Race

The other day I was sitting on the bus (yay a seat!) coming home from work, and I saw a girl get on. She was tall and had dark skin, and pretty much every Nicaraguan I know would (admittedly or not) take one look and label her as someone from the Atlantic coast. (The two coasts of Nicaragua tend to have very stereotypically different physical appearances.) And maybe they are right—maybe she was born there. But as I sat there studying her, I found myself thinking…I wonder what would her race be? Would she be Black? African? Hispanic? Afro-Caribbean? If I were to describe her as “African-looking” what African would I actually be referring to? Surely there is more than one type of African look.

So then I got really confused. What exactly IS race? It seemed to me that some race labels are related to where the person is from while others are simply colors. (Pacific Coast Islander and Indian vs. White and Black) That made no sense to me. If it is based off the person’s culture or where s/he is from, then wouldn’t a person’s nationality or ethnicity suffice? If it is based off color, then there would be way more choices than just white or black. If it takes into account facial features, what happens if you have a combination of different ones or if the facial features and the skin color don’t match the archetypical description? There are some people I know who have pretty light skin, yet they would not consider themselves “White.”  What would a person of mixed races be? Do we have to choose only one?

The whole idea of race really doesn’t make much sense to me. I would so much rather know where my ancestors came from geographically and culturally than know what specific physical traits they passed to me. And if people need to describe me by my skin color, I would definitely not call myself white…it would probably more of a light tan at the moment.

I’m honestly at the point of never filling out the race category on any future form that asks me…

But while I may think the idea of race sounds ridiculous, there is no doubting that there are enough people who accept it as a truth that it is actually a reality in the world. For instance, the idea of race in Nicaragua plays a big role in human interactions and relationships. From what I have experienced (please, please anyone correct me if I´m wrong…I know I´ve been here almost 2 years but I´m not an expert.), people tend to mainly recognize the following races: Foreign White, Atlantic Coast Black, Chinese, Indigenous, and Mestizo (Mix). Foreign White tends to describe anyone that has very light skin, big eyes, a small nose, and very often lighter hair. (The idea of a darker-skinned foreigner is hardly if ever recognized.) Atlantic Coast Black would describe someone with very dark skin, dark hair, very tall, and more built. Chinese refers to basically anyone with smaller eyes. Indigenous refers to various groups of people with brown skin and dark hair who have been living in Nicaragua and following their own traditions since before the conquistadors. Everyone else seems to just fall under the Mestizo category—brownish skin and dark hair (although it varies).

Mestizo tends to be the majority in the area of Nicaragua where I am. As the dominate race, there is a freedom and acceptance that exists for those that are a part of it. It is seen as normal. If you ever see a tourist brochure depicting the “traditional” Nicaragua, you will most likely see this group of people represented. However, despite the freedom, there does seem to be the feeling that people from this group would prefer lighter skin…(At least I personally have heard a lot of comments along these lines.)

The Indigenous population tends to be pretty small, and unfortunately not much of their original roots has survived. Many people relate to them as an important part of the history, culture, and identity of Nicaragua, but in the present day affairs they often tend to get overlooked or pushed aside.

People associated with the Foreign White race tend to be associated with good qualities. They are seen as beautiful, trustworthy, and financially wealthy. It would seem that despite all the horrible things that lighter-skinned people have done here in the past, their good reputation is incorruptible. I have personally benefited from this bias on a few occasions, although I try my best to avoid this as much possible. For example, even though I´m not a student, I can get into the UCA (the big Jesuit university) simply by saying I have an appointment with someone, whereas other Mestizo-looking, non-students have told me that the guards ask a lot of questions, and then they have to leave a form of identification at the door. It is also very easy for me to get ride if I ever hitchhike anywhere.

On the other hand, people associated with Atlantic Coast Black are many times treated warily. Even though they technically come from the same country, their dress, language, religion, dance, food, and other traditions tend to be distinct, and I think due to little interaction with and understanding of these differences, there exists some fear and negative sentiments towards them. A coworker explained to me that even their physical stature can create these feelings, as they tend to be a lot bigger and taller than the Mestizo population.

Then there are the people put in the Chinese category. Again there does not seem to be a great understanding of this group of people. They are seen as very smart, but also often mean, stingy, and even ugly. This racial label is very frustrating for it tends to group all Asian backgrounds together. Someone I know here who was born and raised in the U.S. but who has Korean roots expressed how difficult it was to be labeled this way by so many people.

In the end, all of these perceptions are harmful. We cannot allow made up racial categories to determine how we view and treat other people. They may be quick, easy ways to label and organize people in our heads, but they never do justice to the people we are sorting. They assume often incorrect information about others. Even those sentiments that seem positive (thinking that foreign white people are beautiful and trustworthy) can be hurtful, as they tend to put these people on a high pedestal and create an inequality. As flattering as it may initially sound to hear that my skin is beautiful, I always cringe. I know that what they really mean is that it’s pale so it’s better. (One woman even straight up said to her daughter, “Wouldn’t you rather have Jana’s skin?” as if the obvious answer was yes.) Those sentiments that are negative are even more harmful as they directly and violently oppress the people they are directed towards. And it all stems from a place of ignorance and fear.

Can’t we just let people be who they are for once…?