Pablo lives in the United States, where most people assume that he is Arab until they learn his name and hear his accent. They are surprised when Pablo tells them that he is from Spain and identifies as white, not Hispanic. Some even tell Pablo that he isn't really white. What does this suggest about race?

Question

Social Studies

Kristin Barron

7 July, 19:05

Pablo lives in the United States, where most people assume that he is Arab until they learn his name and hear his accent. They are surprised when Pablo tells them that he is from Spain and identifies as white, not Hispanic. Some even tell Pablo that he isn't really white. What does this suggest about race?

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Answers (1)

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Macey Donovan · Answer 1

Race is often determined based on skin color only.

Explanation:

Many people assume race can be determined based on skin color only. This is why a dark-skinned person is usually associated with somebody coming from the Middle East even if he or she is not. The reason for this assumption is that the skin is the largest organ and it is very salient.

Race is often very difficult to determine as many people are of mixed race. Making subjective assumptions about race can be dangerous and lead to misunderstandings. Many stereotypes and cultural biases were established in the first place because of peoples' misunderstanding of race and differences in cultural and social behaviors.