ethnicity - nationality - race

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Originally posted by JuMong

It's difficult to get beyond race issues as human beings seem tribal by nature. I use to remember Liberals espouse the idea that human beings weren't born racist and that it's a learned behavior; but, more I go through life, more I'm beginning to realize that humans maybe born racists and that we spend so much energy throughout our lives trying not to be.

In the modern world , it seems we think more in terms of culture rather than race. Whether it's Western Culture or Eastern Culture; superior culture vs inferior culture.  This maybe related more to the anxiety of terrorism and the Illegal alien problems we face today.

Yes, human beings are "tribal" by nature, but being "tribal" doesn't imply being racist.
The whole issue of this thread is to clarify the different concepts of "race" and "ethnicity", which are of 2 different meanings.

"Ethnicity" is indeed a milenium-old concept, but mainly defined by language. I consider this natural because you naturally feel closer to people who you can communicate with. (imagine logging on to a forum in the Eskimo language, you wouldn't understand a thing!)

Pre-modern cultures had been very ethno-centric and apartheid regimes were well attested (like the Mongols in China and the Greeks in Egypt). But prior to the 19th century, no civilization has ever defined the boundaries of "ethnicity" by biological race. "Colour" was strictly used to define how one looked, like being "blond" or "brunet". 

In the Greco-Roman world class divisions were mainly made between "citizens" and "foreigners" and "slaves", but neither of the 3 catagories were defined by colour. 

Ethnic divisions and conflicts will always occur: like between Serbs and Albanians and Kosovo, Arabs and native Africans in Sudan, Vudus and Hutus in Rwanda.... etc, but thinking of race as a sharp divison between "blacks", "whites" and "Asians" is more of a US concept today that has little validity in other countries. 

In the world today, I reckon that neither race, language, religion, or culture is becoming the main divider of mankind and civilisations.
It is ECONOMIC STATUS that counts!!
Most of the xenophobia is suffered by immigrants from poor countries.
Spain is a prime example: no one has any problems with rich Saudi Arabians or Kuwaitis living on the Costa del Sol, but the starving Moroccans, Senegaleses, or Rumanians who have come to work in  the fields are blamed for causing all the problems in society. 