- Visual differences: One of the most obvious reasons is that people of different races often have different skin colors. This made it easy for people to categorize others into different racial groups based on their physical appearance.
- Stereotypes: Another reason why race was defined by colors is because of the prevalence of stereotypes about different racial groups. These stereotypes often exaggerated the physical differences between races and made it seem like they were more significant than they actually were. For example, people of African descent were often stereotyped as being strong and athletic, while people of Asian descent were stereotyped as being intelligent and hardworking.
- Social segregation: Race was also defined by colors in order to justify social segregation. By creating the idea that different races were fundamentally different, it was easier to keep them apart. This led to the creation of segregation laws, which prevented people of different races from living, working, and going to school together.
It is important to note that the concept of race is social construct and not based on any scientific evidence. Race has no biological basis and it is scientifically impossible to define race based on color.