We are not all albino and like paper why do we call ourselves WHITE?

Question

Our skin is far from paper especially if we are of Greek or other meditteranean descent. We should call ourselves caucasians instead

Answer 1

It is simply a method of defining individuals into specific groups as to allow others a sense of comfort by 'knowing' the identity of another. Caucasian stems from the word Caucasus from the Caucasus mountain range where people had very fair skin. Just so you know. So you exchange one word white for another meaning white. Enjoy!

Answer 2

I have never seen a white, red, black or yellow person. Yellow is perhaps the silliest depiction, being farthes from the actual colour. I guess it is comparative colouring. I wonder if Europeans actually thought of themselves as white, or if Africans called them white, in contrast to their own darker colouring? We are told, (unless it is just comic book mythology) that the natives of North America calles us "pale faces".
These expression just stick. When they are used respectfully, they do no harm. If they tend to be used to demean a person, they should be avoided.

Answer 3

That is why I call myself Caucasian. I am clearly not white. Peach would be a closer term.

Answer 4

Here's something I read once,

A native man walks into a restaurant and takes a seat. As he is waiting a man turns to him and says "This is a no colored restaurant."

The native man turns to the white man and says "When I am born I am brown, when I grow up I am brown, when I am sick I am brown, when I am cold I am brown, when I am hot I am brown and when I die I am brown.

You sir, when you are born you are pink, when you grow up you are white, when you are sick you are green, when you are cold you are blue, when you are hot you are red and when you die you are purple. And you have the nerve to call me colored."

The white man then gets up and walks out.

Answer 5

They asked this very same question in original "Shaft", where the Sergeant hold up a pen and goes "You're not that black".

Shaft holds up a mug and goes "You're not that white."

I assume "pinkish" and "brownian" just doesn't work as well

Answer 6

Call yourself what you want to call yourself. Its like that whole black vs african american debate. We're not actually BLACK. But, at the same time, I personally didn't migrate here from Africa, so I don't call myself African American. So, what should we call ourselves??? Light and Dark Americans?????

Answer 7

That's a tough one to answer. I don't consider a Japanese man yellow, but we call them yellow. I have American Indian blood in me, but I'm not red, either.

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