[ExI] are we not just one race, the human race?

[Lee Corbin]

Sorry, Artillo, for not responding to your message earlier. I got
side-tracked.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <artillo at comcast.net>
To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2008 5:45 AM
Subject: Re: [ExI] are we not just one race, the human race?

Artillo writes

> [John Grigg wrote]
> 
>> Will it take humanity meeting & socializing with an intelligent
>> alien race for us to fully realize we ourselves are but one race?
> 
> That's how I always look at the world, unfortunately most
> people for some reason or other can't seem to get past cosmetic
> differences. "We all bleed red" is what I often say. People will
> always look for ways to differentiate themselves from others
> that are not "like us". 

Yes, it's built in, unless some pretty powerful memes or self-interest
override it.

> I'm not from a Hispanic land, I'm not of Asian descent, I'm not
> black (does anyone know ANYONE who is actually the color
> "black" anyway?) I am, ethnically speaking, AMERICAN.
> I mean it's just an exercise in futility and divisiveness that
> doesn't need to be.

Nothing---nothing in the world---would  please me as much
as if EVERY AMERICAN thought exactly the way you do.
(For one thing, that would instantly end all this "diversity" crap.)

About a century ago, half of what you and I want really was
true!  Everyone who'd emigrated there had the half that said
"I am an American".  Especially the Italians.  When the statue
of liberty came into view, they'd start cheering, and practically
would not stop cheering until they got through Ellis Island, at
which point they'd proudly proclaim, "Now *I* am an
AMERICAN!"

Sadly, many others did not view them as genuine Americans.
Part of their "reasons" are ignoble, but part simply correspond
to a reality. Even these particular new Americans found that
they could sustain only half of their new identity.

Because even if they were lucky enough not to find themselves
in a neighborhood where there were some Irish, or some Jews,
or some whatever who took *their* own ethnicity pretty 
seriously, or some of the long time European residents who
just dismissed anybody else as "just off the boat"---that is,
if they happened be incredibly lucky and found themselves
in neighborhoods where they were regarded and treat
with utter fairness, a problem still emerged:

They spoke English only with difficulty, found many of the
cultural practices they encountered to be very strange, and
frankly, found that after a while they just liked being with
people who were more like themselves.  Soon most were
living in some "little Italy" somewhere.

Now they *should* have forced themselves somehow to
move out into the middle of the huge United States and
somehow overcome whatever obstacles there were, and
raise their children by hell or high water as non-"Italians".
But who can blame them?  Would I have had the strength
or the foresight either one to do that?  I am afraid not,
sad to say.

Again, I sincerely wish that everyone living in the United
States could have your attitude.  What an even greater
nation it would be!

Lee