Casamento

In the article “Racial Formations”, Omi and Winant explained race using the theory of

racial formation where they show how race was created and influenced by society, while in the

article “ The Social Construction of Race”, Lopez affirms that racial fabrication was created by

the use of human hands. Beginning with Omi and Winant article “Racial Formation” theory, it’s a social historical

concept, which means because society constructed race, it changes overtime. Also, was

created by powerful forces such as social, political and economical. As an example they talk

about Phipps case; A woman descendant of a white and black parents , who tried to change her

“black status” in her birth certificate at court case, but unfortunately ended up loosing it, and

by that example we can see the influence of racial formation in society.

Second, at Lopez article, “ The Social Construction of Race” theory, race is something that

was also created by society, not powerful forces but people. It’s plastic, which means, something

that is man made so you can shape it the way you like it, and also it changes quickly because

of the fact that we were the ones that created race. As an example he mentions both him and his

brother’s situation where they were both born by the same parents( a Latino mom and an Irish

dad), and, in fact he considers himself a Latino his brother considered himself a transparent ,

non-issue race.

As all of them say race was created by society, in fact, Omi and Winant think it was

constructed by powerful forces, such as economical , political and social, while Lopez thinks

race is plastic, something man made , so we can shape it the way we want it. Also Lopez thinks

race is not a main important thing , for him there are also other things that it really matters, such

as gender, class and sexuality, while for Omi and Winant race is in fact