A really interesting piece on the notion and consequence of race in America. The focus is on the perceived attractiveness of various races and genders. This article traces some of the historical origins and evolution of how we came to hold the beliefs that we do as a society. Attraction is largely an intuitive response cultivated by many different factors that work on our psyche over our lifetimes. Influences include our family background, friends, neighborhoods and schools as well as media influence and societal beliefs.
“If you think of Asian men or black women as less attractive than other races, it is because of you, not because of them, Sharma says. Since the day you were born, different influences on your mind – the bedtime stories your Mom read, the cartoons you saw as kid, the school you went to and the wallpaper on your computer – have come together to create a cohesive image of the world.”
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