We at Mixed and Happy found this article by Samantha Smithstein, Psy.D. about Obama’s much discussed self-identification on the 2010 census.

This week, the New York Times reported that “It is official: Barack Obama is the nation’s first black president.” Evidently, President Obama chose to check the “African-American” box when defining his race for the 2010 census.

Mr. Obama had several options, as does anyone filling out the census. Starting with the 2000 census, respondents have been no longer forced to choose a single-race identity; they can now check one box, several boxes, or check “some other race” and then write-in their identity. Mr. Obama is the son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas. He was born in Hawaii and raised there and in Indonesia. He chose to simply check “African-American.”

From the perspective of science and biological anthropology, race does not exist. In other words, there is not one gene, trait, or characteristic that distinguishes all members of one race from all members of another. In fact, eighty-five percent of all human variation can be found in any local population, and a full ninety-four percent can be found on any continent. In other words, there are no sub-species when it comes to humans; we are, in truth, one of the most genetically similar to each other species of all species on earth.

What, then, is race? And if it is not a concept that can be measured scientifically, how (and why) do we define it?

The answer to the first question (what is race) is easier than the second (how and why): race is a social construct. In other words, groups of people define race based on social hierarchies, prejudice, culture, language, etc. in whatever way makes sense to them or suits them. For example, within Guatemala, native populations might be considered a different race than those of Spanish descent. But when any Guatemalan comes to the United States, they would likely be defined as “White, Hispanic.” The Nazi’s might have defined Jews and Gypsies as inferior races, but in other parts of the world they might be seen as simply “White.” In Rwanda, race might be defined as Tutsi and Hutu whereas other parts of the world might consider them simply “Black.” The term “Asian” attempts to encompass a wide range of people with incredibly diverse cultures, languages, and histories, many with their own definitions of race within each. The “what is race” question, then, is answered thus: race does not exist and race is defined by a particular group of people (culture, nation, continent, town, city, etc.) in a particular way at any particular time. Continue reading at Psychology Today>>>

Samantha Smithstein, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist. She has assessed and treated adults, adolescents, couples, and children on issues related to relationships, attachment, and trauma. She co-founded and directs (with Elizabeth Corsale, MA, MFT) a treatment center for people suffering from impulse disorders such as compulsive stealing, sexual behaviors, and electronic media use and gaming, and the partners and families of such individuals. This center, Pathways Institute for Impulse Control (www.pathwaysinstitute.net), also serves those with learning differences.

Dr. Smithstein has considerable experience in forensic psychology, working with and evaluating people who have been arrested, charged, or convicted for their behaviors. She has provided hundreds of evaluations for the courts and has provided court testimony and community consultation and training. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), Association for Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA), and the California Coalition On Sexual Offending (CCOSO). She is also a writer and photographer.