Choose Your Race?

Question

In my sociology class, we were talking about Rachel Dolezal. If any of you aren't familiar with her, she's a white woman who was born to a white family but identifies as black. She managed to get herself a spot in the NAACP and teaches a Black History course at a predominately black university. It only recently came out that neither of her parents are African American in decent, but had adopted African American children who Rachel grew up with. She claims that because of her connection to her siblings, she feels more black than white. She's gotten a lot of backlash for this now that the truth has come out. (I honestly don't remember what she did to change her skin and hair, but I know she did it herself) So my question is, do you think people can identify as a different race than they're born with? Just because they have a "connection" to it but it's not in their biology?

Accepted Answer

Nope.

Answer

No. You can't choose your race. I am black...but my MIL is Asian and I get along with her really well. We have an awesome connection but that doesn't make me Asian. My brothers wife is white and he gets along well with his BIL and SIL but he is still black. Just because you have a connection with a race of people doesn't mean you can pick and choose what race you are and adopt their culture as if it is your own

Answer

No, I don't think you can choose your race, and I absolutely despise the fact that people are now using her to question and invalidate trans people as if gender and race are comparable 🙄 they're not, that's all kinds of a faulty argument. 
Race to an extent, is a part of your DNA, you don't just get to choose, and no matter how you change your outward appearance, it doesn't change you DNA. I bleached my hair once, am I now naturally blonde? No. Still a brunette. Gender isn't physical at all though, that's why it's not indefinite.

Answer

Lol, no.

Answer

No. I can't understand why she couldn't have studied Black history and taught at an HBCU as a White woman. It would have been more impactful and authentic if ventured into a field WW are not typically represented in.

Can you admire and study a culture that's not yours? Absolutely! But something about the whole thing feels so performative.  I'm not into it.

Answer

Yeah we are all the same if that's what she choose then OK.

Answer

Hahaha no. My S/O's cousin is white as fuck, like myself. All her friends are black, which there's no problem with, but acts black to fit in with them.

She's always talking about her ni***s, black struggles, changes her voice, changes her attitude. Like, I know people change between family and friends, but you don't even want to associate with her when she's around her friends anymore. She's just so embarrassing. Like girl, you're not black, stop trying to be black. Get over it.

Answer

I feel like if we are socially required to accommodate or accept people of one gender identifying as the opposite gender the same standard should be applied to race. If people of one race say they identify as a different race how can we be allowed to be outraged if, at the same time, we are not allowed to be outraged by a woman identifying as a man (or vice-versa)?

Answer

This was actually a big debate on here a while back, the term is "transracial" if you would like to look it up. 
Anyway, I don't think you can claim to be or feel like a different race legitimately. You could definitely grow up immersed in a different culture that you associate with a particular race but I don't believe in transracial.

Answer

Uhhh No. That's like a bunny wanting to be a rabbit. The bunny can say he's a rabbit but his make up of dna is 100% bunny ;). Rachael Dolezal is lying to herself

Choose Your Race?

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