Whites

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Whites is a broad term developed in the eighteenth century to describe Caucasian people as an ethnic descent, especially those with fair skin. It is often used in contrast with other "racial" color terms, such as black or yellow. Although the most prevalent term in casual conversation, "white" is increasingly rarely used in academic and formal discussion of racial demographics, however it is still often used in discussions of racial attitudes, particularly in the humanities, and in fields such as Black studies, Critical race theory, and Whiteness studies. "White" is also the dominant term in many discourses of racial superiority, supremacy, and separatism, such as the White power movement.

The definition of "white" has changed over time, and may vary from place to place. For example, Ashkenazi Jews and Slavs were often considered separate from the white race for many years, and are now generally considered "white" following World War II. Similarly, in Haiti, Cuba, and Brazil light-skinned people of mixed (African and European) descent are considered "white"; in the United States, those same people are considered "black".

Additionally, the popular definition of "white" in the United States often excludes all Hispanic and Latino peoples, even peoples of European Spanish descent. However, relatively few Hispanics in the U.S. are of primarily Spanish descent; the majority of U.S. Hispanics are mestizo (mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry). Many people view all Turks, Arabs, and Iranians as non-white as well, even though many of these people are genetically or physically indistinguishable from "white" Mediterranean Europeans. Being white often is tied more to social or political factors than genotype or phenotype.

This usage is sometimes criticized by those who argue that it de-ethnicizes various groups. During the era of Jim Crow Laws in the US South, facilities were commonly divided into separate sections for "White" and "Colored" people. These terms were defined by law, with people of exclusively European descent being labeled "White" and African-Americans labeled as "Colored". The categorization of people of other ethnicities and mixed ancestries varied from state to state and in different municipalities.

Countries with white majorities include most the of the nations of Europe, western Asia as well as countries colonized by Europeans in the 1400s-1700s such as the United States, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, the Asian territories of Russia, Australia, and New Zealand. In these nations, the relatively small indigenous populations were overwhelmed by white colonists from a European "mother country".

Significant minorities of whites live in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and in the various Latin American and Caribbean countries. Many of these nations have experienced considerable political conflict between the white minority (descended from settlers from the former colonial power) and a non-European majority, heightening the sense of "white" racial identity.

As is the case with many racial groups, throughout history some whites have seen themselves as superior to members of other groups. This has been a factor in issues related to imperialism, slavery and colonization, the latter of which sometimes was justified by the notion of the white man's burden. This attitude is considered socially unacceptable in most white-majority countries today.