Misplaced Pages

White people: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 22:59, 9 November 2006 view source65.11.58.154 (talk) →World distribution← Previous edit Revision as of 23:05, 9 November 2006 view source Thulean (talk | contribs)394 edits Revision as of 22:10, 9 November 2006. Quoting Oxford English Dictionary is POV pushing? You also added bunch of uncited meterial back while deleting cited ones without any explanation or discussion.Next edit →
Line 1: Line 1:
{{pov}} {{pov}}


'''White people''' (also '''white race''' or '''whites''') is an informal label given to a segment of the ] population based on inconsistently-applied characteristics such as ethnicity, country of origin, skin tone, language, and religion. '''White people''' (also '''white race''' or '''whites''') is an informal label given to a segment of the ] population based on inconsistently-applied characteristics such as ethnicity, country of origin, skin tone, language, and religion as discussed below.


In this context, Oxford English Dictionary defines white as:
⚫ The designation has social, political, scientific, and legal implications such as on a nation's ], ], ], ], ], racial ], and ].
⚫ ==Social vs. physical perceptions of ''white''==
⚫ See also: ]


{{cquote|
Whether any individual considers any other individual as ''white'' comes down to whether the person ''looks white''; however this is a very subjective judgement. Furthermore, ''white people'' is a term whose definition changes over time and space. Today, most Americans consider Eastern ] and many consider European ] as ''white,'' but this was not always the case. In China, ''white people'' refers to a specific group of Asians - people who would not be considered white in the United States .
relating to a human group having light-coloured skin, especially of European ancestry.
}}<ref>http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/white?view=uk</ref>


In ], ] was the dominant community, and ], ], ], and ] were the outsiders, regardless of skin color. When the primacy of ] was eroded by the ], the ], and ], separation of peoples based on religion shifted to concepts like ''white'' and '']''.<ref>Painter, Nell Irvin. Yale University. Collective Degradation:Slavery and the Construction of Race. Why White People are Called Caucasian. 2003. October 9, 2006. <http://www.yale.edu/glc/events/race/Painter.pdf#search=%22%20%22light%20colored%20people%22%22>.
</ref>


⚫ The designation has social, cultural, political, scientific, and legal implications such as on a nation's ], ], ], ], ], racial ], ], ], and ].
⚫ ==United States==
⚫ ==Social vs. physical perceptions of ''white''==
⚫ {{main|White American}}
⚫ See also: ]<br/>
See also: ]<br/>
See also: ]

⚫ ==United States and Canada==
⚫ {{main|White American|White Canadian}}


David R. Roediger argues that the construction of the white race in the United States was in direct effort to mentally distance slaveowners from slaves. <ref>Roediger, Wages of Whiteness, 186; Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War (New York, 1998). </ref> By the 18th century, ''white'' had become well established as a racial term. In the ], confusion over the designation ''white'' or '']'' is considerable, due partly to the introduction of the term '']'' in the 1980 ]. David R. Roediger argues that the construction of the white race in the United States was in direct effort to mentally distance slaveowners from slaves. <ref>Roediger, Wages of Whiteness, 186; Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War (New York, 1998). </ref> By the 18th century, ''white'' had become well established as a racial term. In the ], confusion over the designation ''white'' or '']'' is considerable, due partly to the introduction of the term '']'' in the 1980 ].
Line 19: Line 23:
The 2000 ], speaking of race categories, states, "They generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country. They do not conform to any biological, anthropological or genetic criteria."<ref>'''' from '''U.S. Census Bureau''', 14 March 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2006.</ref> The 2000 ], speaking of race categories, states, "They generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country. They do not conform to any biological, anthropological or genetic criteria."<ref>'''' from '''U.S. Census Bureau''', 14 March 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2006.</ref>


The ] give national origin a racial value. This can be confusing in regards to people of ] and ] — who are commonly classified as ]. Another difficulty is that by responding ] in the ], a person will be categorized as white, even though not all Israelis are of European descent (]); they may be of ] (]), Yemenite (]), or ] descent.{{fact}} The ] give national origin a racial value. This can be confusing in regards to people of ] and ] — who are commonly classified as ]. {{fact}}


