Race, Smiles and The Wonderful World of Disney
by K. Francis
October/November 2001
What’s the truth about race and human origin? There are so many internet sites devoted to “interracial this” and “interracial that;” when you visit, a barrage of stereotypes and name-calling are mixed in with some strong, well-written pieces of opinionated thought. It is as if relationships of any kind between people with varying skin tone are something “wrong” or “separate” or to be distinguished from those of anyone else.
In fact in my travels across the United States, not one stranger has ever said a negative thing based on whom I was with. In various states, the ‘looks’ might be more condescending or critical, but in general, no. Against all stereotypes, I have run into more accepting smiles than anything else.
So why the big deal? What’s the truth about this “interracial” taboo that is archaic in nature? That’s just it. The truth is that there is no reason for any big deal at all, because this taboo, for those who choose to examine it, is clearly rooted in archaic hatred and segregation. Unfortunately, racial isolationism is the basis for the American culture as it is today, but only because of the origins of our culture and our country.
Brief history lesson: From the start, those who first governed America chose to segregate and separate humans by allowing the enslaving of some, the robbing of the land of others, the later exclusion of even more others, and alternately dignifying others based on “color” or “culture” or the idea of a superior or “right” culture and way of life. Think for instance of the American History surrounding the Native American, the African American, the Chinese American and the Japanese American. In addition, ponder the plight of Italian immigrants, Polish immigrants, Cuban immigrants, Puerto Rican migrants and Mexican immigrants.
Where did this “race” idea come from anyway? Scientists (later becoming Adolph Hitler’s idols) decided that brain size varied among people and categorized humans into separate “races” based on their biased findings. Four “races” were named. Thus, the false concept of “race” evolved into what still stands today. In actuality, recent scientific studies show that human beings are only .01% genetically different than any other human being, regardless of skin pigmentation.
This urge to classify people came from the human need to survive, and to be the stronger, better one. Simple. To justify taking land, killing people and enslaving others, the concept of “race” was developed and used as a political tool. The big question: why would anyone today want to stick to archaic and erroneous ideas about humanity actually being separate races? There’s no reason to today, especially in America. Pretty much all of the land has been conquered and parceled, and slavery has been abolished (by law) for over 100 years in America.
I for one have chosen to learn from the mistakes of our past leaders, not mimic them. It takes a lot of thought on the issue to undo the effects of years and years of bias in America. But it can be done. It’s a huge paradigm shift of course, but it can be done. This does not mean that I believe every person should have to run out and find someone of a different color to make children with to help close the “racial” gap. Instead, I do believe that those of us who happen to or choose to fall in love with, marry, associate with, live with, or raise a person who simply “looks different” than we do have a right to do so. More than having a “right to” do so, I push this further and say that there is nothing wrong or immoral or sick about it at all. Reason being; we are humans. The thing that makes us different from each other is culture, not genetics. This means that integrating two cultures can be as beautiful as having a mixed vase of flowers instead of a group of one type of blooms.
Because Americans are of so many cultures, we sometimes still see this trend toward isolating each culture and finding the “superior” one. It might be natural, but it’s totally unnecessary at this point. And it’s just not possible, scientifically, either. 99.9% of your “white” genes are the same as the “black” man’s down the street and vise versa. So why bother? It’s about time American government banned the use of race classification, both because of the historical background to these beliefs and because of the natural and growing trend toward bi- and multi-racial families.
On a recent trip with friends to that wonderful world of Disney, it suddenly occurred to me that what I had known in my heart to be true for years and years about the human race actually has proof, if one chooses to see that truth.
Let’s take for example how humans, especially Americans, flock to a place like Walt Disney World. There are so many people there that at times, you can barely walk through certain areas. ALL have found that “happiest place on earth.” Somehow, the crowd manages to be thicker and thicker each time I go, and is also the most varied group of human beings in one place at one time that probably exists. But being there with people of different “races” never meant a thing to anyone else there. People sleep in ROOMS (not separate houses) next to each other, eat at close proximity, share “cars” on rides and they cannot CHOOSE who is with them most of the time and never seem to think of it. Everyone rushes, talks, argues, sweats, cries (if a hungry child), gets lost, happily cheers, claps, steps on the back of someone’s shoe and screams on Space Mountain. Accepting smiles are exchanged. In fact, in the “happiest place on earth,” who knows what “color” a voice is? No one seems to care to try and figure that out.
A final image to leave you with: Riding the train that circulates the park, it passes the station where hundreds of people wait to board. The trains loads, and as it pulls off, those against the rail begin to wave to the train simultaneously. They do not look at each other and mimic each other; they just instinctively all begin to wave, like a field of wind-blown wheat. Their hands are a pebbled mass of movement, in varying shades of beige, from deep brown to ivory; their accessories range from Muslim head wraps and fisherman’s caps, to turbans, baseball caps, wave caps, crutches, high heels, braided hair, wheelchairs, and bald, shiny heads. Their faces are dots of pink, cream, brown, sepia, cinnamon, and other shades.
Of course the smiles are all the same.
Copyright © 2001 K. Francis and The Multiracial Activist.. All rights reserved.