Re: How close are Caucasians and Mongoloids related?
Forest J Rushay (fjrushay@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
10 Mar 1995 21:48:17 GMT
In article <3jb8ii$h96@geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>,
Robert Scott <rscott@mail.utexas.edu> wrote:
>In article <3j96eo$pdn@dewey.csun.edu> cc, hbhis027@huey.csun.edu writes:
>>Do you think Caucasians are more closely related to the Mongoloid race or
>>the Negroid race? What are your reasons for thinking so?
>
>I don't think "race" is a biologically meaningful term. It carries quite
>a few social connotations. I think you would find that most people
>define "race" in a variety of different ways. What do you mean by
>Mongoloid? Negroid? Caucasian? What other races do you recognize? What
>defines a "race"? Is it a discrete entity?
>
I think you would find most people have no problem identifying their race.
Ask Margaret Cho waht her race is, and I doubt she will say "Negroid".
(She'd probably say human). Ask Shaq, and I doubt he'd say "Caucasian".
While the BIOLOGICAL utility of the race concept among humans is probably
past, the SOCIAL REALITY of the concept is very much alive.
>At one time in history, you may have in fact been able to divide _Homo
>sapiens_ into several Mendelian populations with more gene flow within
>various groups than between those groups. These groups probably would
>have corresponded to more or less geographically isolated populations.
>But today, in a world of virtually global panmixia, I'd say we all belong
>to one Mendelian population (or we are fast approaching that state). I
>don't think race means much at all (unless you want to get into social
>constructions of race, but that is probably another news group).
>
Oh yeah, when's the last time one of your ancestors married an African-
American (assuming your white) or a Vietnamese-American?
The simple fact of the matter is that miscegenation is a rare phenomenon.
The radical exogamy which you propose (panmixis) is NOT operational, nor
has it ever been, in the human race.
Humans tend to mate with those in the same race, class, socieconomic
status, etc. Especially when it comes to marriage, we are quite conservative.
I can't imagine many societies which heartily promote miscegenation, or are
even comfortable with the concept (Guess who's coming to dinner?)
Don't let today's fashionable atmosphere of PC and "can't we all just get
along, we are the world" racial harmony sentiments obscure the facts. We
self-segregate along racial lines, and we do not cross these boundaries
to mate often at all.
--
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