In the ] Census, white is a racial category in Canada. Although it is possible to mark more than one box on the Canadian Census, the boxes for ]s, ]s, and ] are separate from the "white" box, so they are assumed to lie outside of its parameters.<ref>Fellegi, Ivan P. Statistics Canada. 2001 Census. 2001. November 8, 2006. </ref> For the purposes of comparison, publications by Statistics Canada define a white person as a Canadian of European ancestry excluding Latin Americans.<ref>Finnie, Ross. Statistics Canada. Minorities, Cognitive Skills, and the Incomes of Canadians. </ref>
During the era of ] in the ], facilities were commonly divided into separate sections for ''white'' and '']'' people. These terms were defined by white people in positions of authority.{{fact}}


==United Kingdom== ==Europe==
In the UK, the ] uses the term ''White'' as an ethnic category. The terms '']'', ''White Irish'' and ''White Other'' are used. ''White British'' includes ], ] and ] peoples, as well as residents of ] who identify as British. ] may describe themselves as ''White Irish''. The category ''White Other'' includes all white people not from the British Isles, <ref>'''', '''Ethnicity and Identity, National Statistics online.''' Retrieved 03 November 2006.</ref><ref>'''', '''Ethnicity and religion'''. Retrieved 03 November 2001.</ref> these people were mostly of European, American and Australian descent followed by North African and Middle Eastern<ref>Gardener, David. Who are the Other Ethnic Groups. 2005. October 27, 2006. </ref>, although people of Middle Eastern ancestry are not seen as white people in the UK.<ref>Kissoon, Priya. King's College of London. Asylum Seekers: National Problem or National Solution. 2005. November 7, 2006.</ref> In the UK, the ] uses the term ''White'' as an ethnic category. The terms '']'', ''White Irish'' and ''White Other'' are used. ''White British'' includes ], ] and ] peoples, as well as residents of ] who identify as British. ] may describe themselves as ''White Irish''. The category ''White Other'' includes all white people not from the British Isles, <ref>'''', '''Ethnicity and Identity, National Statistics online.''' Retrieved 03 November 2006.</ref><ref>'''', '''Ethnicity and religion'''. Retrieved 03 November 2001.</ref> although people of Middle Eastern ancestry are not seen as white people in the UK.<ref>Kissoon, Priya. King's College of London. Asylum Seekers: National Problem or National Solution. 2005. November 7, 2006.</ref>


==Latin America== ==Latin America==
In some ]n countries, even those of visible partial ]n or ] ancestry may be considered ''white.'' The individual decides what (if any) race he or she wishes to be considered as. In some countries such as Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Chile etc. the majority of the population is of Spanish or other European ancestry, making them white or half white (]). Race in parts of Latin America "refers mostly to skin color or physical appearance rather than to ancestry. According to census takers' instructions in Brazil, ''color'' is explicitly defined as recording the subject's observed skin tone and has nothing to do with ''race.'' Nevertheless, skin color is used to identify racial heritage. In some ]n countries, even those of visible partial ]n or ] ancestry may be considered ''white.''{{fact}} The individual decides what (if any) race he or she wishes to be considered as. Race in parts of Latin America "refers mostly to skin color or physical appearance rather than to ancestry.{{fact}} According to census takers' instructions in Brazil, ''color'' is explicitly defined as recording the subject's observed skin tone and has nothing to do with ''race.''{{fact}} Nevertheless, skin color is used to identify racial heritage. {{fact}}

==China==
In China, a specific group of Asians - known as the Bai - are considered white. The Bai People hold the white color in high esteem and call themselves "Baizi", "Baini" or "Baihuo", which means white people. In 1956, of their own will they were named the Bai Nationality by Chineese Authorities.<ref>http://www.travelchinayunnan.com/minorities/bai.htm</ref>

