The Melting (Tea)pot

     America is famous for being the "great melting pot", a place where people from all over the world come together and unite as Americans regardless of differences. But that's a far too idealistic picture of this nation. In reality, race creates a massive schism in the US. Ultimately, race relations come down to nature versus nurture.

     Genetically speaking, human beings of all races are nearly identical. Sure, there are a few genes that express our phenotypic differences, such as the color of our skin, but at our core we are all the same species: Homo sapiens. In fact, over 99% of human DNA is the same as chimps'. If this is true, how different can races really be genetically? It's difficult not to lose sight of the fact that we are not so different after all.

A Chinese Market

     What really shapes our racial identities is the "nurture" aspect, meaning our environment. This includes our culture - foods eaten, languages spoken - as well as our own individual values. As a Chinese American, I can attest to the impact of cultural differences on my life. Since I was born here, I've acclimated to American life, where our main method of transportation is driving and our main diet seems to consist of hamburgers and French fries. Whenever I visit relatives in China, however, I'm immediately struck by the cultural differences there; People walk everywhere, speaking rapid-fire Chinese, while purchasing fresh ingredients from small stands on the streets. The two nations are starkly contrasted in terms of culture, which makes the racial barrier that much larger.
      In the end, it is humans' hubris and obstinacy that creates divides between races. It's so much easier to put on blinders and go about our daily lives than it is to take the time to try to understand others' perspectives. As David Foster Wallace said, "getting free of [our] natural, hard-wired default-setting" to be selfish is the largest battle. If we all stretched our minds to be more empathetic, the world might just be less hateful and racist.
     I'm often asked by relatives in China which nation I like better: China or America. I always smile and answer honestly - I love them both. -MC