I think your definition of racism is incomplete.
"Racism is treating someone special based upon what is perceived as a racial trait."
I think it is necessary to add 'regardless of the individual's personal traits.' Racism is treating someone only as a member of their race, and not as an individual that makes their own choices, IMHO. This is the actual problem of racism, because it reduces people to members of a class and depersonalizes them completely. Each of us clearly has traits that derive from our race, our economic capacity, our national origin, and etc. None of us is limited to those traits, however, and everyone has specific individual practices that differentiate them from the underlying cliche upon which racism is based.
"The culture you are born into is a starting point. It does not have to define you. You can transcend culture. You can build your own culture."
This is more or less true, however the concept of taboo limits individuals because culture is necessary to humanity, and banishment, firing, and excommunication are potentially fatal.
Thanks!
I am actually more interested in the treating people equal and not treating people special than the definitions. However, I know that definitions are important to some people and they will get hung up on them so I attempted to get what I could think about those things at the time out at the beginning.
I didn't say culture was or was not necessary. It is ideas so of course it is necessary. Mentioning taboo does point out something worth saying. Not all ideas are good for us. There is good and bad in most cultures. Fortunately we can and should take what works and incorporate it into our own personal culture.
There is no such thing as cultural appropriation. All culture builds upon the cultures (ideas) that came before it. There is only cultural appreciation.
Cultural Appropriation is mainly the same mentality that lead to classes on microaggressions. Training people to be constantly on the watch for things to choose to be offended by. They seem to forget the choice part though. They think people are somehow reaching into their mind and forcing them to be offended.
I agree no one can make anyone do anything.