What does skin color have to do with race?

Question

Americans have this obsession with skin color.

Skin color seems to me like a stupid way to determine race. I'm Mexican, and I have blond hair. By Americans standards that would make me White. But I know skin color does NOT determine race. My face features and skull are anything but Caucasian.

I know my own country. I know that indigenous people in Central Mexico have a certain skull shape that's completely different from the skull of indigenous people in the Yucatan Peninsula have. Indigenous people in the Gulf of Mexico also look different, they are very likely descendants from the Totonac People. Although today we all call ourselves Mexican. It's clear that Mayan, Aztec, and Totonac people were not the same race. That's why they were always at war with each other before the Spanish came.

I don't know my ancestry. But because of the shape of my skull, I probably have some Totonac in me.

I notice Saxon people and Mediterranean people are very different from each other. They are both light skinned, but their facial features make them look as 2 different races. But Americans have this thing that everything is determined by skin color.

I've been to the Middle East. Many Lebanese people have white skin, and light eyes. Lebanese people are neither European or Arab. They are a completely different race, they come from the Phoenicians.

I've been to Egypt. Egyptians are in no way Arabs. Arabs are cousin from the Jews. Egyptians are an entirely different race. Many Egyptians are White.
Bedouins are also a different race than the rest of the Egyptians. Many Bedouins are very light skinned, with blue or green eyes.

Arabs are race who shares the same patriarch as the Jews. They are not related to either Egyptian, Lebanese or Europeans. Yet, many Arabs are white with light eyes.

I've been to Japan. Although light hair and light eyes are not common among them. Many Japanese have skin that's just as white as any European.

Race should be determined by face features, the shape of one's skull.

Why do Americans insist that skin color is what determines race?

Phoenix · Accepted Answer

Skin color has nothing to do with race, it's almost as silly as classifying people by height. This is just the phenotype many people have chosen, but it really has no relevance. 


Isn't it ridiculous?

Anonymous · Answer

The interesting question here is why do Mexicans always talk about their European and Native blood, but they all quietly ignore the prevalence of African genetics in Mexico?  Historical records show that mexico under Spain imported more Africans than the Anglo colonies ever did, yet no Mexicans ever mention this heritage, when discussing their own.   they always act like every Mexican is either a Conquistador or Aztec. 

And no to the question asked.   Skin color is the focus of race for more people, because race is an illusion.   Unless your ancestors are seriously inbred, what ever ethnic grouping you claim as a race is actual a polygot mixture of genes.   Genetic testing of various markers has just led to the conclusion that few races are a distinct genetic group.

Anonymous · Answer

It doesn't. People are just being racist, and that's what I say when someone attempts to determine someones race judging by their skin color. Having black skin doesn't neccesarily make you African American. I just think the determination of race by skin is stupid. Like you said some races have different shaped heads, that would be a more accurate way to determine someone ethenticity but I still don't think it's neccesary. Even being American I think all of us are racist pigs.

Jessica · Answer

well, i havnt read your full description so i dont know is this answer will cut it but...
the colour of you skin CAN determine race but not all the time, it depends on your families origins or skin type... some skin truly is just tanned by the sun, but some people have naturally black/asian/white skin, for example if your family originates from africa (even if its so far back you didnt know it, or cannot recall it in any records) you will have darker skin because your anestors will have been black, the same with asian or white people....
so yes skin colour can relate to race but sometimes it IS just sun tanning, but you cannot have naturally dark skin unless you are a different race even if its distant or have a medical condition xx sorry x

Anonymous · Answer

OR!!!! We should just ignore all this different race and racial classification mumble jumble....since we are ALL the same race....HUMANS!    What really matters in our diversity in culture.   Dividing people up in "different races" is pointless.   Classifying people on the skull shape reminds of those race obsessed eugenics in the past century.

Gray Bold · Answer

There was a classification system that did use facial features to determine race (caucasoid, mongoloid, *******), but it was abandoned because it had limitations.

Jesse · Answer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_skin_color

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism

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What does skin color have to do with race?

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