For both genetic and non-genetic reasons, we believe that racial and ethnic groups should not be assumed to be equivalent, either in terms of disease risk or drug response. "Race-neutral" or "color-blind" approaches to biomedical research are neither fair nor beneficial and would not lead to a reduction in disparities in disease risk or treatment efficacy between groups. Whether African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders or Asians respond equally to a particular drug is an empirical question that can only be answered by studying these groups individually. Differences in response to treatment or disease incidence between racial/ethnic groups should be thoroughly investigated: naive conclusions about genetic causality without evidence should be avoided. At the same time, it is also unjustified to baselessly reject a genetic interpretation without evidence for it.