“In the United States, there is a long tradition of trying to draw sharp lines between ethnic groups, but our ancestry is a fluid and complex matter. In recent years geneticists have been uncovering new evidence about our shared heritage, and last week a team of scientists published the biggest genetic profile of the United States to date, based on a study of 160,000 people.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Race is a cultural construct; even though it is incredibly problematic, it is a powerful way in which we think of who we are and how others think of who we are.    

Questions to Ponder:  What are some problems with putting too much stock in race?  Why does the idea of race still matter so much in the United States? 

Tags: race, historical, the South, USA, map.