Quote:
Originally Posted by Morrigoon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Stroup
As used in the United States, "caucasian" simply refers to skin color not region of origin. In Europe "caucasian" refers to people from that region.
How the name for that region came be used as the descriptive term for white people is an interesting bit of racist science history. Without going into details, the term was used because that's where early 19th science though the skull features of northern Europeans would ultimately be traced.
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Before I even got to Alex's post I was reading
this.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Blumenbach, a "Scientist"
Caucasian variety - I have taken the name of this variety from Mount Caucasus, both because its neighborhood, and especially its southern slope, produces the most beautiful race of men, I mean the Georgian; and because all physiological reasons converge to this, that in that region, if anywhere, it seems we ought with the greatest probability to place the autochthones (birth place) of mankind.
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I swear, I'm almost insulted that my supposed grouping was created due to such subjectively prejudiced pseudo-science. I'm not insulted by much, either, but I'm rather horrified that I've been putting "one of the beautiful people" on every form I've filled out.
I know it doesn't really mean that any more, but the origin leaves me with a sullied feeling. I'd rather be called white.
In that regard, I actually dig the idea of calling myself Eastern European, though that's only half my ancestry. I identify as an Eastern European Jewish American, I guess. Not that it matters.