GENETICALLY SUPERIOR?
While mixed race people form less than two per cent of England’s population, they form 30 per cent of the national football tem. The leader of the free world- Barack Obama, was born to black Kenyan man and a white woman from the plains of Kansas. Mixed race people are making a name in every industry. Be it music, movies, sports...they are everywhere. Is it mere coincidence or is there something happening on the level of their genes?
In a documentary called ‘Is it better to be mixed race’, geneticist Dr Aarthi Prasad, found out that people with mixed race ancestry have better resistance to diseases due their ‘heterozygosity’ or merger of genes from different gene pools.
Research shows that this holds true for plants and animals. Scientists and biologists have always agreed that mixing of two diverse strains of plants and animals gives a healthier offspring.
They exhibit ‘hybrid vigour’ i.e. they have a higher and faster growth rate and have greater immune system. The fact that animals are domesticated this way only confirms the viability of the idea. For eg. A cross between a cow and a buffalo is called a ‘Beefalo’.In pigs, Hampshire and Yorkshire breeds are mixed to come up with a species called ‘Blue Buts’
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So does this apply to humans as well?Not all scientists and sociologists are willing to answer that question.
Author and Professor of Biological Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Jonathan Marks in his study ‘Lets move on from race’ says “Nobody wants to stop the study of human diversity. But we want to stop scientists with a racist agenda from claiming authority and taking this field of science back 150 years. That is not progress; that is not science; it is anti-intellectualism.”
He argues that anthropologists have always maintained an individual’s adeptness is related to his/her life experiences and environment and so there is no reason to believe that humans have certain intrinsic qualities owing to their race.
In his book ‘Breeding between the lines’ author Alon Ziv makes some very bold and controversial claims like:
After 18 holes, Tiger Woods probably smells better than Phil Mickelson.
Odds are, Lenny Kravitz lost his virginity earlier than Justin Timberlake.
According to the author, mixed race people have better DNA due to what is termed as ‘hybrid vigour’. Here, he shares his views on mixed race breeding.
"Race and science have an ugly history. If the same claims were made about animals, biologists would whole hearedly agree."
Editor, Intermix, Sharron Hall said: “Breeding Between The Lines is indeed a dangerous book because there are some out there who just might believe what Alon is saying. Race is a social construct and has very little to do with genetics. Alon's claims are sensationalist and add to the stereotypical image some people have and that we all know is quite far from the truth.
'It serves no purpose to pursue such thinking except to make others feel that they are somehow inadequate for not being mixed. Having lived most of their lives not being seen as a whole person most mixed-race people would see such behaviour as taking two steps backwards.”
