Is Race a Choice?

Is someone's race the same everywhere you go? Surprisingly, no: every place has a unique take on race and culture. As the construct of race varies from country to country, where do these categories come from and why do they differ?

Join Roots, Race & Culture to explore the different cultural customs that influence how people define themselves different places, with a special spotlight on the difference between the U.S. and Brazil.

Both Americans and Brazilians agree that race is generally determined by your ancestry, as well as how you look. Most Americans believe that ancestry determines race, whereas Brazilians are more likely to say appearance or skin color determines race. For example, take two famous figures: President Barack Obama and Brazilian soccer star Neymar, both with similar skin color. Barack Obama self-identifies as black, whereas Neymar does not.

Learn more about how self-identification can be impacted by community and culture with hosts Danor Gerald and Lonzo Liggins, joined by two guests: Jackie Chen, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Utah, and Jomens Marques, a food and production engineer with first-hand experience of how ideas of race differ in Brazil and America.