The Oxford English Dictionary provides three definitions for race: (1) “the class of humans; mankind”; (2) “a group of people, animals, or plants, connected by common descent or origin”; and (3) “a group of several tribes or peoples, regarded as forming a distinct ethnic set.” Consider which definition most accurately reflects the understanding in world history that race is constructed by cultural values and local beliefs and is therefore not a meaningful way of dividing people. Then, relate this to the distinction the author makes about race and racism in North America, Brazil, and Spanish America (see Comparing Colonial Societies in the Americas). Remembering that “race” does not pertain to any specific ethnic or racial group, write a brief paragraph about the function of race in these three colonial societies. In what ways did they differ? In what ways were they similar?