3 ms·

They are only a “minority” because someone decided to come up with a way (race) to divide people into groups where one group is bound to end up smaller, and som

They are only a “minority” because someone decided to come up with a way (race) to divide people into groups where one group is bound to end up smaller, and somehow claim that division is of significant importance. IMO the solution to that problem is definitely not to reinforce that division.

werber 5y ago
The United States is 76.3% white ( https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 ), it's not a division it's a number, there are just literally less people of color in the country, a minority of the population.
- csmpltn 5y ago
  > "The United States is 76.3% white ( https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 ), it's not a division it's a number, there are just literally less people of color in the country, a minority of the population." Will it be racist to continue using this terminology then, once the US reaches 50-50?
- rootusrootus 5y ago
  60% if you exclude Hispanics. Which, of course, raises its own questions about categorizations and who gets to make the definitions.
afavour 5y ago
I'm sympathetic to that viewpoint but as the sibling comment pointed out, America is 76.3% white. If the push is "remove all the divisions, everyone is part of one group" then the interests of the majority within that group will dominate.
- RHSeeger 5y ago
  I believe that 76.3% includes hispanics, and hispanics are considered a minority. When people talk about whites being the majority, my inclination is to assume they're talking about non-hispanic. That lowers the percentage to around 60% or so (I'm not sure on that number); still a majority, but not as much so.
pjc50 5y ago
> because someone decided to come up with a way (race) to divide people into groups where one group is bound to end up smaller Well, yes, and this was codified into US law until the last bits were finally suppressed in the 1960s, but that doesn't mean the underlying racism has been eliminated as well.
mjmsmith 5y ago
"someone decided to come up with a way (race) to divide people into groups where one group is bound" So close, and yet so far.

werber 5y ago

The United States is 76.3% white ( https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 ), it's not a division it's a number, there are just literally less people of color in the country, a minority of the population.

csmpltn 5y ago
> "The United States is 76.3% white ( https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045219 ), it's not a division it's a number, there are just literally less people of color in the country, a minority of the population." Will it be racist to continue using this terminology then, once the US reaches 50-50?
rootusrootus 5y ago
60% if you exclude Hispanics. Which, of course, raises its own questions about categorizations and who gets to make the definitions.

afavour 5y ago

I'm sympathetic to that viewpoint but as the sibling comment pointed out, America is 76.3% white. If the push is "remove all the divisions, everyone is part of one group" then the interests of the majority within that group will dominate.

RHSeeger 5y ago
I believe that 76.3% includes hispanics, and hispanics are considered a minority. When people talk about whites being the majority, my inclination is to assume they're talking about non-hispanic. That lowers the percentage to around 60% or so (I'm not sure on that number); still a majority, but not as much so.

pjc50 5y ago

> because someone decided to come up with a way (race) to divide people into groups where one group is bound to end up smaller Well, yes, and this was codified into US law until the last bits were finally suppressed in the 1960s, but that doesn't mean the underlying racism has been eliminated as well.

mjmsmith 5y ago

"someone decided to come up with a way (race) to divide people into groups where one group is bound" So close, and yet so far.