Multiracialism in America - Report Example

Race in America The opportunity to identify with multiracialism, contrary to strengthening the relationship between different races, is threatening to increase racialism even further (Riley, 1). While it may seem that giving individuals an opportunity to identify with more than one racial group is a positive enhancement for tolerance and accommodation of differences and diversity, the reverse has emerged to be true. The opportunity granted to identify with multiple racism groups have seen many people retreat to their racial cocoons, with keen interest on identify who their ancestors were, what their descent were and which race they identified with in the ancient time (Riley, 1). More than ever before, interracial marriages have now revived racialism, often forcing individuals to seek to identify with those whom they share the same identity, of course which is increasingly becoming smaller and smaller. The proponents of interracial marriages, were of the opinion that it would be the most ideal way of ending racism, considering that many people will emerge as members of mixed blood, and therefore will poses no differentiating factors (Tusa, n.p.). However, the reality has proven otherwise, since the more people becomes intermarried, the harder it becomes to identify them with a given race or color, yet the higher the demand for such people to forge an identity that befits their mixed race and color (Riley, 1). Thus, there is no difficult time in the history of America to deal with racism, than the modern times, which have emerged with a different aspect of racism all together, which was never anticipated in history. Many colleges have introduced the system of racial identification through multiracial options of selection, in hope that such new ways of forging identity would help ease the racial tension within individuals, and thus grant them a more positive respect for individual’s notion of racial identity (Riley, 1). However, as put across by Bill Cosby, such practice has just exposed the other side of the modern society, where “people are behaving in abnormal ways and calling it normal” (Tusa, n.p.). Interracial marriages are supposed to develop a breed of people who perceive themselves as identical, due to the possession of mixed blood ancestry. Nevertheless, this has in turn elicited a new interest in racial identity, where individuals are now pursuing every aspect of their race identity, wanting the same to emerge as a common ground with which they identifying with their peers. The worst trend has now emerged in colleges, where the student and the administrator organizations have narrowed down to various racial identity groups, seeking to share the same cultural identity (Riley, 2). However, instead of achieving the same, it has emerged that most of such individuals are continuously feeling more uncomfortable, because they fit virtually nowhere, due to the possession of a long stream of ancestry blood relations, making it difficult to have the students emerge as “black, white, Asian, American Indian or natives” (Riley, 1). Without fitting into any such category, disorientation has in turn replaced the anticipated diversity, because such students are increasingly frustrated, when they realize that they cannot identify perfectly with any common racial group. Interesting twists of time are also seemingly emerging, where racism is becoming as intense as it was during the colonial period. While it was expected that interracial marriages would end racism and forge a different culture of diversity in America, the reality is that even at this age, many people, based on different racial backgrounds are opposed to racial intermarriages (Riley, 3). Further, even where it actually end-up happening, the truth is that it is creating discontent and disorientation, as opposed to forging oneness and embracement of diversity. The call-outs by Bill Cosby are a good indication that racial hostility sill simmers within some individuals, and it is likely to be rekindled, though this time through teachings and doctrines, as opposed to the physical abrasions of the colonial times. Cosby observes that “racism in America is omnipresent” (Tusa, n.p.), meaning that it is never going to end anyway. While many people would dispute this fact, the reality is that the modern society has clearly demonstrated this fact, through either opposing interracial marriages, or embracing the interracial marriages, and then refusing to embrace the fruits. Many children born out of interracial marriages are currently struggling to forge a racial identity, more than the minorities were doing during the colonial times. This is because, they have come to the reality that they virtually fit nowhere, and thus to identify with one of their own, whose blood, culture and color are identical, is increasingly difficult (Riley, 2). Many Asians are finding it difficult to fit into the Asian student organizations, owing to the differences in the cultures of the Asians, depending on whether the culture is from East Asia or South Asia (Riley, 3). However, the fundamental truth is that they all might be Asians, but just a mere cultural difference is making it difficult to identify with the groups. The same is true for the other races. Nevertheless, there is one fundamental advantage associated with the racism approach of the modern times. Contrary to fighting for racial identity and dominance through rallies and protests, a new approach has been developed, which according to Bill Cosby, is that of building “strong families and communities” (Tusa, n.p.). The only difference between the modern racism and the traditional one is that; whether the same race had different origins, culture and social practices, they could forge a racial identity of a single community, notwithstanding their different aspects. This is the current struggle that is being advanced by the advocates of cultural conservatisms, who want a community build on the basis of clean culture that is devoid of intermarriages, laced with traditions that reinforce the identity of such a community (Tusa, n.p.). The modern wave of racism seems to sharply contrast with the vision of the American forefathers, who dreamt of a nation of competing powers, where no race would be content with being the weak one. The modern racism is contented with being a weak race, which has forged a strong communal bond and family ties, which then forms the basis of the identity of the race. In the modern American society, there is no doubt that racism is still existent. However, it has been accorded some form of professionalism, which although advocating for forging of racial cultural identities, is riding on the resolve that even though it may be difficult to ever defeat racism, there is a relief that its effects can be overcome (Tusa, n.p.). The resignation from racial advocacy in form of aggression, is informed by the reality that due to the interactions and interracial marriages, the finesse and the specifics required for the young generation to feel comfortable within any racial grouping seems to be absurd and unachievable (Riley, 2). There can no longer be pure categorization of the young generation in absolute terms as blacks, whites, Asians or Hispanic. And where the young generation finds some aspect of similarity amongst them to identify themselves as group, they will still run the risk of feeling uncomfortable and frustrated, since the level of racial finesse and specificity sought may never be attained. Racism is unending topic in the history and future of America, since the only ideal cure to this menace; multiracial intermarriages, has proved to be working against racial integration, and instead to be supporting more racial isolation (Riley, 4). Instead of interracial marriages establishing a culture of commonality of all, it has in turn emphasized on making an individual’s cultural identity central, resulting in a negative situation where people are just empathizing with their small peers, thus accelerating the isolation already being felt by some Americans of interracial ancestry (Riley, 4). The danger is that, sadly, such isolation is the same thing that the cultural conservatism advocates, such as Bill Cosby, are encouraging the society to cultivate. Works Cited Riley, Naomi S. “The Risks of Multiracial Identification”, 2010. 1-4. http://naomiriley.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/risk.pdf Tusa, Susan. ‘This Is How We Lost to the White Man’: The audacity of Bill Cosby’s black conservatism, May 2008. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/05/-this-is-how-we-lost-to-the-white-man/306774/ Read More