Argue for or against identifying one's race or cultural identify on Essay

Argue for or against identifying one's race or cultural identify on documents such as census forms, college applications, studen - Essay Example The truth is, the concept of race has been a damaging concept within Western society and the way in which we define race is an irrational foundation for the different experiences that people have within the United States. Therefore, the concept of indicating a ‘race’ on a public form such as a census form, college application, student loan, or scholarship application is a continuation of an antiquated and unenlightened form of thinking which depreciates the overall value of society. The basis for defining race is founded on the color of skin. There are a variety of other factors that contribute to creating indicators of race, but the basic concept is defined by the color of a person’s skin. In an expanded capacity, the color of the skin is then combined with physical attributes that are associated with regional ethnic markers that create physically similar characteristics. From the point of view of social standing, race is further defined by similar ancestral back grounds, such as African founded heritages that form the group that is called African American, or Black. However, race is a complicated concept because of the multi-racial aspects of heritage that make up the history of most people within the United States. Therefore, because a skin color appears to be of one race or another, that becomes the founding principal on which race is determined.