Idk about less than human; moreso, we just see them/each other through a racial lens - one rooted in our respective culture(s) and understanding of history (which is itself usually heavily-written/influenced by earlier European culture/historians).

That said, most Americans tend to use racism as a synonym for prejudice (as opposed to the academic definition of racism; i.e. an “organized system of race-based” prejudice). To probe this line of thought, I’ve recently started asking people whether they would consider a black American (wo)man growing up in 1845 (pre-Civil war) or in ~1930 (peak KKK membership; ~5 million Americans) racist for their likely negative views of the average white American. I’ve yet to get an answer, which is a bit of a bummer. Personally, I think most people realize it would be silly to call a black American slave racist for being prejudiced of their fellow white American citizens who they know only as brutal slave owners/traders. (Did y’all know pirates would use African slaves to launder money since they had a stable monetary value?)

Sorry, if it’s a bit of a tangent. I find this stuff super interesting. Highly recommend “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” by Beverly Tatum and the doc “Exterminate All the Brutes” on HBO to anyone interested. Then come and chat with me about your thoughts! No one I know cares about this kind of stuff. It’s all rap battles and dumb culture war crap, but I digress (further)