Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Thursday, 27 Aug 1992 10:01:57 CDT
From: <U58402@uicvm.uic.edu>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american
Subject: DJ:Genetics and behavior

In article <1992Aug26.072618.25371@leland.Stanford.EDU>,
underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe) says:
>
>I agree with this.  I too think that a racist is one
>who believes that genetics determines behavior.  For example,
>a racist is one who believes that _ethnicity_ (genetics) determines
>_culture_ (behavior).
>
>A racist insists that Chinese-cu = Chinese-ge.
>
The definition of racist is one who believes that a particular race is
inherently superior to others, and who discriminates on that belief. A
race can be defined as either one of the three braod categorizations of
humans (Caucasian, Negroid, Mongoloid) or as a group of people who share
the same nationality (French, Ethiopian, or Chinese).

Mr. Joe has a hard time accepting the dictionary definition of these
terms.

The belief that genetics determines behavior is biological determinism.

     [stuff deleted]
>
>Note that Mr. Lee is a Chinese-cu and that he insists that Chinese-ge
>and Chinese-cu are "one and the same".  Interestingly, Mr. Wilbur Pan
>(u58402@uicvm.uic.edu) believes similarly; he's argued for this idea
>over and over.
>

Apparently Mr. Joe understands my point as well as he is able to cite
the Economist. The point I made is not genetics determines behavior. I
argued against Mr. Joe's assertion that you can completely separate
behavior from genetics, and that therefore culture is not dependent upon
your genes. Well, my genes determine the way I look, which is like the
offspring of Chinese parents. Other non-Asian people that I come in
contact with see me and make assumptions as to my background. Let me
give you an example.

I am presently in medical school. On one occasion, I was asked to
do a physical exam on a woman who had a pronounced Eastern European
accent. There were no problems with her, and after the exam, I asked her
if she had any questions for me or any complaints that I might have not
covered.

Woman (heavily accented English): So you Chinese?
Me: Yes, I am.
Woman: Oh, good, good. So how you like our country?

Now, I had just spent the last half-hour with this woman speaking perfect
Midwestern English (I was born and raised here) and she still assumed
that I was an immigrant. This doesn't bother me too much, but it is a
part of my thinking. And therefore, my culture.

(Actually, I answered her by just smiling and saying "I like it just
fine." One thing you learn in med school -- don't argue with women in
their late fifties. They know more than you do. I should remember this
when talking with my mom :@)

So, here is a personal example of how genetics influences behavior. I
suppose Mr. Joe would like some more concrete examples. Fine.

Schizophrenia has been shown to have a genetic component.
Parkinson's disease has been shown to have a genetic component.
Alcoholism has been shown to have a genetic component.

The last time I discussed this issue, Mr. Joe responded by saying that
since I believed that genetics determined behavior (which is not what I
said -- only that it is a factor), then I was a racist. This is not
true. Klansmen, rednecks, and Nazis are racists. I understand biology a
little better than Mr. Joe does.

And I don't make up sources that don't exist.

Wilbur Pan
(aka u58402@uicvm.uic.edu
 at the ever so friendly and personal univ. of ill. at chicago)