From the exercise I have learned that we all have different views on racial identity. Many of the most common names on the exercise seem to receive different answers in regard to their racial category. My perspective of the exercise was that the identity of a person’s race is not an important characteristic. In my opinion, race does not define who a person is instead it is more of a physical trait that is used in society to define groups of people.
One of my classmates made a comment about Halle Berry and Tiger Woods regarding their racial identity. When looking at the two the public may classify them as being black. However their racial identity reaches far beyond the color of their skin. “According to hypodescent, a child of mixed-race ancestry is assigned to the race of what society considers the socially subordinate parent. Historically, mixed-race children in slave societies were most commonly assigned to the race of their non-Caucasian parent. In the most extreme manifestation of hypodescent in the United States, the one-drop rule holds that if a person has one drop of black blood, he or she is considered to be black” (Northwestern University).
In conclusion, racial identity can be viewed as a trait handed down through families or a balance between society perceptions and the individual perception of oneself. Halle Berry has always identified herself as a black woman, whereas Tiger Woods attempted to create a new race identity by collaborating his Caucasian, Black, Dutch, Native American and Thai background.
References
Northwestern University (2008, October 12). Does It Matter If Black Plus White Equals Black
Or Multiracial?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 19, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2008/10/081010135033.htm