==Population==


If we apply the dictionary definition <ref>http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/white?view=uk</ref>, then most whites at present live in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand <ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2075.html</ref>. There are also whites living in other places of the world. Some South American countries report white majorities as well, like Argentina <ref>https://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ar.html</ref> and Brazil <ref>https://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/br.html</ref> although definition of white in these places might be different than elsewhere.
==World distribution==


Currently white population is in a declining trend, i.e: either declining now or will decline if current trends don’t change. This is due to the fact that most white populations have ]. Sub-replacement fertility is a fertility rate that is not high enough to replace an area's population. In industrialized countries with low child mortality, sub-replacement fertility is below approximately 2.1 children per woman's life time.<ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7834459&dopt=Abstract</ref> Currently, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and '''all''' countries in Europe have sub-replacement fertility rates <ref>https://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html</ref>. Although, USA has nearly replacement fertility rate, this is due to the populations besides whites. In 2002, white American women had fertility levels significantly below replacement level which was 1.9 per women. In non-hispanic white American women, this was 1.8 per women. <ref>http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-548.pdf</ref>
White people are common in Europe, North and South America, especially in countries like Argentina and Uruguay, and in Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. It should also be noted, that due to the European expansion, huge numbers of people all around the world are also of partial white ancestry. According to Cavalli-Sforza's map of genetic diversiy, which does not take into account the recent European expansion, for example in Australia, important areas in the Middle East have greater genetic affinity with Europe than areas inside of Europe, especially much of Scandinavia. See: For the genetic and therefore ancestral relationships among the peoples of the world, including Europeans, see the Macdonalds' World ] Map:


==See also== ==See also==

Revision as of 23:05, 9 November 2006

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

White people (also white race or whites) is an informal label given to a segment of the human population based on inconsistently-applied characteristics such as ethnicity, country of origin, skin tone, language, and religion as discussed below.

In this context, Oxford English Dictionary defines white as:

relating to a human group having light-coloured skin, especially of European ancestry.


The designation has social, cultural, political, scientific, and legal implications such as on a nation's census, anti-miscegenation laws, racial segregation, affirmative action, eugenics, racial marginalization, racial quotas, medicine, and ancestry.

Social vs. physical perceptions of white

See also: Social interpretations of race
See also: Race
See also: Multilocus Genetic Data

United States and Canada

Main articles: White American and White Canadian

David R. Roediger argues that the construction of the white race in the United States was in direct effort to mentally distance slaveowners from slaves. By the 18th century, white had become well established as a racial term. In the United States, confusion over the designation white or Caucasian is considerable, due partly to the introduction of the term Hispanic in the 1980 United States Census.

The 2000 United States Census, speaking of race categories, states, "They generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country. They do not conform to any biological, anthropological or genetic criteria."

The United States Census parameters for race give national origin a racial value. This can be confusing in regards to people of Middle Eastern Americans and North African American — who are commonly classified as Caucasian.

In the Statistics Canada Census, white is a racial category in Canada. Although it is possible to mark more than one box on the Canadian Census, the boxes for Arabs, Latin Americans, and West Asians are separate from the "white" box, so they are assumed to lie outside of its parameters. For the purposes of comparison, publications by Statistics Canada define a white person as a Canadian of European ancestry excluding Latin Americans.

Europe

In the UK, the Office for National Statistics uses the term White as an ethnic category. The terms White British, White Irish and White Other are used. White British includes Welsh, English and Scottish peoples, as well as residents of Northern Ireland who identify as British. Irish people may describe themselves as White Irish. The category White Other includes all white people not from the British Isles, although people of Middle Eastern ancestry are not seen as white people in the UK.

Latin America

In some Latin American countries, even those of visible partial African or Indigenous ancestry may be considered white. The individual decides what (if any) race he or she wishes to be considered as. Race in parts of Latin America "refers mostly to skin color or physical appearance rather than to ancestry. According to census takers' instructions in Brazil, color is explicitly defined as recording the subject's observed skin tone and has nothing to do with race. Nevertheless, skin color is used to identify racial heritage.

