One of the fastest ways to frustrate me is to give me a notion that someone is acting a certain way because of their race.  What is even more frustrating is when someone is telling a story, and I hear another person ask, “What was he?” just to confirm the racial stereotype that exists in their mind.  I never understood this. It is as if our outside skin color or race transforms to our character or who we are as people.  In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Yet, here we are, decades later, making assumptions about people based on their race and skin color.

Racial culture does not exist. There is no such thing as White culture, Black culture, Arab culture, or any other form of culture tied to race. This article is written to start a conversation about race and culture in the world we live in. However, before I delve into the topic, I think it is imperative that we understand the difference between race and culture.

What is Race? 

Race is the genetic makeup from your parents on how you will appear when you come out of your mother's womb. That’s all race is. Culture isn’t passed down from DNA like race is. Culture is something you are assimilated with based on your environment growing up. Let’s look at an example. If you take an Asian baby from the day he is born and put him in a Palestinian-American household (my childhood) … he is going to grow up speaking Arabic, dancing to Dabka (a traditional Palestinian dance), and eating Hummus. That is the environment he grew up in. He is a product of his environment. That baby can be Black, Hispanic, or White and he will still have the same childhood. His outside skin color is irrelevant (living in a non-racist society; Not America). He would not be engaging in “Arab” culture but instead “Palestinian” culture. I present to you this example to show you that your outside skin color or race is irrelevant when it comes to your culture. 

What is Culture? 

Culture is any traditional practice or act that a group of people create from similar backgrounds or environments they are associated with. This can consist of food, music, dances, handshakes, or even certain practices. There are nontraditional forms of culture as well; these include office culture and college culture. Many of you at this point will insert race into the definition of culture. Even Webster Dictionary defines race as a form of culture, but I respectfully disagree. “But Ali, race counts as similar backgrounds.” This is not true at all. Let us look at an example of a White child raised in Compton, California, and a White child raised in Beverly Hills, California. Compton has a  majority Black and Hispanic community, with less than a 2% White population, while, Beverly Hills’ racial makeup is 85% White. The two White kids have the same race, but very different backgrounds. As a matter of fact, it is most probable that the White child raised in Compton will have more of a cultural connection to the Black and Hispanic communities in Compton than to the White community in Beverly Hills. The reason being culture is independent of race.   Similarly, a Black person who lives in Mississippi has a different culture than a Black person living in Toronto or Ghana. When thinking about someone’s culture, it is better to think about the environment surrounding them rather than their race.

For anything to be considered part of the race’s “culture”, then 100% of that race’s population must engage in such activity. I know this is an impossible burden to meet but that is the point. A majority or super majority is not enough because then it translates to just a stereotype rather than a “racial culture” activity. I find it really unfair that we can make assumptions of an individual because other people that share the same skin color as them, are acting a certain way or engaging in a certain activity. If 99.99% of a particular race is acting a certain way or engaging in a certain activity then it is not part of the race’s culture, but rather just a super-majority that should not even be noted or recognized as “Culture”. 

Misconception of Racial Culture v. Segregation 

Racial stereotypes mainly exist because of historical segregation within that country or region. Take the Black race in America as an example. Black people have been discriminated against and systematically segregated for centuries in America (still continuing in some regions). When such a large group, regardless of race, has been segregated from the rest of society, then naturally that group forms their own culture. They form different types of food, music, dialogue, etc., between themselves. Starting in the 1970’s, with Civil Rights movement relieving some of the discrimination, Black people in America were finally allowed to be assimilated with the rest of society and transform their own individual culture. It is very important to note that we as a society must distinguish between segregated cultures versus racial cultures. I make note of this because a lot of Black racial stereotypes were created during this time in America when they were unfairly discriminated against. As we see now, Black people in America have been progressing in society, which translates to culture assimilation into different social classes and slowly moving away from the different culture practices they once engaged in during discriminatory and segregated times. Give Black people 100 more years of equality and I can almost guarantee you that they will progress further and achieve greater but as this occurs; their culture will be shaped to reflect a more diverse outlook (Melting Pot Theory).  This is not only true with Black people but every race that was segregated against and separated from the rest of society. 

