Is the word caucasian racist?
White. Anglo-Saxon. Caucasian. These are words found next to checkboxes that I have most identified with throughout my entire life, on almost every form and survey that I have ever taken. Until the last decade, it never occurred to me to question or push back on them.
The words we use to try to describe ourselves can often hold a most sordid history. Case in point: the word caucasian. First coined in the 18th century as a way to "scientifically" justify the idea of white supremacy, it is still used today without widespread acknowledgment of its racist origins.
Let's explore the uncomfortable past of the word caucasian and discuss how to challenge its destructive legacy.
What does ‘race’ even mean?
First things first, let's confront a big topic: the matter of the fundamental existence of race.
On a biological level, race does not exist. Race is a social construct that is blurry at best.
Human beings share 99.9% of our DNA. We are all far, far more alike than we are different.
The Human Genome Project tells us that, sure, some people might share some physical characteristics but even within those broad physical characteristics there is exceptional diversity. So much so that you might be genetically closer (in that minuscule .01%) to folks in an entirely different so-called race than what you identify with.
When thinking about this diversity, scientists prefer to think about human ancestry, not race, understanding that in some instances genetic variations can be looked at to predict the geographic origin of a person. But these ancestral origins do not a race make.
While discrimination based on appearance, religion or origin has happened for thousands of years, the actual idea of race is a relatively new one. But, again, race is purely a social construct created to justify the inequality and discrimination of certain groups of people while building hierarchies that benefit other groups of people.
The idea of a "white race" is based on the false premise that people of European descent are inherently superior to everyone else. This ideology continues to have a devastating impact on our society, as white supremacy and racism are still prevalent today.
No matter what the scientists tell us about the non-existence of race, we live in a social world—not a biological one. And the social world's reality is that our modern-day perception of race is present in almost every facet of our lives. Racism exists, and it is a real and destructive force in our society.
So! We need to talk be able to talk about our currently held misguided understanding of race, but we need to be exceptionally careful with the language we use.
Where does the word caucasian come from?
The word "caucasian" was first coined by German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach in his 1776 book On the Natural Variety of Mankind. This is a made-up term, developed after a visit to the beautiful Caucasus Mountains.
This trip clearly had an impact on him, as Blumenbach found the region of Asia Minor to produce "the most beautiful race of men". Making caucasian-ism all about looks and travel journal fodder -- no biology, folks.
But he didn't stop there. Blumenbach also categorized people according to their complexion with so-called caucasian people having "white" skin while he color-coded humans in the following additional categories: Malayan (yellow), Ethiopian (black), American Indians (red) and Mongolians (brown).
The word caucasian was not the first term used to refer to white people. The word "white" has been used since the 1500s to describe people with light skin, and it is thought to come from the Latin word "albus", which means "white". According to Catherine Bliss, the word caucasian became so widely used because it made whiteness seem scientific and objective instead of subjective or personal.
However, the term caucasian did not become a common word until around 1820 when George Gliddon started using it in his book Types of Mankind in 1854.
The word caucasian is not simply a benign descriptor of white people. It has a racist history that we need to be aware of and challenge. By using this word, we are perpetuating Blumenbach's idea that white skin is superior to all other skin colors while reinforcing the notion that Europeans are at the top of the racial hierarchy. This needs to change if we want to create a more equitable world.
So what can we do when we encounter this word? Here are some suggestions:
Don't use this word to describe humans!
Challenge others when they are careless in using race-connected language that is outdated and inappropriate
Educate yourself about how racism manifests in language
It's no good to shy away from difficult conversations on race - although, man, is it a deep and multi-faceted topic to dig into. We need to be aware of these words and how they've been used in order to challenge them head-on to create inclusive language policies in our schools, workplaces and communities.
A more just and equitable world means being aware of the language we use and how it can perpetuate racism and harmful misinformation.
Sources:
Bliss, Catherine A.(2000) "Caucasian" is not a Race: The Persistence of Racial Categories in America." Journal of American History 86 (June 2000): 169-184.
Blumenbach, Johann Friedrich (1795) On the varieties of mankind: a comparative view of the human species. London : T. Payne and Son; New York: J & J Harper, 1827.
Gliddon, George Robert (1854) Types of Mankind or Ethnological Researches Based upon the Ancient Monuments, Paintings Sculpture and Crania of Races and upon their Natural Relations to Each Other in Modern Times ; Illustrating Bible History by Tracing Out Ethnologically its various Nations as Distributed over Europe Asia Africa America Oceana Australia etc., Philadelphia : Lippincott c1854.
TLDR Quick Summary:
Race is a social construct. It is not rooted in any sort of biological reality—really!
The word ‘caucasian’ has a racist history we should be aware of and reflect on.
The language we use (and accept that others use) can help perpetuate or stop racism and misinformation—the choice is yours!
