He began to talk about the fact that race was not only a construct but also a scientific error along the magnitude of the error that the world was flat. "That's how big a fucking blunder they've made, baby," he said. "And when they discover their mistake, I mean, truly discover it, it'll be as big as when they learned the world was, in fact, round. It'll open up a whole new world, And nothing will ever be the same again." (Senna, 3901)

When it comes to the issue of race, Deck Lee is an idealist. He is a man who is color?blind, and who doesn't understand why others are not color?blind as well. He is an idealist in the way that Martin Luther King was an idealist. His notions about when people will discover their mistake it will open up a whole new world and nothing will ever be the same again, a

Thus, though race is a social construct, its fact, its reality, must be dealt with. Illusion or not, most of the world operates as though it does exist; and, consequently, it does. This is something that Bruce Simon also affirms:

His daughter, Birdie, herself, has had to make similar choices based on race and color, dictated by race. What is puzzling is that Deck Lee is surprised by Birdie's revelation that she has had to make these similar choices. Perhaps Deck Lee believed that his younger daughter, appearing white, wouldn't have to face these types of choice. But for Birdie, too, race has been inescapable.

All of his life Deck Lee has longed to escape racism and race. It apparently cannot be done in the United States. At one point, he believes that he can find such an escape in Brazil. In fact, he is disillusioned, as Brazil turns out to be an even more racist environment than the United States. It is Cole who conveys this information to Birdie:

Some topics in this essay:
Deck Lee, American Negro, Cole Lee, United Cole, Luther King, Bruce Simon, Papa I've, Papa Senna, Los Angeles, Senna's Caucasia, deck lee, social construct, martin luther, race social, luther king, american negro, martin luther king, race social construct, daughter birdie, black people, average american negro, discover mistake, race inescapable, deck lee absolutely, lee absolutely race,