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Kareem J. Garriga The University Of Alabama in Huntsville kareem@knology.net 10/17/2011

What is it to be multiracial minority? Does it imply ease of life or factorial burden?

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Introduction and Thesis The ongoing research on the relationship between race and genetics has created a marginally controversial rift within our society. As various racial groups seek to find what they believe is the supreme race, many other groups have been left behind and deemed inferior. To this appeal, heterogenic mixing of racial groups is seen as a threat to the idea of homogeneity (no interracial mix). These groups believe that the multiracial (heterogenic) movement is fundamentally deteriorating the superiority of all races due to the genetic mixing of incoherent characteristics. Nevertheless, a strong opposition to this movement seeks to battle multiracialism at its corethe gene pool. Racial stereotyping has been used to discourage this movement by formulating that certain racial groupsmost specifically Blacks and Hispanicspossess genetic characteristics inferior to other races. This argument continues to explain that if these were to be brought together in some sort of heterogenic genetic pool with the more superior races (Whites and Asians for example), our society would experience an exponential decay in intelligence, physical prowess, and survivability. As a product of mixed racial backgroundsWhite, Black, Indian, Hispanic, and Native Americanmy aim in this paper is to define, oppose and re-state the status of the multiracial movement, specifically on American soil, on the grounds of

personal experience and factual representations through studies, analytical data, and public conceptions. The purpose of this essay is the definitional outline of what it is to be a multiracial minority in Americawith emphasis placed mostly on Black and Hispanic affairs.

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Definition of Multiracial Minority To be multiracial is defined as the heterogenic mix of racial groups. This adaption surpasses the notion of biracialism by introducing more than two active genotypes in a persons DNA. Multiracialism encompasses biracialism and other more distant genetic admixtures. Contrary to popular belief, the perception of multiracialism is indeed relative to the adherent culture. The conception of multiracialism varies in its determining factor being race, ethnicity, or both. The former ideology emphasizes the differentiation between race and ethnicity. Where races describe a system of ideologies of connections between the human body that seem similar, ethnicity focuses on the subjects cultural background (foods, traditions, etc.). The idea of race surfaces from the belief that innate biological differences are essential factors in determining skin color. Thus, the idea of multiracialism is a subjective idea in that it is relative to each culture. To be a multiracial minority implies the presence of two or more minority races within a persons genes. In the case of myself, I am regarded as a multiracial minority in that my Hispanic and Black backgrounds are heavily discriminated against. The Black Man: An evaluation and historical Analysis Throughout the years, there has been a heavy misconception as to what it means to be Black. As the archetype of the cotton-picking, freedom-deprived man has slowly faded away, new archetypes have been easily adopted. For instance, the Sambo and Mammy Negroa portrayal of Black people as exceedingly happy, lazy, irresponsible and church obsessed peopleor the Mandingo Negroa portrayal of Black people as brutal, violent, and overly sexual beastly beingshave grown into social acceptance. The construction of these archetypes provide an overall notion of an oversexed race that is more in-tune with bestiality than humanity. Of course, these perceptions effectively lower the merit of the Black man society received him

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as a material possession, turned him into livestock, and finally released him as a beast in the wild. Many other archetypes perceive Blacks as drug-addicted gangsters. This view has come to be affiliated with the greatly accepted view that most Black people are very poor and live in the ghetto. Originally the term for urban project housing, now describes poorly maintained neighborhoods. As a matter of fact, I was once in a history class where my professor asked: Class, what is the definition of the ghetto? A student quickly raised her hand and said, Its wherever black people live. This notion has not only been overused, but too greatly accepted even amongst the black community. Weas people of colorhave come to accept this lifestyle so eagerly that we commit perjury against ourselves. Even the ideology behind the music of Black culture has shifted from freedom, to acceptance, to success, and deteriorated behind ideas of monetary gains, exploitation of women, and public promotion of murder, overbearing sexual conduct, and drug abuse. These actions refute the intellectuality of Black culture and are heavily detrimental to the race as a whole. The leaders produced by the Black communitythe respectable businessmen within the black pridemovement have been immensely overshadowed. This has also created internal psychological barriers that have prevented Black youth from seeking advancement. However, the truth still remains suppressed. The Black Community has indeed produced a large amount of leaders and pioneers such as Malaak Compton-Rockthe wife of comedian Chris Rock, who has created the Angel Rock Project with a mission to educate youth on volunteer and national relations affairs. Angel Rock also focuses on exposing underprivileged youth to the societal conditions of other countries (exposition to slave trade, AIDS epidemic, etc.) in order to provide empowerment and produce leaders for global change. The project aims to refute the stereotypes society has imposed on Blacks by introducing the youth to global struggles.

