Omi, Winant

Reader Response Paper

 Explain how Omi and Winant disagree with the statement: “These and innumerable other examples show that we tend to view race as something fixed and immutable-something rooted in ‘nature.’”
 

 The reason that they disagree with this statement is that race is not fixed and it is not rooted in nature.  They believe that race is something that changes with every generation.  When they say “these and innumerable other examples” they want to show through the example that we view race as something fixed and immutable.  But they disagree with that because race is something that does not have the same meaning, it changes with time.  “Something rooted in ‘nature.’”  When something is rooted in nature that means it does not change for a very long time, and it is done the same way every single time.  For example if a family is used to having a traditional thanksgiving dinner the way it’s been done for several decades.  They continue to do it the same way because it is rooted in nature.  Well Omi and Winant believe it is not the same way with race.  Right now we might have a certain definition that we assimilate with racism, but over several decades, racism might not have the same definition as it does now. And that’s what I believe they are trying to say in this quote.  “They are the results of diverse historical practices and are continually subject to challenge over their definition and meaning.”  Race is something that is not fixed, and through out the essay they give examples of how we believe that race is fixed.  But the authors believe that race is something that is changing.

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