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Define White
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
If someone says they're white what does it mean? (or just give a good definition)
If someone says they're black I assume they mean they're of African origin .. so what does being white mean? Are Jews white? or Southern Italians with their olive skin ..
Starting to get me confused now these days what White actually is ..
If someone says they're black I assume they mean they're of African origin .. so what does being white mean? Are Jews white? or Southern Italians with their olive skin ..
Starting to get me confused now these days what White actually is ..
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Comments
To include all the groups whose members for the most part consider themselves White, and are generally considered by others to be White, and not include those groups which [do not/are not], you end up with a somewhat unwieldy construction like:
a member or descendant of a native European ethny with a predominantly Christian heritage.
This would exclude peoples like the Sami, or Albanians, which I think is generally acceptable, but would also exclude the Ashkenazi Jews, some of whom say they are White, and are accepted as such by most other Whites.
It has always been, and remains today, a contentious political decision, precisely who is White? Historically, the label has been quite fluid, and mainly a colonial/empire/offshoot question. In the old days qualifying as White afforded privilege, these days the opposite.
Ah but then if say one parent is white and one Asian what is the child?
you'd think the BNP would have a good definition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_National_Party
It does have some biological basis though.
White to me suggests someone from Europe or a direct descendant from European settlers/colonists/emmigrants.
Half white/half Asian?
I guess then, strictly speaking, the child would not be considered either White or Asian but may claim ancestry of both. I would suppose that anyone who is at least 45% of one race would be regarded as a member of the race of their major gene.
In that peoples skins are different shades, yes, there is a biological basis to that but anything else is just rubbish.
I suppose you could set certain shade boundaries like a colour sample from a paint company, but thats just pointless.
Tragically lots of people do, though why I've never understood. No one is pure anything, we are all strange mixes of all sorts.
It should make no difference in how we interact with each other but at the end of the day, it IS where I (for instance) come from. I have a real interest in history, for instance, and having an idea of my roots is kinda fascinating. Just as, I am sure, it is for people of other races.
But that is your nationality, not your 'race'.
Well it's a bit more than colour, they're not substantial but there are other phsiological differences between races. It's stupid to just say that we're all just humans and that's that. Although it is true it's like saying there's no such things as Poodles or Pitbulls, just dogs. It's science, of course race is a social construct also and has unfortunately proven to be the death and misfortune of millions but that still doesn't mean we have to put the whole issue to the back of our minds and deny it doesn't exist.
Hmm, with that attitude you're just looking for another Hitler type of person to come along.
I think race has history as much as nationality. Race transcends nationality, in my opinion.
Think you might be confusing race with ethnicity there.
Yes, various human groups from various parts of the world are different, but that isnt really 'race'. One group of 'black' people may well be completely different from another, same as 'whites' from one part of the world are different from another.
In the terms it is used 'race' is totally a social contract because it is about power.
So you are .. erm .. what? What do you use to explain your (I presume) fair skin. I don't see why considering myself is White means that there is racist connotations. Some people might be like that but there are arseholes in every aspect of humanity.
Who says they have to think the same?
I'm fine with people describing themselves as white or black or whatever, its when they form their identity from a pure accident of birth it irritates me.
So you have a problem with people being proud of their nationality/gender/sexuality also?
Largely yes, its an accident of birth, I find it very odd when people make such a big deal of it. Your country of birth, your choice of genitals, your sex really doesnt mean anything really. Why would you make it your defining feature?
Why not be proud of having brown hair, or two feet or anything you were born to?
Because it shapes you as a person. Look, people just didn't start growing out of the ground, they got here some how. I've always been interested in the history of the people of my land, how they got here, what they did, how they managed to survive etc etc. It's interesting stuff, I'm proud of it, I'm proud of my people's feats and I'm proud to be Irish. I'm sure a lot of people can relate to that.
Sure why not? I'm not going to jump on them if they are.
Fair enough, but would you be that drastically different if you were gay for example? Would it really change who you were that much?
Probably. Certainly concerning the people I interact with, my attitude towards sexuality and sexual oppression etc etc. Make me more interested in these issues.
Too many people.
TBH, there are a few things that need to notice race - I.E a historical film/program - you can hardly have a black man playing Winston Churchill. It'd be historically incorrect.
Other than that, meh.
But for definition - People of European ancestory with a skin pigment that makes them white. Also, thier is nothing wrong with being proud of this. As long as you don't use it as an excuse to be hateful of other races, or get a superiority complex about it. No race is more important than another one. Although the mix of races making up America appear to have been the most useless people of each race sent there to be stupid with each other, meaning that the rest of the world was left the good stuff.
Whereas I'm sure the OP did not have ulterior motives it always worries me that when a thread like this arises sooner or later some people start to emerge who appear to attach a lot of importance to who exactly qualifies as a member of which race and so on. Some of those take more than just an academic interest in the subject, and for reasons that have nothing to do with anthropology.
We're all the same. We all came from Africa anyway. I really couldn't care less about who qualifies as 'pure' white and who is of mixed or non pure white backgrounds. It's all down to pigmentation, nothing more.