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wnylib

(21,486 posts)
19. Yes, race is cultural rather than biological.
Sat Jan 14, 2023, 04:17 PM
Jan 2023

If race was biologically "fixed," either it would not be possible for different "races" to mate, or else the children of parents from different "races" would inherit only one "race" or the other. But "race" is not a fixed biological feature, so intermixing produces people with a mix of features from both parents.

I had a chance to observe this in my own family. My mother's parents were mmigrants from northern Germany. Her relatives had blond, red, and light brown hair. Most had blue eyes, but there were a few with brown eyes, like my mother who was a brown-eyed blond.

My father's mother was Seneca, Mohawk, and English. She had straight black hair, brownish black eyes, and creamy olive skin. My father's father was Algonquian and German Swiss. He had black hair, blue eyes, and bronze skin. They had 9 children. 3 of them (including my father) had blue eyes. Two of the blue-eyed ones (including my father) had black hair. The other one had pale brown hair,and very European facial features. She was the "white sheep" in the family.

My father's other 6 siblings had straight black hair, brownish black eyes, and skin tones from dark beige to light brown. They had the cheekbones and nose features associated with Native Americans. One of them looked like she had no European amcestry at all.

When both sides of my family got together for weddings, graduations, or funerals, the color variety was impressive.

So, in my generation, my sister was a brown-eyed blond like my mother, but she had golden beige skin, not my mother's pale pink beige. Her face shape and features were definitely from my father's Native side. One of my brothers had very dark brown hair and "pure" brown eyes (not hazel). He looked a lot like a distant Seneca cousin from the rez, but with lighter skin. The other brother had dark blond hair and blue eyes. Before it turned gray, my hair was between medium and dark brown. I am often mistaken for Italian American or French Canadian. To most people, I look like a White person of European descent but occasionally people recognize a mix of Native and European American.

Those variations of physical features within my family would not be possible if "race" was a fixed biological feature.

Very informative! Karadeniz Jan 2023 #1
+1. n/t iluvtennis Jan 2023 #8
I have the same thing in my family kimbutgar Jan 2023 #2
Race can Not be found in our DNA Farmer-Rick Jan 2023 #4
Thanks for that kimbutgar Jan 2023 #5
+1 2naSalit Jan 2023 #10
I have a cousin who married a black woman around half a century ago. I later realized that housecat Jan 2023 #3
From the photo of Lola and her brother, Albert, wnylib Jan 2023 #6
One of our DUers wrote a book about a community with tri-racial heritage, "Pell-Mellers".... Hekate Jan 2023 #11
I am familiar with Johnson's research and family history. wnylib Jan 2023 #13
Apparently there are interchangeable terms. I just googled & found a whole bunch of references... Hekate Jan 2023 #15
Melungeons Jilly_in_VA Jan 2023 #16
My guess on how this population originated is that wnylib Jan 2023 #21
It's all conjecture Jilly_in_VA Jan 2023 #23
I came across some reports of Spanish Jews and Muslims who wnylib Jan 2023 #24
Perhaps try contacting the publisher, or even the author ... eppur_se_muova Jan 2023 #25
Thank you! I dropped them a line and will see if anything turns up. Hekate Jan 2023 #26
Race is a cultural concept, not biological vlyons Jan 2023 #7
Yes, race is cultural rather than biological. wnylib Jan 2023 #19
"You choose your friends and you choose your enemies..." OldBaldy1701E Jan 2023 #9
Wise words. Delmette2.0 Jan 2023 #17
This message was self-deleted by its author Delmette2.0 Jan 2023 #18
There is only one race -- The Human Race. Higherarky Jan 2023 #12
Never mind if they were pale, with curly carrot top hair like little Archie Windsor Warpy Jan 2023 #14
Race is so very much a cultural construct, fascinating, sometimes devastating, as US history shows Hekate Jan 2023 #20
My Cajun Mother had a word that fit the bill here... Boxerfan Jan 2023 #22
Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Race & Ethnicity»My great-grandmother hid ...»Reply #19