In response to “Why can’t we just ignore racial differences already?”
In my corner of the Greater Los Angeles Area, we had different people of different ethnicites living side by side. While there was a tendency for people to draw their social groups along racial or cultural lines (gang members in particular), there was a lot of cultural exchange. Despite being acutely aware of race and prejudice, I think my personal upbringing has affected me by knowing that there is a counter-narrative to traditional views of race in America, namely that there are many culturally aware people that do not conform to convenient stereotypes.