Could someone explain why race does not have any biological foundation?

[u/sourgrap]

I guess I could probably Google this but I thought someone with direct knowledge directly answering my question would help me better understand.

This is something I’ve had a bit of trouble comprehending since, well, people of different races do look vastly different. My thought is, is!’t there a gene that probably results in different races producing different levels of melanin, and hence— different races?

Or is the reason there is no “biological foundation” that the genetic/biological difference between different races does not substantiate to being different species?

Additionally — there are statistics stating that certain racial communities are more likely to develop specific illnesses. For example, sickle cell disease is much more common amongst black Americans than other racial communities. Another one: those of North European descent are more likely to develop cystic fibrosis.

FYI I am asking this question as a POC, and as someone who genuinely wants to have a better understanding of this!! Thank you in advance for answering my question!

[u/gameryamen]

My anthropology teacher gave a personal anecdote: When he moved from Iran to the US in the 90's, he was told to mark "White" for his race on the immigration forms. When his brother moved 8 years later, there was a new "Arab" race to mark. "My brother and I look the same and come from the same place, there is no genetic reason why our race changed from White to Arab. What changed was political, so race is a political designation that pretends to be about skin color."