An in-depth and accessible unraveling of the complex relationships between race, biology, culture, inequality, and power
Anthropologists have long argued that the old 19th-century racial paradigm of four or five races (i.e., Black, White, Asian, Malay, and Native American) is not scientifically valid. In a biological sense, there are no such things as races. Contemporary humans are, and have always been, one species, with roots in Africa. There are no subspecies of humans. Yet this idea seems to contradict the experiences of many people in the United States and other countries where racial classification is used daily, by individuals and institutions. Race still matters, whether in wealth accumulation, educational achievement, health, the legal system, or in personal safety. How can race not be real when we experience its effects every day?
Mukhopadhyay, Moses, and Henze systematically deconstruct the myth of race as biology and address the reality of race as a cultural invention, drawing on both biocultural and cross-cultural perspectives. In so doing, they shed light on the intricate, dynamic interplay among race, culture, and biology. Part I, “The Fallacy of Race as Biology,” unravels, chapter by chapter, the myth that races are biologically valid divisions of humanity. Part II, “Culture Creates Race,” explores in detail the concept of race as a social construction. Part III, “Racial and Hot-Button Issues,” takes everyday realities and uses them as a starting point for uncovering the way racial ideologies work in these settings.
How Real Is Race? is one of the most essential books about the intersections of race, racism, and human diversity. The authors' thoughtful, proven exercises help readers to think more profoundly and synthetically. I hope this new, updated edition is read and used widely by teachers, students, and everyone else.--Alan H. Goodman Ph.D., Professor Hampshire College, former president of the American Anthropological Association
Carol Mukhopadhyay, Rosemary Henze, and Yolanda Moses are seriously engaged anthropologists whose co-authored book, How Real is Race? Unraveling Race, Biology, and Culture, is an important contribution. It is an exemplar of socially responsible scholarship committed to serving the public good. More than ever, a compendium of this quality and scope--enriched by a cross-cultural overview--is urgently needed for the life-long learning of a wide range of readers situated across many sectors of society. The contents of the third edition have been enhanced by evidence from the most recent research trends on the difference between the sociocultural life of race and the biology of human variation; the interplay among race, sex, and gender; the effects of racial stratification on public health; and the impact that the racial worldview and its accompanying practices have on academic achievement and immigration policies. At a moment when race has become deeply contentious and dangerously polarizing, we need this book. In a sociopolitical climate in which books on this subject are being censored and banned, we cannot afford to allow the potency and legitimacy of How Real is Race? to be repudiated.--Faye V. Harrison, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Carol C. Mukhopadhyay is professor emeritus of anthropology at San Jose State University.
Yolanda T. Moses is professor of anthropology and associate vice chancellor for Diversity, Excellence and Equity at University of California, Riverside. She is the author of Race (Wiley 2020).
Rosemary C. Henze is professor of linguistics and language development at San Jose State University.
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