I've heard about it all my life and I pretend to understand it, but (ok, I'm showing my ignorance) but I really don't understand when someone talks about a person's race.

I'll try to explain: I know that people look the way they look: some people have dark skin, some have light. Some have dark or curly or whatever harr. There are different colored and shaped eyes, or noses, or whatever. Some of us are big, some small.

Yes, some people's ancestors came from different parts of the world. And, since I have a degree in sociology, I understand that a lot of different cultures comprise the communinities in whch we live.

But honestly, what is race? I wish I could “get it”. I feel like I'm missing something. Something obvious to everyone but me. Everybody I know seems to grasp it, but I just can't.

I've learned to fill out forms, entering Caucasian in the “race” slot, because I've been told that's who I am. Why don't we have the “human” option, and just be done with it?

Can someone help me understand this?

I've heard about it all my life and I pretend to understand it, but (ok, I'm showing my ignorance) but I really don't understand when someone talks about a person's race.

I'll try to explain: I know that people look the way they look: some people have dark skin, some have light. Some have dark or curly or whatever harr. There are different colored and shaped eyes, or noses, or whatever. Some of us are big, some small.

Yes, some people's ancestors came from different parts of the world. And, since I have a degree in sociology, I understand that a lot of different cultures comprise the communinities in whch we live.

But honestly, what is race? I wish I could “get it”. I feel like I'm missing something. Something obvious to everyone but me. Everybody I know seems to grasp it, but I just can't.

I've learned to fill out forms, entering Caucasian in the “race” slot, because I've been told that's who I am. Why don't we have the “human” option, and just be done with it?

Can someone help me understand this?