From Greg F. of Chicago: I do not know if there are any hard-and-fast traits/characteristics to ascribe to any one “race” over another. What I do know is that the younger generation seems to be growing ruder by the day. I am 53 years old. This doesn’t seem to be confined to any one race. It seems anyone may desire to practice being slovenly or lazy or rude or ignorant. Is this just me or what?

From a St. Louis reader: Why do some white people seem so fascinated by African-American hair? I cannot tell you how many times I’ve come to work with braids and my white co-workers say to me, “Wow, how did they braid your hair like that?” Then I may change hairstyles and wear

Ellen R. of Chicago asks this: I've been looking at the issue of race and its enormous complexity and I've been wondering how genetics might usefully enter the Tribune's conversation on race. Is Obama a "black" man when

From Marcia B. of Chicago: Why has the burden been on Sen. Barack Obama to transcend race during this campaign? Why hasn’t a similar burden ever been placed on white presidential candidates?

There’s pressure for Obama to not seem too black. If he is perceived as being too black, the concern is that he may scare away the white vote and jeopardize his chance for getting elected. Rarely do you hear of anyone white who’s running for elected office being told that he or she is too white and won’t connect with the black and brown population. Just asking ....

Aug. 28, the day Sen. Barack Obama is to accept his party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, is the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech,” delivered during the historic March on Washington.

Does Obama’s clinching the nomination mean this country is well on its way to achieving King’s vision of a colorblind society? (I stress "well on its way" because I'm not asking if we've arrived.)

One of the most popular plastic surgeries for Asians in this country is a procedure that alters their eyelids to create creases. The creases make the eyes appear fuller, less slanted, more Western. But what Laura Gannarelli, who’s Korean American, learned when she visited South Korea is that the surgery is extremely popular over there, as well as throughout Asia. While watching the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last week, she said she noticed how so many of the Chinese spotlighted had the highly prized wider eyes. But Laura’s essay isn’t about the Olympics. Laura is an adoptee and the founder of the Chicago-based Paper Lantern: Resource Center for Korean Adoptees. She worries that too many young Asian adoptees may not have enough access to role models here or abroad who help them clearly see and appreciate their unique eyes and overall natural beauty. This is Laura Gannarelli’s essay:

Michelle Hughes’ mother is white and her father is black. Michelle describes herself as “biracial.” Some mixed-race people---such as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama----consider themselves “African American or black with a white mother.”  As Michelle explains in her essay, the way a mixed-race person with one black parent identifies is often the result of several factors, including whether the person feels pressure from some in the black community to identify as black. What I find interesting now is the pressure from some in the white community to get Obama to identify as biracial. In a recent e-mail, a reader told me that Obama excludes his white heritage when he describes himself as African American.  “This exclusion in effect alienates white voters and is a missed opportunity to connect with the U.S. voter population.” Michelle is an adoption attorney in Chicago and co-founder of Bridge Communications, Inc., a company specializing in diversity training for multiracial families. She offers her insights as one who refuses to define herself in any way that doesn’t include both of her parents.  This is Michelle Hughes’ essay:

The ACLU and other groups on Thursday said that an analysis of state-mandated reporting by Illinois police agencies includes a new statistic that shows police searches of white motorists are more likely to turn up contraband than searches of minority drivers.

What does this say about racial profiling?

Albert Tanquero says that as the violence this summer continues to spike in Chicago, he’s considering packing up and leaving his hometown. He wrote to me: “A young girl is killed in her alley. She’s only 9 years old. Teenagers are shot on their front porches. Another face, another story, but it’s all the same.” He says that in the end, the victims---who are overwhelmingly black and Hispanic---will end up as statistics unless residents decide to change things. He says it’s time out for blaming others. Albert comes to this subject, not as someone seated in the Ivory Tower, but as someone who worked hard to get a degree from DePaul University and then decided to forego more financially lucrative jobs for community work, often in high-crime areas. His family moved to Chicago from Cuba in 1981 to escape Fidel Castro's regime. At 6 years old, nothing mattered more to him than fitting in. Years later, he says, in some ways, he’s still trying to fit in and is frustrated with other people of color who don’t do more to better themselves. This is Albert Tanquero’s essay:

Marcus C., of Elgin, has a question that he emphasizes is not meant to be disrespectful or hurtful:

The bank where I work has a window with a clear view of the bank’s parking lot and handicapped parking spaces. I’ve noticed a large number of seemingly able-bodied African Americans who temporarily park in the spots to run into the bank. I wondered about this and asked a few friends who work in our area police department