In a recent speech, President Clinton called for a national "conversation" on race. But talking with incarcerated young people shows that such a conversation is already well underway, and has moved beyond the formulations of experts. The following comments are excerpted from "The Beat Within," a weekly newsletter by and about incarcerated youth published by Pacific News Service.

The week after the president's call for a major "conversation" on race, PNS asked nearly 100 young people incarcerated in "juvenile hall" to talk about race in their lives.

Most experts point to kids like these -- kids in trouble -- as the most worrisome segment of society in terms of race. But as these remarks show, young people are quite thoroughly conscious of race and its role in their lives -- in ways far more subtle than most expert views admit.

For example, these young people have moved past the black/white paradigm -- for some, where you choose to put yourself can matter more than ancestry, particularly in multi-racial California.

"I am mixed, half Samoan and half Native American. I am proud to be both of these races because my background has a lot of fierce warriors who stood up for themselves.

"I think everybody should study where they came from. Some books may have false information, but put one and one together and you will find the truth of the past that the white people have held from us for so many years. I would love to change things around so that everybody knows what really went on in the past."--Eli

"I am half $alvadoran and Afro-Amerikkkan. I think that my race is cool because I'm proud about who I am, where I'm from and how I look. This affects my life because I was born with my race." -- J-$tone

"My race is Puerto Rican with a little white and Filipino. I identify myself as in between all the race lines.

"Race affects my life because I am caught in the middle. Telling by skin color and facial expression, I could pass as any race by just changing clothes or attitude.

"I think race relationships in the hall are something hard to get rid of -- it's been a major issue for a long time. Race problems are race problems and no such thing as hall race and street race."-- Santiago

"I'm a mixed person, and that is Mexican and black. I wonder if I was all Mexican would I be the same person or would I be different? Would girls still like me or would they not? If I was all black what would my life be like?

"I guess I will never know, but because I'm Mexican and black the police look at me like I'm not black. That's okay because that's how I look at myself." -- Rico

"Race doesn't affect me at all because I am multiracial. If I have a problem with one side I'll just switch to the other." -- Anonymous

For many race remains an obstacle in the world, even though it is also a source of pride.

"I'm African American and I'm a Nubian queen. Racism affects my life very much. Black are still like slaves and we're not able to speak our minds now like back in the day when we were not allowed to read and write." -- Li'l Mama

"My race is Chinese. I'm proud of my race. But in my culture I'm considered a disgrace and bring shame because the things I do make me come here to the Youth Guidance Center. Race affects me here because in jail there aren't many Asians. Many of the people in these jails don't understand the way we think. In jail, Asians tend to stick together. We try no matter what to help each other out." -- Tony

"I am a black African American. I am proud of that, but sometimes I wonder how it feels to be another race. Like I wonder how it would be if I was white with a white family -- would my father be on drugs, would I be in YGC?

"Sometimes I put myself in other people's shoes. When I have a lot of money, I think of being rich. Sometimes I lay down on my bed and don't move to see how it is to be dead." -- Mookie

"I'm Cambodian and I'm proud to be a Cambodian. But being the only Cambodian in my unit is hella weak because I can't talk Cambodian to anyone except on the phone with my mom or my friends. I'm forgetting how to speak my own language and that's not right." -- Raya

"My race is black to the bone, and you better believe that. I'm surely proud of it. But being black is sometimes a problem -- say for instance I'm walking down the street in a white neighborhood and see a white lady, she would grab her purse thinking I was ready to kill her. This makes me feel as if I should have done something to her." -- Young Joe

"Race affects me in the way politics and the media label us (blacks) as killers, stealers and destroyers. Some of us might kill, steal, and destroy but most of us don't. I feel that criticism means some people treat us as doing those things, and sometimes that makes us do these things. I don't trip off those labels because I know I am better than that -- I was raised to carry myself with my head up and respect all people." -- Safwan

And an impressive number of young people have moved beyond race in their view of the world as the following exchange and remarks show.

Q: What race are you?

A: The same as everyone else, the human race.

Q: How do you identify yourself?

A: As Eugene.

Q: Are you multiracial?

A: No, I'm not, but my grandmother was Cherokee Indian.

Q: How does race affect your life?

A: A lot. It's a racial world.

Q: How has your race benefited you?

A: Well, it hasn't much but in a way my race has got me friends and I feel if I was some other race or other person I probably wouldn't know everyone I do.
-- Eugene

"What's a color? We all have the same blood, and we all come from the same mother and father of the earth, Adam and Eve.

"I believe everyone is my brother and sister. As long as they give me love and respect, I will do the same right back. The human race is a rainbow, all colors combine and form one element."-- Spunion

"Gangs are the biggest problem keeping people apart. Where you're from matters more than your skin color. Surenos are supposed to be immigrants and people who come from Bakersfield south to Los Angeles. Nortenos come from Bakersfield up to Sacramento. But Surenos in LA don't like the Surenos from SF, and most Surenos from here don't like the Surenos from LA. When Surenos here go to the pen, they change to Nortenos. Or they get put in protective custody." -- Tony