The title of this article, “Lisa Edelstein: A Nationality Divider,” is not meant to be taken as any sort of knock against Nationality or even of Jewish People. The people of Nationality and Jewish descent have enriched our world with creativity, innovation and knowledge-past and present. We cannot condemn those who are proud of their heritage or nationality no matter how many times these people choose to deny it or seek to diminish its contributions. The fact that one can now find a Nationality Divider on a website is simply an extension of the same concept in that which is found with the “Genetics” topic. In other words, it’s another tool for genealogy research.
Lisa has become a partner through an agreement between her husband. Although they have never married physically, their children are the product of their partnership. Their children’s names are legally theirs and their connection to their biological father, through whom they were conceived, is acknowledged by the courts and legal system. This does not change the fundamental relationship between Lisa and her husband, nor does it change the fundamental essence of what is assumed to be her Nationality. She remains a partner, but this particular identity, which is defined through her career as a geneticist, has been diluted by her association with the world of genetics.
As such, we can better understand the question posed in the title by observing the way in which height is seen in this categorization. Nationality and height are viewed as being two different categories; however, there is an inherent tendency for human beings to view their relationship as consisting of both components. It would be simplistic to assume that humans view height as being part of their overall category of “Ethnicity,” but that particular view is alien to human biology. Humans are categorically different and viewing their relationships as consisting of a blend of nationality and height would be unhelpful.