Rethinking The Color Line Summary

In the assigned reading, Rethinking the Color Line, Snipp argues that race is a social construct. Despite the progress our country has made over the past centuries, race continues to divide and group individuals in society. The idea of race and ethnicity is important to individuals in American culture. We identify as a race or ethnicity and experience certain lifestyles because of this identity.

Race has evolved to become more than just black and white over the years. It continues to divide our society in many ways. According to Snipp, “We utilize race to provide clues about who a person is” (Snipp, 20). Our race defines our identity. We categorize ourselves on exams, surveys, and applications by checking a box that defines our race. If we continue to utilize such practice, race will continue to divide our country. Pop culture such as film and television portray certain groups in certain ways based on the stereotypes and data that reflects on racial groups (Snipp, 20). As a nation if we continue to use racial background as

I identify as Caucasian. As a young child I understood race to be a difference between black and white based on skin color. Yet, as I grew older and began taking standardized test, I was forced to define myself as more than just black or white. Race became an identifier on all important documents, tests, and applications as I aged. I continued to identify as Caucasian because I was born to two white, American citizens with traditional German backgrounds. My peers however began to define themselves in other ways such as Chinese, Filipino, Japanese. On the surface my peers looked, talked, and acted like me; however they were unable to identify as Caucasian because of their heritage and background. Grade school is where most young children are forced to identify themselves without their parents as they fill out tests, homework,