China

In China, a specific group of Asians - known as the Bai - are considered white. The Bai People hold the white color in high esteem and call themselves "Baizi", "Baini" or "Baihuo", which means white people. In 1956, of their own will they were named the Bai Nationality by Chineese Authorities.

Population

If we apply the dictionary definition , then most whites at present live in Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand . There are also whites living in other places of the world. Some South American countries report white majorities as well, like Argentina and Brazil although definition of white in these places might be different than elsewhere.

Currently white population is in a declining trend, i.e: either declining now or will decline if current trends don’t change. This is due to the fact that most white populations have sub replacement fertility rates. Sub-replacement fertility is a fertility rate that is not high enough to replace an area's population. In industrialized countries with low child mortality, sub-replacement fertility is below approximately 2.1 children per woman's life time. Currently, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and all countries in Europe have sub-replacement fertility rates . Although, USA has nearly replacement fertility rate, this is due to the populations besides whites. In 2002, white American women had fertility levels significantly below replacement level which was 1.9 per women. In non-hispanic white American women, this was 1.8 per women.

See also

References

  1. http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/white?view=uk
  2. Roediger, Wages of Whiteness, 186; Tony Horwitz, Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War (New York, 1998).
  3. Questions and Answers for Census 2000 Data on Race from U.S. Census Bureau, 14 March 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2006.
  4. Fellegi, Ivan P. Statistics Canada. 2001 Census. 2001. November 8, 2006.
  5. Finnie, Ross. Statistics Canada. Minorities, Cognitive Skills, and the Incomes of Canadians.
  6. Identity, Ethnicity and Identity, National Statistics online. Retrieved 03 November 2006.
  7. Census 2001 - Ethnicity and religion in England and Wales, Ethnicity and religion. Retrieved 03 November 2001.
  8. Kissoon, Priya. King's College of London. Asylum Seekers: National Problem or National Solution. 2005. November 7, 2006.
  9. http://www.travelchinayunnan.com/minorities/bai.htm
  10. http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/white?view=uk
  11. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2075.html
  12. https://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ar.html
  13. https://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/br.html
  14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=7834459&dopt=Abstract
  15. https://cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html
  16. http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-548.pdf

Further reading

  • Thomas A. Guglielmo, White on Arrival: Italians, Race, Color, and Power in Chicago, 1890-1945, 2003, ISBN 0-19-515543-2
  • Matthew Frye Jacobson, Whiteness of a Different Color: European Immigrants and the Alchemy of Race, Harvard, 1999, ISBN 0-674-95191-3.
  • Frank W. Sweet, Legal History of the Color Line: The Rise and Triumph of the One-Drop Rule, Backintyme, 2005, ISBN 0-939479-23-0.
  • Noel Ignatiev, How the Irish Became White, Routledge, 1996, ISBN 0-415-91825-1.
  • Karen Brodkin, How Jews Became White Folks and What That Says About Race in America, Rutgers, 1999, ISBN 0-8135-2590-X.
  • Neil Foley, The White Scourge: Mexicans, Blacks, and Poor Whites in Texas Cotton Culture (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997)
  • Theodore Allen, The Invention of the White Race, 2 vols. (London: Verso, 1994)
  • Thomas F. Gossett, Race: The History of an Idea in America, New ed. (New York: Oxford University, 1997)
  • Ivan Hannaford, Race: The History of an Idea in the West (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 1996)
  • Audrey Smedley, Race in North America: Origin and Evolution of a Worldview, 2nd ed. (Boulder: Westview, 1999).
  • "The United Independent Compensatory Code/System/Concept" A textbook/workbook for thought, speech and/or action for victims of racism (White supremacy) Neely Fuller Jr. 1984
  • Alfredo Tryferis, "Separated by a Common Language: The Strange Case of the White Hispanic," The Raw Story, http://www.rawstory.com/exclusives/tryferis/hispanic.htm

External links

Categories: