There are no Caucasians
Other than in the Caucasus Mts.
One thing that has always annoyed me is the demographic appellation “caucasian.” The appellation “caucasian” originates with Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. You can google him. Suffice it to say that the term originates in 18th European racist views posing as science.
It isn’t fair. Other people get to honor their heritage with Black, Asian, Latino (though there are problems with this appellation as well), etc. We people of European ancestry get lumped together into a region we never came from. I would much prefer it if I were allowed to choose “Northern European” as my demographic category, rather than white or caucasian, since these two terms are loaded with the racist history and colonial disenfranchisement, genocide, and displacement of Native people beginning in 1492 and the exploitation of Africans in the slave trade of the American colonies, beginning in 1619.
For example, I am of Highland Scottish, English, Dutch, Norwegian and Sami Descent, with a dash of Northern Italian in there—and a Mayflower descendant (Richard Warren). I think “pink” is a better term than “white,” since I am definitely more pink than white in my complexion. The Dutch and Mayflower connection makes my heritage OG settler-colonialist stock. My Scottish heritage is a result of the genocidal Highland Clearances and wholesale suppression of Gaelic and Scottish culture in the Highlands following the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the battle of Culloden in 1745. My folks were displaced to Canada, where they were involved in displacing earlier French colonialists and also First People. My Scandinavian heritage is mid-19th century, when the West was basically stolen from the Original People to make room for an influx of European settlers.
The point is, I am not a caucasian, I never was, and I never will be. “White” is also a ridiculous term. Light-skinned, maybe; but white-skinned, no. I have never seen anyone who looked white other than some Chinese and Japanese women who take extreme care never to expose themselves to the sun.
The American project is founded upon racism and racist categories. It is founded on ethnic essentialism. Until this is broadly recognized by all, we shall keep returning to the racist violence that is again being perpetrated by the US Govt. Humans come in all shades. But shades do not define us and never have.
It is indeed annoying to be subjected to ethnic or racial classifications that are misnomers. You are right to mention that there's a problem with "Latino" as well. I'm planning to write about that from the perspective of a Hispanic. The very concept of race is ridiculous. What difference does a relative amount of melanin in the skin make concerning intelligence, merit, prowess, or any of the other things that it's often associated with? Buddhism too. In ancient India, Buddha's followers called themselves Sakyans or Sakyabhiksu, and later used terms like Bauddha, but the "-ism" suffix defining a system of belief is a Western linguistic construct.
You’re The Highlander. I knew it! I’ve been loving these recent posts.