(Chapter 11) Race & Ethnicity

(Disclaimer: In this blog I have taken advantage of racial transparency.  Even though to some my name suggests differently, I am very "white," as are the friends that I mention here.)
          This past semester was my first at Hamline, and I signed up for a double in the campus dorms.  I was ecstatic when I found out that my roommate was going to be an international student from Chile.  I was a little worried about being able to communicate with her, but saw it as a wonderful opportunity.  My friends' reactions when they found out surprised me, though.  A few rude and ignorant assumptions were made that really caught me off-guard.  I couldn't understand how they could have such negative thoughts about someone they knew nothing about.  They didn't even care what country she was actually from just the fact that she wasn't from the United States made them think less of her.  I know that racism is still very prevalent in our country, but this still threw me off.  I kept an open mind, and my roommate and I turned out to have a lot in common.  We even had the same favorite TV show as kids, Bananas in Pajamas!  Obviously there were some differences though, which were all very interesting to hear about. 
          Just as Newman points out, racism doesn't just happen in the United States.  I learned from my roommate that in Chile most people that move there from Argentina are typically considered the lowest social class, and are stereotypically farm workers, maids, nannies, or housekeepers, almost exactly how Hispanics are commonly viewed in the US.  In her country, "Chileans" are considered to be most superior and "Argentinians" inferior.  In our country though we wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two.  This completely reinforces the idea that "race" can never be accurately defined universally.  It depends solely on each society's history and social construction of reality.
           Another interesting idea she introduced me to is the fact that white people from the United States somewhat arrogantly call themselves Americans, and tell her that she is not American.  This is one of her biggest pet peeves.  She lives in South AMERICA, yet she is still called a "non-American" here.  I do not know why we continue to proclaim our country as America and us being American when there are almost 30 other countries in the Americas.  I strongly feel that ignorance is the biggest flaw in this country today.  Although we have come a long way since slavery, there is still a long way to go before "race" is no longer considered a societal problem.