The cross-reference essay explains that Obama is not black and is not white either. People of inter-racial union should not be forced to chose their heritage one against the other but rather e proud of both heritage. What basis are there to classify a "race" of humans? Are there really deep, salient differences in people based on "racial" differences? Even if races aren't biologically real, could they be socially real, that is, socially constructed? Do racial categories include multi-racial children? Are social race groups empty of biological categories? Do we use racial categories as an excuse for racism? Do Black and White-American belong to a different biological category? Should we do away with the racial identifications listed on the books? Are racial categories just shallow instead of tracking some deep fear of each other? Can we replace race with ethnicity? Is race a discredited pseudo-scientific category? Or a real dimension of difference among humans? Or a socially constructed reality? What difference does it make what we think about each other race?
Many aspect of the 'race question' may not be answered here due to the fact that different people from different cultures define race differently, hence the perceptions of race, racism and national identity will naturally be subjective to interpretation.
Many people stop the conversation by avoiding questions on the subject; a frightening number of Americans feel that debates about race are useless because nobody agrees on standards and all definitions are self-interested and therefore corrupted...
Not you, we don't stop here; lets re-start by pointing you on the direction to the English dictionary and the United Nations.
