Home Page Forums General Discussion Can you change your race?

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  • #211649
    Anonymous
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    https://youtu.be/L1yWH6QSP4k

    Martina Big thinks so, as she has had cosmetic surgery to change her from a white European to a black African becoming trans-racial.

    #324063
    Anonymous
    Guest

    That’s not the only surgery she’s had…

    I heard about people coming out as “trans-racial”, a couple years ago. Personally, I believe it’s people jumping on the “persecuted” bandwagon; the “persecution complex” we talked about earlier. People will be offended (blacks, sex-trans, etc), and the SJWs will step in to put them in their place.

    But on the other hand, race arose from people living in isolation, which led to different cultures and phenotypic attributes. We are no longer isolated; and the world is largely turning into a single culture. Several hundred years from now, I doubt race will exist. In the meantime, I think it’s best to choose the best traditions to pick from each culture, and pull them into our lives. As far as major plasitic surgury goes, those traits don’t get passed on. Genetically speaking, they are irrelevant.

    If someone is more comfortable with a different shade of skin, for whatever reason, I’ve no problem with them making the change. Legally, there could be trouble. Otherwise, I would like to join the whites who claim 1/16th Native American, and get some of those stipends. I also don’t think healthcare should cover it. Racial-dysphoria seems like more of a pure psychological issue, vs the psychophysiological issue of gender-dysphoria. It’s on the same level as those breast implants. Sure, you might be more confident with size FFF breasts. Call me trans-fat, but heaven knows I could use a good tummy tuck. But it’s shouldn’t be a social rights issue.

    #324064
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Personally, I don’t think it’s a relevant question because I don’t really believe in race. Not really. All “race” really is is a skin color / set of body features and a (sub)culture. Every race has its own “racial privilege”. True, they aren’t all equal in status because the world is imperfect, but most of the differences stem from culture and upbringing, not skin color.

    I think the world would do well if we all learned a little more about each other’s subcultures. I don’t understand black culture because I grew up in a very white neighborhood, but I’m fascinated by it and it’s never too late to learn. White people would do well to understand where black people are coming from and black people would do well to embrace more options for success than sports and entertainment (for instance, it’s a real shame that black people look down on each other for becoming doctors and lawyers). I’m not well educated to all the issues and I may have struck a sour chord for some. I know there is a lot of complexity to it. I just hope that one day we can truly move beyond an issue so petty as skin color.

    I believe in heaven, there is no black or white. Just people. Perhaps they happen to have different flesh tones, but that’s about it, if anything.

    #324065
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Beefster, as gently as I can say this, your comment is full of stereotypes – many of which are incorrect. Also, there is NO such thing as “white culture” or “black culture”. There are myriad cultures within the broad categories of skin color, so those terms mean nothing objective – and they actually are used often to continue stereotypes that perpetuate discrimination and misunderstanding. (For example, the false idea of “white culture” is the basis of Manifest Destiny and the horrible injustices perpetuated by people who believed (and still believe) it.) The interesting thing is that every stereotype is accepted primarily because it has a root in humanity across the board and, therefore, is “true” of its target (and every other group of people who ever have lived).

    Mexicans are lazy? Yes, except those who aren’t – just like every other group imaginable. African-Americans are violent? Yes, except those who aren’t – just like every other group imaginable. Mormons are nice to a fault? Yes, except those who aren’t – just like every other group imaginable. The Irish drink a lot? Yes, except those who don’t – just like (almost) every other group imaginable. Catholics have lots of kids? Yes, except those who don’t – just like every other group imaginable.

    For those reasons, I personally refuse to use those terms (“white culture” and “black culture”). Period. I know that was not your intent, but, in practical terms, those are the common effects.

    Can someone change their race? They can change their skin color in many cases, but it doesn’t change their DNA or ancestry. So, no, they can’t change their race. They can change the race of their descendants through inter-marrying with other races, but they can’t change their own race. We are who we are, genetically.

    Finally, if anyone is interested in an amazing book about racial perspective, read “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison. It is stunning.

    #324066
    Anonymous
    Guest

    I recognize that my post was very stereotypical. And the fact that they are becoming less true over time shows that we are progressing. I know it was a bit insensitive to boil such a touchy and complicated subject down to a couple stereotypes. I guess the point I was trying to make is that people shouldn’t let the culture they were raised in (or their skin color) define who they are. It’s okay for a ghetto-born kid to become a lawyer.

    I still stand by the idea that “race” is meaningless.

    #324067
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Thanks for the follow-up comment. It is an example of why I love this site so much. :D

    #324068
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Reminds me of a Joke that Trevor Noah tells about being of mixed race descent (Trevor is a South African Comedian). He was filling out his bank information and it asked for race. Because Trevor is a mixture of several different races listed he asked the receptionist what he should put down. She said in that case he could just put down whatever race he wanted. So he put down white… The receptionist sputtered and almost swallowed her gum.

    All joking aside, it was interesting to me that a person of mixed decent could claim Hispanic, American Indian, black, or pacific islander based on some fraction of descent and not bat an eye. But a half white, black man (like Trevor or Barack Obama) could not similarly claim to be white based on the same reasoning.

    #324069
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Beefster, I’m going to have to agree with Curt, even after your clarification. I’ve only heard the quip “I don’t believe in race” come from white people, especially ones who are uncomfortable hearing about non-white people’s experiences of racism.

    I’ve lived in Harlem, and I would dare any white person to tell a black person there that race is meaningless and a petty issue. The white people who control the world have made black people’s race an issue, and therefore something that black people have had to contend with. Also, boiling people’s issues down to various levels of racial privilege is additionally insensitive and ignorant. Chris Rock has a funny quip: “No white man would want to trade places with me, and I’m rich!” When black teenagers are immediately classified as dangerous and guilty until proven innocent through intensive investigation while white teenagers caught red-handed are given every benefit of the doubt, that’s when “racial privileges” amount to more than just differences between cultures.

    Additionally, there’s plenty of hospitals in the area and I’ve seen many black people in scrubs and white coats. I’ve also seen a lot of people in the area dressed in suits and ties during the week, on their way to their finance jobs. Like you said, it may be that you’ve mostly been in white neighborhoods. I’ve learned that once you live among people who are different than you in almost every way, you learn that other people are just like you. I think America can take a page from South Africa and fully acknowledge its race issues in order to move forward, after all you can’t treat a wound if you don’t think it exists.

    Lastly, the woman seems like she’s certifiable. Skin color change or not, breast implants that size are ridiculous for so many reasons. Also, not all black women have “curves” like that.

    #324070
    Anonymous
    Guest

    I guess I should clarify once again. I believe race should be meaningless. Society obviously feels otherwise. It’s a needlessly complicated issue that I hope humanity can move beyond someday.

    #324071
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Reality is a pesky thing sometimes. ;)

    #324072
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Speaking of race-changing racial-insensitivity and outrage, did you hear about the new Dove ad?

    . [img=http://media.pennlive.com/nation-world/photo/dove%20ad.png][/img]

    Apparently, you can’t be a black-white-arab-trans-racial without breaking a few eggs. :D

    #324073
    Anonymous
    Guest

    The backlash against that add was, appropriately, massive. I am fairly certain the people responsible for pitching and approving it are looking for work somewhere else right now.

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