| "We are unique in this country in the way we | | | | and the rest were whites. On the other hand |
| describe and define race and ascribe to it | | | | such person will be totally accepted by black |
| characteristics that other cultures view very | | | | population and partially or totally rejected |
| differently", those are the words of Thomas | | | | as white by whites. The issue of black vs. |
| C. Sawyer who is a chairman of House | | | | white in case of blended blood is not only |
| Sub-committee on Census, Statistics, and | | | | racial, but it is truly political now and |
| Postal Personnel. Although the question of | | | | consequently economical. There are great |
| race and ethical belongingness could seem to | | | | numbers of economic issues that are |
| be of a minor importance in other countries, | | | | associated with distinguishing of the races. |
| it is a very debatable and controversial | | | | Such as affirmative-action programs for black |
| issue in the States. America is probably the | | | | population as for the minority group is an |
| only country in the world which holds so many | | | | important aspect for most of its |
| nationalities and races on one piece of land. | | | | representatives. They receive certain |
| And although America is considered to be a | | | | privileges in a lot of aspects of life, such |
| very democratic entity, it has a rather | | | | as education, work place, living |
| autocratic approach to the race | | | | arrangements, etc. Consequently one can view |
| identification of its citizens. The whole | | | | the one-drop rule as two sided, as it can |
| concept of one-drop rule has its roots in the | | | | have positive and negative effect. |
| colonial America, when there were only few | | | | Politically it is not a constructive decision |
| races inhabiting the States. There were | | | | to let go off of all the privileges such |
| whites, blacks, and Native Americans | | | | minorities as black people receive, lobbying |
| (Indians). The antebellum South promoted the | | | | their interests in the government. I believe |
| rule as a way of enlarging the slave | | | | however, that the question is not in any |
| population with the children of slave | | | | political or economic benefits or damages |
| holders. By the nineteen-twenties, in Jim | | | | that such groups can undergo. It is not a |
| Crow America the one-drop rule was well | | | | question of number of boxes in which one |
| established as the law of the land. As one | | | | marks national integration, but a question of |
| can see, the notion of one-drop rule was made | | | | how one feels when he or she is unfairly |
| out of the convenience of slave masters, who | | | | prearranged to be something. An adult person |
| wished for the slave population to grow. It | | | | should decide to which race and color he/she |
| was for the purpose of having more working | | | | belongs and how one feels about it, and no |
| force, although a lot of times slaves had | | | | one should indicate it. Even if there are two |
| skin as fair as their masters'. That is where | | | | drops of black blood in a white or Asian |
| all the confusion with determining one's | | | | person, the holder of those two drops has to |
| racial belongingness started. Nowadays, | | | | decide to which race he/she belongs, |
| although two centuries have elapsed, America | | | | especially because it's an only a matter of |
| is facing a problem of defining one's race. | | | | social debates and not biological assessment. |
| The mixture of peoples living in the States | | | | Canada has found an answer to this problem 50 |
| is incredible, it is very hard for a person | | | | years ago when it decided to drop the race |
| to identify to what extent he or she is black | | | | question from its census and hasn't return to |
| or white, Asian or Hispanic. Although this | | | | it ever since. Now Canadians are only |
| racial issue should concern all mixed | | | | Canadians, with all the bloods they have in |
| "bloods" somehow one-drop rule considers | | | | them being only their own and not a subject |
| black and white mixtures solely. This | | | | to governmental discussion. In conclusion to |
| approach galvanizes a number of racist | | | | all being said above, I have to acknowledge |
| issues, which are mostly diminished in other | | | | that the elimination of ethical differences |
| inter-racial mixtures such as Asian and white | | | | in legal papers will probably never happen in |
| or Indian and white. It is believed that | | | | America, I do hope that any number of drops |
| person with just a little of black blood is | | | | of different blood type will not result in |
| not considered white even if his or her | | | | racism or racial inequality. |
| great-great-great-great grandfather was black | | | | |