Now, to address a deeper concern of the line of thinking I am proposing, we must be mindful that there is a group of hateful and racist people out there that will use this line of thinking to strip Black people and other minority groups from the achievements that they have accomplished. This is not what this article is about. Blacks and other minority groups should be recognized for their achievements, but it should be done on an individual basis instead of a whole racial group. The exception to this is if the creation of the product/movement was formed for the purposes of anti-discriminatory reasoning that the particular race was going through at the time. For example, hip-hop was created in the 70’s by Black people to counter the social injustice they received during the time. Black people should be recognized for it but to be clear, hip-hop is not Black culture (based on my theory referenced above).  I also believe in movements like "Black Lives Matter" and organizations like the NCAAP to continue to exist until equality is met. These organizations/movements are needed when the minority race is underrepresented in society like it is in America but one day I am hopeful that they are no longer needed. 

What is the point of this blog/article? 

We all have seen those viral videos where minorities (mainly Blacks and Hispanics) get unjustly stopped or identified to be doing something wrong or illegal, when in fact they were entitled to be there.  Then later we hear in interview that the person who was doing the profiling swears they aren't racist.  The point of this article is to eliminate racial stereotypes because these stereotypes eventually turn into subconscious racism, which then eventually turns into profiling. For example, a common stereotype for the Arab race, is that Arabs are very bad at being punctual. One time for a wedding, I was told not to come “Arab time,” but instead, to be on “American time.” This stereotype was not negative and didn't hurt my feelings. However, this is the line of thinking I am referring to because it is an unfair stereotype for the many Arabs that are punctual, even if a majority are untimely. Now, you are probably thinking that such stereotypes are not hurting anyone, so why do we need to change this? The reason we need to avoid stereotypes is because once the door of racial stereotyping is opened, then it invites the opportunity for many negative stereotypes to be presented based on race. This can lead to discriminatory practices from businesses, law enforcement, and private individuals. Whether it is picking a neighborhood to live in or a store owner following a minority around when he shops, the negative effects of racial stereotypes are apparent in society. A good example is the stereotype that Black people have in regard to “being good at sports.” You might think that such stereotype is not a bad character trait to possess, but overtime society can transform it into a negative connotation by saying that "Black people are only good at sports." I have a good friend who is terrible at sports, and I can attest to that from personally seeing him. However, he was in the top 10% in my law school; nevertheless, society has already dictated his public persona just because he was born Black.  

As you see, racial stereotypes are unfair because the person is born into the race without any choice in the matter. So, from my perspective, and if you are a God fearing person, then from a religious perspective, we should not stereotype someone based on God’s work (based on race, skin color, or physical appearance) because the person never had a choice to be that race, they were just born into it. 

So how do we stop it? 

There is only one way, and that is to become blind to race. Do not look at an individual based on the color of their skin. Instead, look at them for who they are. It is that simple. 

Why I decided to write this? 

As an Arab, growing up in America after 9/11 wasn’t exactly the easiest thing for me. I was automatically stereotyped as a terrorist by many Americans. I was called names, got into fights, received unfair treatment from teachers, and went through other forms of discrimination. I can’t forget to mention those time wasting “random” airport checks, my personal favorite. I remember when Osama Bin Laden was killed, I had one guy drunkenly yell at me “Hey aren’t you sad that your Uncle Osama died?” I have many examples like this. I was stereotyped because I was an Arab. They didn’t know anything about me or who I was as a person, but they automatically thought because the terrorists who committed the horrific acts on 9/11 were of Middle Eastern decent or Arab, then I must support them and share their views. Such ignorant thinking made me open my eyes. It made me realize that my race is nothing more than my outside skin color. It doesn’t define me one bit. I never got to choose what race I wanted to be born into, but it was the choice of God. I must NOT look at any other people’s race and make generalizations because God creates every individual with special physical characteristics, and I must not discriminate against them by making assumptions and stereotypes.

You might not agree with everything I said but I hope you can take this point of view and no longer make assumptions  or stereotypes in regard to a person's race.  

God Bless

Ali Younes