Why is it that race determines everything? I don't understand how a person can be defined by so much as what the color of their skin is. I am an Asian and I am smart. I like to think the two aren't related, but every time I get a good grade on a test or assignment, everyone says its because I'm Asian. Why is it that just because I'm Asian I'm automatically smart? I want to believe that I'm smart because I am smart, not just because of my heritage or skin tone. I want to believe that the two have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Yet the world is making me start to believe that it's true. Why is it that only white people can be racist? It doesn't make sense to say that a black person is racist because technically you're being racist as well, and yet, it's racist to say they can't be racist. It's a never-ending paradox. Let's face it; everyone is racist. Say you think that it's insensitive to call a black person black so you call them African-American, then you're kind of being racist by trying to protect their feelings. I think eventually even African-American will be supposedly another "offensive" term. Why is it that if skin color doesn't matter, then we just had our first non-white president? Why hasn't there been a president who was Mexican or Indian or any other race? It just doesn't make sense.