In American history, race has been utilized as a tool to determine and establish power, in society. Before European colonization the race of America was homogeneous. After the invasion of Europeans in America in the late 15th Century, race became a way to determine whom had rights, power, land, and any other kind of capital, including other humans or, slaves.
Once Europeans began colonizing America race was used to control the population. Native Americans or the people Indigenous to America were systematically used as slaves and slaughtered in order to acquire America. Due to the fact, that Native Americans were able to free themselves from the European Invaders, Europeans looked for other means of labor to establish and further colonize America.
As early as the 17th century, Europeans enslaved Africans from West and Central Africa because of their stark difference in appearance and unfamiliarity of the American terrain, which the Native Americans knew well, and, helped them successfully free themselves from the Europeans. Africans were also immune to many of the diseases which killed Native Americans and had a body type or physical characteristics, which, provided a strong work force.
Once Europeans began colonizing America and brought an African slave population to America, they began enforcing laws which put them at the top and the people of color the Red people and the Black people, beneath them, in a caste system of power from lightness to darkness of skin color. The method of European domination was, to kill the Indian, and, colonize the land while keeping the Africans as a free source of labor, to build the economy of their newly conquered land.
The Europeans made laws to further establish power in their favor and acquire any and all scarce resources, for themselves. Race has always been a source of power in America. White people having the most power, and, people of color having the least. Eventually, slavery was done away with but other forms of slavery upon the Native, and, black population was enforced. Native Americans were tried and murdered for protecting their land, and, fighting back. Innocent Native Americans were slaughtered for no reason. Treaties were made but, not honored to further establish white people had the power to take what they wanted, and, not be held accountable for it. Native Americans were carted away to desert lands called reservations where they weren't able to survive off of the land, and, were made subject to the newly forming American government.
The population of America has shifted from 100% Native American to 1%, from 0% white to 75% white, and 0% black to 12% black. Other groups of people such as East Asian, Middle Eastern, South East Asian and Latin Americans have come to America in recent waves of immigration or, invasion to join the labor force, often as either specialized or cheaper forms of labor for the comfort or cost effectiveness for wealthy white Americans.
Biologically, race is simply a set of physical characteristics, called a phenotype. The genes which make up race only account for approximately, 10% of the human genome. People who are a part of different races can have more in common genetically than people who are members of the same race, which means there is more genetic variation within races than between races. Therefore, race is solely a social construct to keep white people in power.
Blood quantum measures the amount of Native American genes or parts Native American an Indigenous American is. The more of another race an Indigenous person is, the less Native American the person is. Genotype, is the genetic makeup of a person. A person can have genes which aren't expressed and create a phenotype which appears to misrepresent the genetic makeup. For example, because of the one drop rule, in particular, any person with one drop of black blood is considered to be black even if the person appears to be white in color and not express their black genes. Race means two different things socially vs. biologically.
In American history, race has been utilized as a tool to determine and establish power in society. Before European colonization the race of America was homogenous. After the invasion of Europeans in America in the late 15th Century, race became a way to determine whom had rights, power, land, and any other kind of capital, including other humans or slaves.
Once Europeans began colonizing America race was used to control the population. Native Americans or the people Indigenous to America were systematically used as slaves and slaughtered in order to acquire America. Due to the fact, that Native Americans were able to free themselves from the European Invaders, Europeans looked for other means of labor to establish and further colonize America.
As early as the 17th century, Europeans enslaved Africans from West and Central Africa because of their stark difference in appearance and unfamiliarity of the American terrain, which the Native Americans knew well which helped them successfully free themselves from Europeans. Africans were also immune to many of the diseases which killed Native Americans and had a body type which provided a strong work force.
Once Europeans began colonizing America and brought an African slave population to American, they began enforcing laws which put them at the top and the people of color the Red people and the Black people beneath them. The method of European domination was to kill the Indian and colonize the land while keeping the Africans as a free source of labor to build the economy of their newly conquered land.
The Europeans made laws to further establish power in their favor and acquire any and all scarce resources for themselves. Race has always been a source of power in America. White people having the most power and people of color having the least. Eventually, slavery was done away with but other forms of slavery upon the black population was enforced. Native Americans were tried and murdered for protecting their land and fighting back. Innocent Native Americans were slaughtered for no reason. Treaties were made but, not honored to further establish white people had the power to take what they wanted and not be held accountable for it. Native Americans were carted away to desert lands called reservations where they weren't able to survive off of the land, and, were made subject to the newly forming American government.
The population of America has shifted from 100% Native American to 1%, from 0% white to 75% white, and 0% black to 12% black. Other groups of people such as East Asian, Middle Eastern, South East Asian and Latin American have come to America in recent waves of immigration to join the labor force, often as either specialized or cheaper forms of labor for the comfort or cost effectiveness for wealthy white Americans.
Biologically, race is simply a set of physical characteristics, called a phenotype. The genes which make up race only account for approximately, 10% of the human genome. People who are a part of different races can have more in common genetically than people who are members of the same race, which means there is more genetic variation within races than between races. Therefore, race is solely a social construct to keep white people in power.
Blood quantum measures the amount of Native American genes or parts Native American an Indigenous American is. The more of another race an Indigenous person is, the less Native American the person is. Genotype, is the genetic makeup of a person. A person can have genes which aren't expressed and create a phenotype which appears to misrepresent the genetic makeup. For example, because of the one drop rule, in particular, any person with one drop of black blood is considered to be black even if the person appears to be white in color and not express their black genes. Race means two different things socially vs. biologically.
Initially, race was created as a social construct to keep African Americans enslaved. The need for a large agricultural force in the South made the creation of an enslaved class attractive to white plantation owners. Whites justified slavery through various means, including falsely claiming that the enslavement of black people was justified in the Bible. In addition, the biological construct of race operated on the "one-drop rule." This was the idea that a single drop of "black blood" made one black and that the races were biologically separate. Race is a construct, not a biological reality.
However, even after the end of slavery and the end of the Civil War, whites tried to disenfranchise African American people and keep them from voting, owning land, being educated in white schools, and owning businesses by maintaining a strict color line. Blacks were treated differently and unfairly in the eyes of the law, even if their facilities and schools were supposed to be "separate but equal." The legacy of the construct of race is still with us in the United States.
No comments:
Post a Comment