Apparently it's something people believed at one point in history; that the Caucuses region is where Noah's arc landed and is thus the region where white people originated. As a non-Christian, the term is absolutely ridiculous.

As a Christian, the term is absolutely ridiculous.

I'd prefer to be called German Irish (or some other identifiable family history origin) or American. White or Caucasian isn't a nationality or race.

It’s a skin color, and in the US all these questions are really trying to ask that.

If your father is from Ireland, but you are dark skinned then you will suffer the same prejudices and abuses as anyone or your skin color. If your father is Kenyan and you are light skinned, you will smoothly fit in with the “white majority” without anyone digging into your history.

The context of US race questions is to counter US racism. Logical etymology doesn’t really apply.

So, what you're saying is that the options for race should be chosen from a colour palette rather than a dictionary?

It goes beyond simply color. For example, there are people who are racist against East Asians, and if you only showed them the color on a palette, that wouldn't be enough for them to think anything of it. They'd have to see other features, and suddenly this data field has gone from text to imagery.

> If your father is from Ireland, but you are dark skinned then you will suffer the same prejudices and abuses as anyone or your skin color.

If your ancestors came to America and were Irish, they faced discrimination just as much as other groups, if not more than most, even if they had a similar color tone as other Europeans.

For one, while the Irish faced discrimination, it was significantly less than that of non-Europeans. More importantly though, how does this have any bearing on why the question is relevant today? Are you somehow under the impression that the Irish are currently subject to extensive prejudice, or that no racialized group is?

Wouldn't all living people be so Caucasian, then?

It's ridiculous, isn't it?

What possible genetic diversity can be had from just 3 families [0]... (Shem, Ham, Japheth)

I identify most with Inyalowda [1], haha.

0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah#Family_tree

1. https://expanse.fandom.com/wiki/Inyalowda

I haven't thought about the origin of that word before, so just checked wiki and... Yeah, it's a terrible idea, I'll make sure not to use that. White is just fine for what people mean by it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_race

Yeah, I wonder how people would feel having to choose between "Caucasian, Mongoloid, or Negroid" on an employment form...

I don’t understand this measure as well. Half of Caucasus mountains are in Russia, and I’m sure most USAmericans won’t like to be identified as Russians.

curiously, in Russia, Caucasians is the collective term for the nations of the Caucasus, and it is often used to express Chauvinist opinions about them. Russians are usually confused when they are referred to as "Caucasian" in american paperwork

People have downvoted me for saying the same thing. Perhaps they were offended by the term "US Americans"? It is a standard term used here in Germany and is not offensive.

It's a word we should all stop using to mean "white". It's inaccurate, non-descriptive, and historically evil.

I fear I’ve offended some Caucasians. I promise I have no ill will towards Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, or any others!

What's more confusing for immigrants from ex-USSR (where the Caucasus mountains were located) the word "Caucasian" there is often associated (in a racist way) with "black" instead "white" because of their darker complexion (darker hair)

Yeah, in Russia the society is quite racist towards the Caucasus Caucasians. How's that for affirmative action? /s

Yall come back now ya hear!

Wrong Georgia!

I always check "other" if "Caucasian" is the closest choice to my race. Then I put "American". I'm certainly not Irish like my paternal grandmother, nor Italian like my paternal grandfather, nor a Polish Jew like my maternal grandparents, and none of those are "Caucasian". I'd probably qualify for "White" but most of the racists who care don't traditionally consider any of the groups that my heritage is from "White". I'm an American by race, from European settler descent, and a United States citizen by nationality.

Are Iranian Persians considered Caucasian in the US or not? My Armenian friends have darker skin tones than Persian ones, so this doesn't make any sense.