What is Race, Anyway?

When we were given this theoretical artical about race to read, I wasn't quite sure what it would be about. However, after reading the first paragraph, I was completely appauled.

The first paragraph of my artical, "What is Race, Anyway?" talked about a principal calling for a meeting to gather the student body together. Once everyone was all together, he asked how many people were planning on going to prom with dates outside their race. Several students raised their hand. He then said that he was canceling the prom. He said, "How would that look at a prom, a bunch of mixed couples?" Then this poor who had a white dad and a black mom said, "Who am I supposed to take to the prom?" After readind this paragraph, I was just outraged! I couldn't believe that a prinicipal of all people would be this racist. He couldn't even accept the fact that people like other people who who they are inside not outside.

This artical then continued to talk about more scientific stuff. It was asking the question, "What if we divided the human race using catergories other than skin color?" "What if we used a different gene instead?" This proposes a great question. Why did we start using the color of people's skin to define who we are? It is just outrageous to me that after all these years we put so much emphasis on skin color. Why didn't we use hair color instead? Or the color of people's eyes? And who chose that skin color was going to be what classifies who we are?

The last few paragraphs in the artical talk about how to get rid of using race as a classification of who we are, because honestly it shouldn't matter. However, since we have already put so much emphasis on race we can't just erase it. As Carlos Fernandez states, "You can't erase differences between people by ignoring them." Now that we have made skin color a big deal we can't just pretend it never happened, but we can do everything in our power to stop it from ever happening again.

Caucasia

When I first started reading Caucasia, I just couldn't get into it. In the beginning it was just a little too slow moving for me. However, once I made it through the first few pages, I really got into the book and it's characters.

For starters, Birdie is such a spunky eight year old. Especially in the scene when the police try to accuse her dad of kidnapping her at the park. This random white couple assumed that since Birdie was white and her father was black that he had kidnapped her. After the whole fiasco happened, she walked passed the white couple that called the police and flipped them off. This just shows how spunky she truly is. Birdie is also a who desires attention. All she wants, is to get love from her father and please her sister, Cole. One example of this, is when she goes and spends the weekend at her fathers house. He plainly ignores her, while she listens to every word he says. Then she tries to add in her opinions at times and her random thoughts. She also tries to please Cole and act like Cole. I thought it was cute when she tried to start speaking in a slang like the kids at school.

The mom is another very interesting charater. She confuses me. I know that their is something missing in her head because she acts kind of crazy. I mean she plays games with her kids like I'm not your mother. Then the kids will cry and be truly scared of her. What kind of game is that? When I was younger I would play hide and seek with my mom or tag not I'm not your mother.

I like the fact that this book has interesting characters though. It keeps me interested in it and wondering what is going to happen next. Like I am wondering what is happening with the Redbone guy and why is he taking pictures of Birdie. To me he just seems like a creeper. Well, I just can't wait to see how this book ends!