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An Ask the White Guy blog entry, Why People Are Obsessed With Race, provoked some thoughtful responses from DiversityInc readers. Here's one of the best, unedited. Have a question you'd like to ask Luke Visconti? Click here to submit a question.  

More than a question, I have a comment. I am a native of Puerto Rico and I have noticed that "race" is treated differently in my "country" as opposed to the USA. 

While there are racist people everywhere, in Puerto Rico, people are Puerto Rican regardless of what they look like. We are not Native-Puerto Rican, African-Puerto Rican, etc, etc. 

In Puerto Rico, we are all Puerto Rican, eat the same food, listen to the same music and culturally we are a blend of every ethnic group that has migrated to Puerto Rico. This blend goes beyond the Spanish, Native and African mix and it is a very important part of the fabric that makes the Puerto Rican culture.

I think people in the USA use these differences to divide and possibly conquer one another instead of building a stronger bond. Instead of the proverbial melting pot, we are more like a tossed salad where we do not fully blend. However, we can do a better job at valuing our differences instead of making these divide us. 

There is much to be learned from one another and even members of the same "race" are not all the same. We as human beings are individuals and as such experience life.  We can go through the same situation and have totally different experiences. 

The opportunity to learn from one another should not be wasted in the vain attempt to be the conqueror. As for each conqueror there is a battle won in the past and a battle to be lost in the future. 

United we stand, divided we fall. What do we want for our future and our country? What legacy do we want to leave our children? The time is overdue for us all to be Americans, no hyphenation, no divisions.

--Jose Ortiz

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