The issue isn't the existence of very dark skinned Andorans, or Andorans being described specifically as being black, including RJ's 'tightly curled hair', et cetera.  What I take issue with is that all characters being described as 'dark' or even 'very dark' are being described as 'black people' as Kadere contests.

 

I agree with that. I don't automatically count everyone RJ describes as 'dark skinned' as black. (I certainly didn't visualise Rahvin being that way.) I do count Tuon as something like an African in appearance as she is described as looking like a 'porcelain doll'. The same seems to be true for Anath/Semirhage, although I forget her hair type.

 

It's also in no way ridiculous to attempt to draw parrallels between what's in the WoT and what's in the real world as RJ clearly and openly drew upon real world inspiritations for the sake of verisimilitude.

 

I agree to some extent, but I think it's clear that not all races fit clearly into the main ethnic groups we have in our world. Take Saldaeans for example. They're described as  having tilted eyes which suggests East Asian appearance. However their skin colour appears to be fair with strong noses*. (Actually, I don't think their skin colour was ever described, but I assume this simply because when Seanchan of the East Asian type appeared, honey coloured skin seemed a novelty.) I'm of the opinion the Sea folk are a distinct race all to themselves having skin often as dark as Africans but differing facial features and straight hair. I have seen many Indians who fit that profile.

 

That certainly doesn't contradict what we see in our world though as race has always been fluid. (Take India as an example. Indians are sometimes stereotyped as being brown skinned, lighter than Africans, darker than Europeans or Arab for that matter. In fact their skin colour can range from a light olive brown, like Spanish to as dark as someone from Africa. I've even heard accounts of some Indians in the past having blue eyes.) The races of today are quite possibly the result of the interracial mixing of the past.

 

As for racism,  it certainly does exist in the WOT world. It doesn't seem to be predicated as much (I say 'as much' as certain racial slurs have been listed, as you've said.) on physical appearance as our world in the past though. It's more cultural. Even the prejudice against Rand by Masema for his Aiel like appearance was due mainly to the fear people hold the Aiel due to their prowess in battle and perceived barbarity. Masema, a Shienaran, has faced them in battle and thus has this prejudice.

 

*Incidentally, I feel that picture of Faile that appears in the top left corner from time to time to be incorrect as it seems to be patterned on a more generic east Asian appearance particularly in skin colour. From that world's perspective she just looks like one of the races of Seanchan (bearing in mind the Seanchan are actually a diverse people not one specific race), rather than Saldaean. It is a beautiful picture though.

You can't say they are still practicing "racism" and say it is just on "cultural" grounds.  "Race", as it was enacted, developed and holds to European Colonialism's roots, is based on assumed physical and, almost genetic, attributes.  Where-as, the problem is that some adhere to a racial category on what you could call almost cultural grounds, they still base it on physical roots and non-cultural traits.  Cultural differences are sometimes attributed to "ethnicity" now, and that might be the closest thing to WOT universe, but it stil doesn't hold well.

In WoT they discriminate based on assumed characteristics based on national origin, occupation, or history.  Physical attributes are only utilized in ways of connecting them to the root of national origin, not vice versa (which is how race plays out. Physical is always the root, even if just a cultural category).

This is why it is so hard to just compare WoT with our "current" conception of race and ethnicity.  There is a completely different mindset. There IS discrimination in th eWoT universe, but it is based on something other than what we call race.

I think the problem is that some of you are attempting to compare the WOT ethnicities to our modern (and screwed up) understandings of race, ethnicity and even nationality.

WOT characters seem to describe things that would make a huge deal to "us" like skin color, as just a part of the characteristics. They pay more attention to their country of origin and associated habits, not assumed inherent traits.  There also seems to be no discrimination based on physical attributes alone, like we have.

I think its wholly ridiculous to try and classify the characters to our conceptions of race and ethnicity. I always assumed the RJ purposefully wove a clear and unique conception that the WoT populace had, that was different from our own.

Accept them for how RJ and his characters describe them. Make the categories out of their own way of describing each other. Stop trying to do so via our own terms. It just doesn't fit.

I think it is funny how the Aes Sedai almost perfectly reflect a lot of the attitudes and beliefs us Americans have, especially those dealing in politics or world market.

just saying.

you just ruined my day

Lets see,

Jedi would run around, waving their pretty glowbats and spouting out droves of meditational babble.

The Aes Sedai would either:

1. bind them with air, and fry their butts with *real* lightning (not that force lighting crap).

2. explode the ground around them...can't really reflect THAT witha saber, now can ye?

3. Balefire, Balefire, Balefire  ;D