.

And at home, race science catalyzed capitalism by prolonging slavery. Capitalism relied on ever increasing profits which relied on free or very cheap labor. Enslaved people had provided that free labor for a long time. But abolition movements of the 19th century and the impending civil war threatened to remove that force. Scientific racism changed the justification for slavery from economic grounds to religious and cultural ones. Americans believed that the enslavement of Black people must continue, not because of economic necessity, but rather to fulfill God’s desires and follow biology. This is why Louis Agassiz’s works were cited by southern plantation owners. Once the 13th Amendment was passed, race science still appealed to capitalists because it was a way to placate mistreated white workers and continue churning profits. Laws like the Black Codes, Plessy vs Ferguson and Jim Crow laws which, as we learned from classmates' presentations, upheld a “separate but equal" doctrine, reinforced a superiority complex for white people. This meant they were more willing to work in crappy conditions because of the sense of confidence gained from “knowing they’re better than Black people”. Essentially, the rich class prevented class-consciousness and solidarity among the working class across race lines by using policies influenced by scientific racism.

By 1950 white Americans had internalized how the dehumanization of Black people and other POC led to success for white people. Therefore white supremacy became baked into the mythology or “sense of origin story”, as Angela Saini puts it. This mythology continues today. In the classical music world, there’s a lot of racism towards Black musicians. A pianist on Instagram, Jamal, (@jianissimo) often shares how people are very surprised at his skill and wonder how he got so good. Though this is usually a compliment on the outside, it’s tinged with race science views that different races have different aptitudes for various skills, like music. As Angela Saini reflects in the article “Is ‘Race Science’ Making A Comeback?”, “our societies still “play on these assumptions and stereotypes and the lack of education that we have around these issues, and they make us believe that identity is biological''.

It seems like in 2023, many people feel that because “full equality” has been achieved, therefore any differences in performance among “races' ' are “proof' ' of our biological differences. First off, there’s not full equality; policies like redlining continue to place POC in food deserts at higher rates, as mentioned in the presentation on Jim Crow. Secondly, it takes more than a generation or two to reverse hundreds of years of systematic oppression.

In response to this negative influence of race science in 2023, highlighting racial differences and how they become essential to our identity can be a healing force. For example, groups like Outdoor Afro exist as safe spaces for Black people to exist in normally white-dominated environments. They aren’t saying “we hate white people” but rather “we deserve space to just be outdoors, and not have to be “the Black person” outdoors. Because as souplover mentions, race is so ingrained in all areas of life now that it needs to be addressed for its negative effects to be overcome. And to counter new racist ideology, there needs to be some restriction on users spouting hateful information online, which is where a lot of it spreads. Once people are outside and interacting with each other, everyone sees how false race science is and how human we all are.

I thought that the statement that it takes "more than a generation or two to reverse hundreds of years of systematic oppression" was very encouraging. Personally, there are times when I feel very discouraged about the progress of anti-racism, but it helps to remember that mainstream anti-racism has only existed since the post-1950s. This is not to detract from the work of previous anti-racists, but the majority of the population being anti-racist has only existed recently, as well as anti-racist policies. I think that the belief that "full equality" has been achieved is part of the reason behind people who object to today's movements for equality. They say that feminism is anti-men or that BLM is anti-white people because they believe that there is already equality, there is no work to be done, and people are now trying for hierarchy.

Originally posted by buttercup on October 22, 2023 14:29

The ideas of race science were appealing to Europeans and Americans because it reduced their cognitive dissonance associated with their racist actions and beliefs. White people wanted to preserve their superiority over other races (superiority complex) and they believed race science justified their actions. These white people acted so controlling over other races because they were actually insecure, and their cruel actions stem from a place of weak self-esteem and sense of identity. In other words, white people act superior because they are scared of feeling lesser than anyone else, so in order to get ahead, they create race science to give them a reason to feel better about themselves.

There was a wide variety of different impacts each policy/law had on society. For the Gentleman’s Agreement and the Chinese Exclusion Act, they led to a decrease in the immigration of Japanese and Chinese people to the US. They isolated Asians already in the country from the rest of American society based on the idea of polygenism and/or being separate but equal. The annexations of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines were all based on the idea of the white man’s burden. This idea was published only a little over a century ago, and it is the belief that white people have the duty to civilize the other races because they are savages and not as developed as the white race is (they are not capable of governing themselves). It is connected to race science in that it believes all non-whites are inherently inferior to white people and their race is the cause of their lower intelligence and skill levels. The convict lease system, which was essentially a continuation of slavery, is also connected to race science in that they used the white man’s burden and arguments of race science to justify their actions (ex. Black people are completely different species, they are inferior to whites, and they need to be kept in check).

Although they have been “debunked,” the beliefs of scientific racism and differences between races are certainly still with us in society. Racial discrimination can be seen all over the world, such as police brutality targeted towards Black people, sinophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic, racial profiling/stereotyping, bullying on the basis of race, and microaggressions. These ideas remain prevalent in society because it is propelled by the instinct to categorize people as “us versus them.” They begin to think about how the “us” is superior to the “other,” which establishes a hierarchy, so then they begin to dehumanize and treat the “other” badly in order to affirm their belief that they are superior. Applying this to the idea of race, white people identify with their own race, then classify everyone else as inferior and as completely different species of human (the main idea of race science). This helps them justify their actions of segregation, enslavement, colonization, etc. Although this is not the common belief in the present, the effects of these beliefs and the actions of white people are knitted into the fabric of American society (systemic racism, wealth gap, etc.).

One statement I resonated with was “recognizing privilege and using that to uplift people of color, as well as hearing and listening to their stories, is one way that white people can help,” which was stated by pigeondrivesabus. I agree with this because white people should not be speaking on behalf of minorities and should instead use their privilege to spread the voices of people of color. In order to help counter racist ideology, critical race theory should be taught in schools, and issues concerning race need to be discussed with clear definitions. It should be a working discussion with real action involved. Also, race, racism, and the history of it all should not be swept under the rug to rush in a new era of color-blindness and a non-racial society. Saini says in Is Race Science Making a Comeback? “... race is real in society. It's real in politics. It's real in the ways that we treat each other. It's visceral because we have made it visceral in our everyday lives, and it has a biological impact because of that.” I agree with her statement because although race is a social construct, it matters because we have made it matter, and has devastating effects that are hard for privileged people to see. The hierarchy we have constructed has led to racial disparities in basically all aspects of society. So really, we have fallen into our own trap, and this complex issue is something that takes everyone’s strength and effort to fix. But I believe we will be able to fix it, even if it does take a long time!!

I totally agree with buttercup that although race is a social construct, it has had devastating effects because we as people have made it matter. It may be a concept, but with very real consequences. It does exist in politics and the way we treat each other. Humans's nature to categorize forces us to recognize our differences, and although that isn't necessarily a bad thing, it can be. Recognizing differences is fine, but it's the way we treat others that makes it matter. Will you choose to hate someone because they're different? I also like the enthusiasm that we will be able to fix it, although I personally disagree. I think because of free will, which is neutral, that causes a mixture of good and bad. So that means that there will always be a cause to fight for, someone who will always disagree. I don't believe we can change, especially in such a deep-rooted system that has been going on for so long. It's going to take a serious uproot for our system to change.