why do european countries get categorized as being all the same?

Question

It bugs me that people from different european countries are called white or western, and not identified by their individual culture. Whenever they ask for an ethnicity, the hispanics get 2 special categories, and the alaskan natives get a category, while people of european heritage are called white. And I am familiar with european culture, and can say that they are very different from eachother. I am Italian, and our family has more get togethers than most families do. Plus I heard that England and the USA have som very distinct differences in culture. Do other people see european culture being individual among the countries?

Answer 1

Cultures and racial distinctions are totally different from each other. Some don't even believe races exist outside "the human race" which I think is garbage. But if you divide all the people in the world into only 3 races, you have Black, White, Oriental; the further you break it down, the more flack you get from people.

Therefore, most, not all Europeans traditionally have been white. Most Africans black, and most Asians have been Oriental.

Hope this PC definition doesn't offend anyone out there. But, if it does too bad.

Answer 2

I don't know where you are...I'm on the east coast of the US. People often refer to their geographic ancestry ie Italian
American, Irish American, Polish American. The European nations, like other places, have distinct history, language, cultural, traditions. Though your concern over homogenezation is interesting in light of the current trend for more countries to join the European Union. I don't think anyone who travels and follows global events believes otherwise.

Answer 3

That is a pretty good question. My wife is from the Philippines, and classified as Asian, but I have met people from other Asian countries and found them to be very different also.

Answer 4

You think you have it bad? Try compressing 500 nations into American Indian/Alaska Native. We're VERY different groups.

Answer 5

I hear you loud and clear. I may not be able to answer that question coz it bugs me too, that people generalize diefferent asian countries as ASIANS or ORIENTALS where in fact, it shouldn't be--especially the latter.

Answer 6

A lot of people are lazy....it would be too difficult and time-consuming to explain these things to them. But I do know what you mean.

Answer 7

well, "boris" you guys all live in the same area, use the same money, have the same history, look the same, act the same, think the same, talk the same, etc. you guys are european! Just the same as everyone from africa is african, everyone from asia is asian and everyone south of the US is hispanic.

Answer 8

because they are? Americans are pretty good at generalizing when it comes to race. Why stop there?