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It is also forgotten that Blacks are also responsible for a vast amount of inventions and research that are clearly essential, yet commonly taken for granted. For example, it is scarcely known that the light bulb, one of the greatest inventions in history, would not have been possible without Lewis Latimers schematics and revisions of carbon-filament production. Likewise, the Black community has produced as many intellectuals and leaders as Whites have. The ideal that the intelligence level of people can be determined by racial factors is clearly negated by this evaluation. Conclusively, to be Black has scarcely anything to do with following societal stereotypes. Although the common conception of dark skin, big lips and curled hair describe our physical attributes, our main characteristic is perseverance. The Black race is a dedicated race aiming to rid itself of societal boundaries in order to achieve the respect it has long deserved. Hispanics and America The exact definition of a Hispanic is debatable. In all technicalities, to be Hispanic is to have some ties to Hispaniathe Iberian Peninsula including Spain and Portugal. In America, this term denotes a more ethnic classification geared toward the Spanish speaking countries in the Americas. Each culture within the American definition of Hispanics is also different in and of themselves. Puerto Rican attributes vary greatly from cultural adaptations of Mexicans and Cubans. Likewise, all these vary from those of South American countries. Essentially, Hispanics (in America) are not a race. They are in fact a conglomerate of races a multiracial classification. However, as with all racial groups, the Hispanic overview is very discriminated against. Hispanics are the societal embodiment of drugs and cultural down stepping in Americain many cases more than Blacks are. If we, as Hispanics, aim to live passively, we are considered lazy, irresponsible, and the causes for most of the violent outbreaks in society involving drugsseeing how drugs are erroneously perceived as an agent for passive living. If

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we seek to better ourselves, we are perceived as a threat to the stability of the American job market. The stereotypes upon Hispanics, no matter which nationality, fall upon the classification of the disgraceful immigrant. Upon moving to the United States from Puerto Rico, I received heavy discriminatory remarks such as wetback, pork chop, and border jumper. Even teachers told me: I have to see your green card before I can teach youa misconception that even Puerto Ricans are considered illegal immigrants. The societal conception of Hispanics has already reached its nadir. Hispanic efforts in America have also been shunned away and their leaders have been occulted. Leaders in Hispanic culture include Alfred Ramirez, the VicePresident of Government Relations and Diversity within the National Council La Raza (NCLR), whose sole, self-implemented mission is to re-define the merits of leadership amongst Hispanics. His philosophy teaches that leadership is a necessity for Hispanics since the alternative is currently controlling the demographic shifts. NCLR is dedicated to increasing educational opportunities, improving achievement, supporting college-readiness, and promoting equity in outcomes for Hispanics. In keeping with this mission, the fruit of their efforts builds the capacity and strengthens the quality of the community-based education sector and informs the broader public education system. Due to what is now determined and defined as Hispanophobiathe fear and advocacy against Hispanicsit has taken institutions like NCLR to reverse societal boundaries and increase leadership roles for Hispanics. Thus, the Hispanic community continues to produce various figureheads crucial to business and engineering fields. Again, intellectual merit based on biological race classification is disproved here.

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Affirmative Action and Ease of Life Another argument seeking to deride the intellectual ability of multiracial minorities is Affirmative Action. This presents the idea that the only reason minorities are able to succeed is because this government programs aids them with everything they need in order to advance themselves. The popular misconception that all minorities are able to go to college for free is included here. Although, admittedly, Affirmative Action does allow for some advantages, it only results in a balance of political relations between the races. The program provides more of a basis for racial interaction. Interaction allows students to learn that persons of the opposite race are people too, more or less just like themselves. Affirmative Action simply aids in breaking racial stereotypes. Just recently, I was approached by a police officer in Waffle House. After observing my Gates Millennium Scholars pin, he proceeded to state the same erroneous claim many of my friends stated when they found out I was to be inducted into the program: Thanks to affirmative action, you simply entered your name in a hat and got your entire college career paid for. Clearly, Affirmative Action does not bring forth any ease in lifeas a multiracial minority I carry the burden of peoples expectations of my failures. Because I am a minority, my actions are never good enough or self-produced. My intellectual ability is derided by these ideologies. To many of my friends, my intellectual capacity is within the boundary they set for minoritiesnot necessarily their fault, rather a societal influence they seem to have been taughtand my hard work and service is overridden by the substantial belief that I was only lucky to have been picked. Expanding ideologies against multiracial minorities continue to surface as fast as they are debunked. As the merits of multiracial minorities continue to be attacked, stereotypes begin to take dominance.

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"In America." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/in.america/black.in.america/>. Jorde, Lynn B., and Stephen Wooding. "Genetic Variation, Classification and 'race' - Nature Genetics." Nature Publishing Group : Science Journals, Jobs, and Information. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v36/n11s/full/ng1435.html>. "The Mammy Caricature." Ferris State University: Michigan College Campuses in Big Rapids MI, Grand Rapids MI, Off Campus Locations Across Michigan. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/mammies/>. Mosley, Walter. "What Is It Like to Be Both Black and Jewish?" The Nation. 28 Sept. 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://www.thenation.com/article/163687/what-it-be-both-blackand-jewish>. Online Etymology Dictionary. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Hispanic>. The Prep School Negro. Dir. Andr R. Lee. Prod. Alston Gardner and Barb Lee. Loki Films, 2011. DVD. Ramirez, Alfred. "GMS Leadership Workshop." NCLR. 1-9. Print. "The Treatment of Persons of Color in Local Television News." Communication Research. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://crx.sagepub.com/content/25/3/286.abstract>. United Negro College Fund. GMS Leadership Conference. Chantilly: United Negro College Fund, 2011. Print.

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