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'''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.
⚫ The designation has social, cultural, political, scientific, and legal implications such as on a nation's ], ], ], ], ], racial ], ], ], and ].

⚫ The designation has social, political, scientific, and legal implications such as on a nation's ], ], ], ], ], racial ], and ].
==Social vs. physical perceptions of ''white''== ==Social vs. physical perceptions of ''white''==
See also: ]<br/> See also: ]
See also: ]<br/>
See also: ]


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 .
⚫ ==United States and Canada==

⚫ {{main|White American|White Canadian}}
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>

⚫ ==United States==
⚫ {{main|White American}}


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 ].
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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 ]. {{fact}} 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}}


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}}
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>


==Europe== ==United Kingdom==
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> 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>


==Latin America== ==Latin America==
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}} 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.

==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==


==World distribution==
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.


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:
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>


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

Revision as of 00:22, 10 November 2006

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.

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

Social vs. physical perceptions of white

See also: Social interpretations of race

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 Slavs and many consider European Jews 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 .

In medieval Europe, Christendom was the dominant community, and Pagans, heretics, Jews, and Muslims were the outsiders, regardless of skin color. When the primacy of religion was eroded by the Protestant Reformation, the Renaissance, and secularism, separation of peoples based on religion shifted to concepts like white and civilized.

United States

Main article: White American

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. Another difficulty is that by responding Israeli in the U.S. Census, a person will be categorized as white, even though not all Israelis are of European descent (Ashkenazi); they may be of Ethiopian (Falasha), Yemenite (Teimani), or Indian descent.

During the era of racial segregation in the Southern United States, facilities were commonly divided into separate sections for white and colored people. These terms were defined by white people in positions of authority.

United Kingdom

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, these people were mostly of European, American and Australian descent followed by North African and Middle Eastern, 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. 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 (mestizo). 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.

World distribution

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 Haplogroup Map:

See also

References

  1. 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>.
  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. Identity, Ethnicity and Identity, National Statistics online. Retrieved 03 November 2006.
  5. Census 2001 - Ethnicity and religion in England and Wales, Ethnicity and religion. Retrieved 03 November 2001.
  6. Gardener, David. Who are the Other Ethnic Groups. 2005. October 27, 2006.
  7. Kissoon, Priya. King's College of London. Asylum Seekers: National Problem or National Solution. 2005. November 7, 2006.

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

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