[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Papaya

Just because race is defined by a small amount of genes doesn't mean it's any less salient.

The point is that genetic variation happens mainly across races.

Originally Posted by Papaya

The fact is, race as a biological concept (yes, it is one) is defined solely by a specific set of genes, so arguing that it's very few genes is not a viable argument against the biological existence of race.

So we're diving a group of people into two group s A and B calling them separate races. Then we analyze their DNA. Then we call genes that vary more strongly between the groups than within the groups "race genes" and declare genes that show no correlation with group membership as irrelevant. And finally we use these definitions to prove the genetic foundations of race. Circular argument.

Originally Posted by Papaya

If you consider that the current most widely held definition of species (the "biological species") separates species are being reproductively isolated, you could easily argue that isolated groups in the Amazon rainforest, for example, are not the same species as you and I, much less the same "race".

You can argue as you like but the facts are that these "isolated" tribes never were fully isolated from anything but the attention of the capital's bureaucracy and the global media, that they exist for a very short timespan on evolutionary scales, that their genetical makeup isn't much different from yours and mine (especially if we are talking about a rain forest outside of Africa), and that they are capable of interbreeding with you and me.

Originally Posted by Papaya

It's very easy to distinguish between most Europeans, though. I'm Chinese myself, and I can distinguish easily between different races of Western European

This is wonderful, because I cannot. All I see on this continent is a vague and smoothly changing average phenotype with more than enough local variation so I wouldn't bet a single beer on anyone's ancestry. The rest is a feedback loop of generalization of stereotypes and biased perception. Which is according to my observation more prevalent among emigrants than inside Europe by the way.