Question

In the given passage, the white people usually asserted that they were able to tell the race of the woman based on various physical characteristics. However, when she was alone, they never suspected that she was a:

1) Italian
2) Spaniard
3) Mexican
4) gypsy

Answer 1

White Americans often used skin color, hair texture, and eye shape as crude measures to determine race. However, these criteria could be imprecise, leading to misclassification, especially for those from Latin American origins like Mexicans.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question relates to how white Americans typically perceived race based on physical characteristics and how these criteria could fail to accurately assess an individual's racial background. Individuals with complexions or features that didn't neatly fit the 'three-factor test' of skin, hair, and eye characteristics often defied classification and societal biases were revealed when those presumed to belong to one race found themselves reassigned to another based on geographical location. Racial classification is a topic that intertwines with history because it reflects the social construction of race, showing how it has been shaped by cultural standards and prejudices rather than biological reality. The answer to the student's question is that when alone, white people never suspected that she was a Mexican.