"They all look alike": Understanding the "other race effect"

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

Some won't like me saying this but I think (at least in America), many Whites just don't take the time to see the differences in Black folks and I think it's a historical thing that goes back to racial discrimination in this country and just not caring to see anything but Black (not that most Whites today are conscious of this). I have been among the only few Blacks in many situations over the years (including currently at my place of work). I have seen 2 totally different Black people (different hair texture, facial features, complexions, etc.) be mistaken for one another. That's different than thinking two Asians (who both have distinctive "Asian" eyes) have the same ethnic background. I refuse to believe that it's just us (Black folks) that can clearly see the differences in African Americans. Since we are a mix of ancestry which doesn't just include African, we come in many different hair textures, shapes, complexions, facial features (from looking more European to looking more African), etc. and anyone that takes the time can see that without looking too hard.

It isn't just African Americans that can clearly see the differences in African Americans. I'm personally very good with faces because I'm a very visual person and have no more trouble with African American/Asian/Latino/what have you faces than I do with Caucasians (which is what I am, and what I was around the most growing up). If I look at a person I obviously notice their race, but I don't see "a black person", "a white person" or "an Asian person", I see "Suzy", "Sandy", or "Sallie". And no, I'm not arguing that some people can't tell the difference because they just don't want to...or care to. There are plenty of people like that out there, and I certainly know some of them. IMO many times they don't limit their attitude to one particular race.

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

In YOUR opinion...as "someone of color". See thread title.

My $0.02 as the white person here...I tend to identify caucasians by hair color. I think other whites do as well. Example: When I started dying my hair red, people in my church started mistaking me for another redhead in our church. Even people who had known us for years couldn't tell us apart from behind, and she's got a good 4 inches on me.

I think a lot of people do. I've learned that's the easiest way to describe someone when the person you're talking to can't remember them. My SO can't remember anyone's face or name, but for some reason he CAN remember hair color. "You know, "Rebecca", she's short, very thin, freckly, really friendly, and always wears cardigans." (Me) "No idea who you're talking about" (SO) "The girl with super red, super curly hair" (Me) "Ooohhhhhhh" (SO) That exact conversation happened this morning in regards to a girl we've both had three classes with now.

[DTD Alum]

It's funny, I have a hard time telling just about anybody apart for the first few times I meet them. I am terrible with faces no matter what the race and it usually takes a couple interactions before I can pick you out of a crowd. On the other hand, I can remember people's first and last names much easier than any of my friends. I will say that I am better at remembering and differentiating faces of my own race than I am with other races, but I'm pretty hopeless either way.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by DTD Alum

It's funny, I have a hard time telling just about anybody apart for the first few times I meet them. I am terrible with faces no matter what the race and it usually takes a couple interactions before I can pick you out of a crowd. On the other hand, I can remember people's first and last names much easier than any of my friends. I will say that I am better at remembering and differentiating faces of my own race than I am with other races, but I'm pretty hopeless either way.

Me too, more or less.

I am pretty good at telling ethnic Koreans from other Asians, but that's about it.

[tld221]

I worked with a girl who "no one" could tell apart. Our residents, RAs and even our RD would start convos with one of us and continue it the next day with the other.


I'd just *blank stare* until they realized I wasn't her. Then followed by the awkward "omgz, you look JUST ALIKE, you even sound the same."


Me: 5' 7", dark, clear skin, from nyc w/ an accent to match, contacts, and I worked there almost a year before co-worker!
Her: 5' 10", a little lighter, acne-d skin, from florida w/ accent to match, glasses, braces.


We just combined our names and when faced w/ mix-up, laugh it off w/ a "I know we have the same smile..."


So yeah, I hear what Dr. Phil is saying.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by rhoyaltempest

Some won't like me saying this but I think (at least in America), many Whites just don't take the time to see the differences in Black folks and I think it's a historical thing that goes back to racial discrimination in this country and just not caring to see anything but Black (not that most Whites today are conscious of this).

I think that's a bit of a stretch because if that was the case then only white people would be confusing black/Asian/Hispanic faces. As we have seen, this phenomenon isn't isolated to just one race. All but 6 of my coworkers are Hispanic and I've been mistaken for the "other white guy" on SEVERAL different occasions when I first came on board.

The best one was when my SUPERVISOR called me into his office to see how a certain project was coming along... a project that was being handled by the "other white guy".

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by tld221

I worked with a girl who "no one" could tell apart. Our residents, RAs and even our RD would start convos with one of us and continue it the next day with the other.


I'd just *blank stare* until they realized I wasn't her. Then followed by the awkward "omgz, you look JUST ALIKE, you even sound the same."


Me: 5' 7", dark, clear skin, from nyc w/ an accent to match, contacts, and I worked there almost a year before co-worker!
Her: 5' 10", a little lighter, acne-d skin, from florida w/ accent to match, glasses, braces.


We just combined our names and when faced w/ mix-up, laugh it off w/ a "I know we have the same smile..."


So yeah, I hear what Dr. Phil is saying.

Yes and I hear what you and rhoyaltempest are saying. Based on such trends, whites are generally mistaken for other whites less often because:

1) Whites are less likely than racial and ethnic minorities to have substantial interracial interactions and associations. Being around other white people most of the time, with exception for the relatively few instances when you are not, does not lend itself to being mistaken for other white people. Plus, in looking at dominant-minority relations, particular statuses do not lend themselves to mistaking that white person for another white person. Even if you think "they" all look alike, you better damn well know that they aren't the same person if this is a person who has some level of power over you.

