Characteristics Archives - The Race Card Project

People label me white. Thank goodness.

April 6, 2021 Characteristics, Durham, Eastern Europe, Jeremiah Friedman, jews, label, NH, police, security

Jeremiah Friedman,
Durham, NH

As a young man of Polish heritage from both sides of my family, I have many of the physical characteristics that Jews of Eastern Europe share: olive skin, a bumped nose, and curly brown hair. One hundred years ago, my physical characteristics would have placed me in a class of people outside of the “safe zone” that is whiteness in America. I would not have been able to feel such security when I’ve been talking with police officers. I could possibly have been turned away from the university I attend just due to my name. Being labeled as white in America has always left doors open, and never closed them. Being labelled as white gives me freedoms and protections not enjoyed by Americans of different complexions and other racially labeled attributes. Over the past hundred years, American society has chosen to expand the vague term of whiteness to include Jews like myself. Thank goodness.

We all bleed, we all hurt

May 28, 2014 biological, bleed, Characteristics, genetics, hurt, Naadu Addico, NY, physical difference, Poughkeepsie

Naadu Addico
Poughkeepsie, NY

Physical differences caused by a person’s genetic makeup cannot have large effects on a person’s social interaction. It is the way people react to and interpret these biological characteristics that affect a person’s social interactions. For instance, a tall boy’s height does not have any relevance to him until he realizes people constantly ask him if he plays basketball. This physical manifestation of his genetics was never abnormal to him until others continuously pointed it out. In my opinion, this same principle applies to race. Race is a physical manifestation of a person’s biological lineage that means very little, if anything, until people begin attaching certain connotations and expectations based on it. Unfortunately, in our current society, many people subconsciously and consciously allow a person’s race to shape their personal beliefs of a certain group of people.

Even though I believe that most, if not all, people have inherent biases based on many physical characteristics of a person, a bias is not racist until it is acted upon. If a person explicitly takes action against another person, regardless of the degree, solely based on a person’s race, that action is racist. In my personal life, according to my definition of racism, I believe I have experienced some racist acts from people of all backgrounds. Simply because of my race, when shopping I have been followed around by someone of my own race. Simply because of my race, a mistake made out of ignorance has been misconstrued as pure stupidity. I have seen the surprise on people’s face after finding out my home neighborhood because “[I am] not like ‘them’.” Overall, I have learned that the physiological differences regarding race are minimal while the social differences created due to ignorance cause major divisions between people who would otherwise be equal.