Analysis Of Fatal Invention By Dorothy Roberts

In the first two chapters of Fatal Invention by Dorothy Roberts, the content primarily focuses on how the idea of race began in the American Society and different ideas that white people, who called themselves Caucasians, Causations created to make themselves superior over all other races. From the beginning, Roberts makes very clear statements about how she feels towards the circulating ideas, studies, and treatment to, initially, black people, who called themselves Negroes, and, eventually, all other races excluding whites. Roberts stated several times that “Race is not only interpreted according to invented rules, but, more important, race itself is an invented political grouping. It is a political category that has been disguised as a biological one,” (4). While reading the article, several red flags resonated in my brain about socially accepted beliefs about people of a different race. Throughout school, I remember talking about the degradation of people from a different race. I wondered how people could be so cruel to someone who was nearly the same as them. In the neighborhood that I grew up in, I lived across the street from a black male, who married a white female, and had three kids together. This family proved to be one of the nicest, most welcoming, nonjudgmental groups of people that I have ever met. Anytime I needed help, they were there for me no matter what. Because of this positive interaction I received in my early childhood ages, I never thought of people from a different race as someone who was not my equal. While reading these chapters, I wondered if the people contributing to such horrible events ever felt remorse for their actions. I also began to realize that Caucasians during this time frame wanted what was best for them and did not care what they had to do to get that. Race became a convenient justification: “Treating race as biology constituted the only suitable ‘moral apology’ for slavery in a society that claimed equality as its most cherished ideal,” (Roberts 24). I believe that people did not feel poorly about their actions and attempted to scientifically prove that whites trumped every other race in order to benefit themselves. For whites, tearing other people down had no impact other than benefits, such as free labor and a sense of power. In the early 1900s, the treatment of people of a race other than Causation …show more content…
Undesirable immigrants wanting to get into the United States of America “threw off their native customs, accents, and names not only to become assimilated into American culture, but also to be granted entrance into the privileged rank of whiteness,” (Roberts 18). One question quickly pops into my mind. Why would people change important aspects of their heritage to be part of something as cruel as the American culture? If I were living in another country and knew how poorly I would be treated for being myself, I would not stop until I found a place where I could be accepted for who I am. I strongly believe that no person should have to change who they are to please anyone else. This is a belief that I will carry over into the classroom for my students because I want them to feel as though my classroom is a place where they can openly express who they are without fear of judgement from their