Just how many races are there?

SPC Charles Brown — Sun, 11 May 2014 14:44:44 -0400

I know what my opinion is on this issue, but I am curious to hear what my fellow RallyPoint members think about this.

Response by SFC Christopher Perry made May 11 at 2014 2:47 PM

SFC Christopher Perry — Sun, 11 May 2014 14:47:22 -0400

Are we talking cars, trucks or the ponies?

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2014 3:08 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 May 2014 15:08:20 -0400

CPL Brown,

Depends on your purpose and what you mean by how many races exist.

There are Social Security, Medicare, and other government ethnicity codes.
There are also more detailed national / international socioeconomic codes.

One brief answer is there is huge variability across people's genetic origins.
But, it is very hard to classify people w/ hundreds of cultures and languages.

It is more difficult to classify when people from two groups produce children.
Some cultural rights / inheritance codes distinguish even 1/16 genetic origin.

Do different genetics / languages / cultures / religions make different races?

One may as well try to code people according to their religion: Wicca/Druid.

Warmest Regards, Sandy

Response by PO2 Rocky Kleeger made May 11 at 2014 3:29 PM

PO2 Rocky Kleeger — Sun, 11 May 2014 15:29:57 -0400

I would hope, just one: the human race

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made May 11 at 2014 3:37 PM

SGM Matthew Quick — Sun, 11 May 2014 15:37:49 -0400

One - the Human Race

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made May 11 at 2014 3:43 PM

SGM Matthew Quick — Sun, 11 May 2014 15:43:05 -0400

In the military's 2012 Total Military Force race report, servicemembers who report themselves as White represent the largest proportion of the total DoD force (71.9%), while Black or African American members represent 16.2 percent. Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander members make up 3.5 percent, 1.3 percent, and 0.9 percent, respectively. Over two percent (2.1%) of members report themselves as Multi-racial.

This report is published by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Military Community and Family Policy), under contract with ICF International.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2014 4:10 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 May 2014 16:10:08 -0400

I have taken to checking all or none of the boxes pertaining to race/ethnicity on many things, even climate surveys.

I don't think there are other "races" of humans. Instead we have myriad ethnicities based on language, culture, religion and geography.

People in isolation, whether geographic or ideological, tend to be wary of the unknown, especially with people.

Response by SSG Robin Rushlo made May 11 at 2014 4:51 PM

SSG Robin Rushlo — Sun, 11 May 2014 16:51:48 -0400

Actually there is two the human race and the RAT race LOL

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2014 4:54 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 May 2014 16:54:05 -0400

I had a friend from Africa who wanted to check "african american" on his med school application - catch is, he's a white african. Took me a while to get him to understand why that would be a bad idea, even though he was technically correct.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2014 4:57 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 May 2014 16:57:13 -0400

Human race. I understand why some people take pride in their history, but we are all humans and if you are American you are American without anything before or after it. We are all from the same Maker.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2014 8:18 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 May 2014 20:18:11 -0400

Speaking of races, here is a racer who is 73 years old and still winning. Total wins over 1,300. Buzzie Reutiman.

Open Wheel Modifieds

Rank

Number

Driver

Points 2014 Modifieds

1 00 Buzzie Reutimann 180
2 64 Austin Sanders 165
3 9 Roger Crouse 135
4 73 Nate Bregenzer 127
5 35 Jerry Bruce Jr. 116

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made May 11 at 2014 9:24 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 11 May 2014 21:24:26 -0400

O man,there a lot of races. You got Nascar, Horse races, dog races, and all kinds of others. I even seen one where a snail raced a car. Don't even get me start on dog and pony shows.

Response by SSgt James Stanley made May 12 at 2014 8:07 PM

SSgt James Stanley — Mon, 12 May 2014 20:07:25 -0400

There is only one race, the Human race, made up of different colors and hues. Like the song says, "Red and Yellow Black and White we are precious in His sight".

Response by Sgt Packy Flickinger made May 13 at 2014 12:38 AM

Sgt Packy Flickinger — Tue, 13 May 2014 00:38:37 -0400

Asian, Caucasion, African American (although I hate that term since Charleze Theron is Cacuasion and African-American), Native American and I'm not sure what the Arab region falls under. Latinos are technically Caucasion.

Response by CPT Daniel Walk, M.B.A. made May 29 at 2014 11:25 PM

CPT Daniel Walk, M.B.A. — Thu, 29 May 2014 23:25:54 -0400

For nearly 20 years, geneticists have been proving there is no such thing as race. The .01% genetic difference across humans has been determined to be caused by environmental conditions in the ancestral homeland of the individual. It takes time for biological changes to catch up.

The research is plentiful. It means that the white guy from South Africa is likely to be more genetically similar to a black guy from an African Tribe than a white guy from Germany.

Race is an outdated socio-political classification system that has no idea how it wants to work.

Response by PO3 Donald Murphy made Feb 25 at 2017 11:27 PM

PO3 Donald Murphy — Sat, 25 Feb 2017 23:27:49 -0500

Depends on who's paying...