2) This is a generally segregated country and world so people's knowledge of "others" will operate accordingly, similar to what Drolefille said but without the dominant-minority relations approach. Being the sprinkle of brown in majority nonbrown settings can lend itself to being confused for another brown person particularly if brown people are not considered "worth" recognizing and distinguishing which is what rhoyaltempest was saying.

In other words, these researchers had a particular research question that asks "why" in the literal sense of the imagery and psychology of it all but not in the social sense of "why." Their findings will be taken within context and critiqued as all research is.

[christiangirl]

Ditto, TLD! Co-worker and I get mixed up at least once a day. We don't even work on the same floor and never have. Racial nuances aside, there's no reason for us to be mistaken for each other.

Me: Lighter-skinned, medium length natural hair, curvy
Her: Dark-skinned, long natural hair, heavy

One day, she snapped and yelled, "Oh you think I'm CG? Cuz all the black people look alike, right?"

I can tell the difference between a Chinese and Korean name before I can a face. I just don't know the features well enough to do that. I know that they look "different" but I never remember which features go with which label. I think that, in general, it's the Europeans who identify by their country of origin anyway. The general population don't usually bother to get any more specific than African-American and Asian-American, Latino, etc. On average, I think a white person will be quicker to point out their Irish ancestors than a Black person will pinpoint Madagascar (noting that part of this may be because a good percentage of Black people don't know from which country their ancestors came).

ETA: Dang, y'all replied fast. The "Ditto" was aimed at TLD. And I see what you're saying DP, that makes sense.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

I think that's a bit of a stretch because if that was the case then only white people would be confusing black/Asian/Hispanic faces. As we have seen, this phenomenon isn't isolated to just one race.

1 + 3 = 4
0 + 4 = 4
2 + 2 = 4
8 - 4 = 4
2 * 2 = 4
16 / 4 = 4

They all equal 4 but the "how" and "why" are different.

[DrPhil]

So the nonwhite GCers have shared stories.

Do the GC white folks want to share a "we all look alike" story in which they were confused for another white person? Perhaps a white person who they look like and/or a white person who they look NOTHING alike.

This is white folks' opportunity to be the "what do whites (your people) think about this" representatives. That's a rarity.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

So the nonwhite GCers have shared stories.

Do the GC white folks want to share a "we all look alike" story in which they were confused for another white person? Perhaps a white person who they look like and/or a white person who they look NOTHING alike.

This is white folks' opportunity to be the "what do whites (your people) think about this" representatives. That's a rarity.

Oh, you.

And you've said pretty much everything I would have said in this thread, including the distinction between the actual study and some of the broader societal issues.

[agzg]

One of my bosses looked straight in my face one day and asked where *my name* was and why wasn't *my name* in this meeting that's super important.

The missing person was a coworker, with different hair color, body type, voice, coloring, body language, style of dress, etc.

That's the only anecdote I have. I'm usually better with faces than I am with names. We just hired two guys named Dan and I was excited that I only had to learn one name.

ETA: I have good timing. Also, boss was white, don't think it had anything to do with white, it was just one of the stranger times I've been mistaken for another person which caused frustration when I didn't answer.

Oh, that and the time my dad seriously called me by my brother's name.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Do the GC white folks want to share a "we all look alike" story in which they were confused for another white person? Perhaps a white person who they look like and/or a white person who they look NOTHING alike.

Happens all the time...especially when comparing people to stars and stuff.

I don't look much like Mark Wahlberg or Kenny Chesney, yet I've gotten both of them.

Also use to be mistaken as Asian, especially southeast Asian during the summer time. I called the University doucher judicial board justice a racist for saying I was high during an interview. I told her I was half asian that's why my eyes were closed.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

Happens all the time...especially when comparing people to stars and stuff.

I don't look much like Mark Wahlberg or Kenny Chesney, yet I've gotten both of them.

Interesting. I would wager to say that there are plenty of white stars the people could compare you to if you look nothing like Wahlberg or Chesney. LOL.

Were you mistaken for Mark Wahlberg and Kenny Chesney? Have you ever been mistaken for another white person?

[VandalSquirrel]

I can tell the difference among varying groups of people within a region but I grew up in a area that was very diverse and taken a lot of course work in physical anthropology. The thing is that many people are multi or biracial and even within a regional group there are variations. Furthering that, a trait from the past can pop up due to independent assortment and make someone appear to be from a different group. I've heard/seen this most from Native Americans/Alaska Native/First Nations people of the arctic who are often mistaken for being Asian.

I've been one of two white women in a work place of a few hundred and we were never mistaken for each other. When a customer said they were helped by a white lady they knew to call me or the other woman, but we were different heights and age, as well as working different departments. I've usually taken someone calling me by the wrong name in stride as if a parent called a kid by their sibling's or pet's name, brain misfiring. If someone is a complete jackass and always spells my name wrong, forgetting a vowel or adding consonants, then I get irritated.

[knight_shadow]

Aside from the standard "Oh you look like Denzel/Morris/Boris/etc," people can usually differentiate me from others.

Seriously, though, I just wanted to comment on this thread so I would know to come back and read it (thanks to the little 'replied' icon).

Carry on.