why do white people think people from other races all look alike?

Question

I can see some similarities, but, I can also tell who's who

Answer 1

I'm a white person and i don't think this.
That said, i've a black friend who has heard black people say white people all look alike, so....

Answer 2

To answer the question many people find it difficult when looking at different races. This is because of the way we learn how to tell people apart. White races have many clues to use when learning a new face, hair colour, eye colour, nose shape, face shape etc. If they concentrate on hair colour and eye colour then when they meet a group of people all with the same hair and eye colour they can be thrown at first. The truth is that we know what we are used to, that isn't racist, but we need to move on from that and to categorise any group as 'all looking the same' (and it true that there are people in all races who say it) shows an immaturity that should be challenged.

Answer 3

People from any race think people from other races look alike. It's not just white people to others. That's because they are not used to seeing the people all the time.

Answer 4

That characteristic isn't limited to white people, nor to black people; many races will say it, too. But it is a generalization to say all whites, or all blacks, all Asians , etc. think this way.

For the many that do, it's because we don't really look at each others faces, nor are we acquainted at all. We were stationed in an Asian culture for a few years; where I was a minority. It didn't take me long to recognize and see the personality and uniqueness of our hosts as individuals Living in other countries where I was a minority made me realize how insular many of us are.

People who can't tell the difference, no matter what race they are, just don't see the others as individuals, and if they don't want to its their choice, rather it's a conscious choice or not.

Answer 5

I think it depends on the person and their experiences. If you've lived somewhere where there is a high rate of diversity, you may not think that way. However, if you're from a town like the one I'm living in now, where it is uncommon to see anyone other than white folks except for maybe once per week (at the most) you may have a harder time understanding other cultures or races and may group them by race. You would think that by 2006 it wouldn't be that way. It's completely unfortunate that in some localities it is still occurring.

Answer 6

Well, darn.. I learned about this in my Sociology class.

Actually this is a fairly common thing from all races, especially when people of one race aren't exposed enough to people of another race. Each race has distinct facial attributes and it has to also do with how people process visual information. Certain attributes "stick out" more on people of races that you are familiar with because chances are you have seen those attributes more and more likely to recognize them in the future.

My neighbor upstairs who is black said the other day that all white people look alike to her, so I know it isn't just white people or asians, or arabs who think like that, etc.

Answer 7

I'm not trying to be a bigot or anything but some races look all alike to me. I'm not white as you can see from the avatar, but all Japanese and all Chinese people look a like to me. It's hard to distinguish them. I don't think it's really that racist because some nationalities do carry so many similarities in facial features it is sometimes hard to tell them apart.

Answer 8

i never understood that myself cause people would get me mixed up with another black american female and we look nothing alike. i am not going to lie i say that all white people look the same, but not like that. like the blonde's with blue eyes and perfect shapes look alike. now i can tell the difference between any race but there are in races that have a dominant feature in most people of that race. but everybody does it and it seriously does not bother me unless you say an ugly girl and i look alike then we have a problem.

Answer 9

Not just white people. I've heard/seen plenty of times blacks saying all white people look alike. Pretty much any opposite race will go to that extreme and say that individuals of another race all look alike. Indians. Arabs. Asians.

Answer 10

everyone does it. People need to stop being so cautious and nervous about other races. You cant be politically correct all the time. And honestly alot people who belong to one race do look similar, even white people.

Answer 11

I'm white, I don't go for the old phrase, "they all look alike to me", and I don't form an opinion about a whole group of people like you.