[Andres]

According to racial classification doctrines, Europe and most of West Asia and North Africa are 'Caucasian' regions. Today people think of 'white' or 'Caucasian' as synonomous to European. Do Arabs, Berbers, Afghans and North Indians consider themselves 'white'? If not, then what?

User Detail :  

Name : Andres, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 25, City : Chambersburg, State : PA Country : United States, 

[S.M.]

Interesting question. I'm from India, but have many beliefs, habits etc. that would make people easily mistake me for a White guy. I listen to heavy metal, play guitar, have long hair, go to grad school, am a pacifist (!) etc. I even managed to give a skinhead a piece of my mind in a chatroom once, because he thought I was White and agreed to talk to me! However, on the basis of skin color, I don't see how I could ever be White in anyone's eyes. In fact, I've humorously thought that from now on I should list my ethnicity as Black/Caucasian. Peace.

User Detail :  

Name : S.M., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : East Indian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 25, City : Cambridge, State : MA Country : United States, Occupation : Student/Musician, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Patrick30451]

I lived in Egypt for almost two years. Egyptians do not consider themselves either as Arabs or Africans. I don't think they consider themselves white either. They are Egyptians. My limited experience with Arabs is similar, they consider themselves Arabic. They tend to see the world as Western (European/American, Arabs, Africans, etc.) or by religion (Moslem, Christian, Jew, etc.).

User Detail :  

Name : Patrick30451, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 39, City : Arlington, State : VA Country : United States, Occupation : IT Project Manager, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Berber-girl]

They dont consider themselves white except for some lost arabs who do. They consider themselves with the region there from; such as middle-eastern Berbers are hamites they aren't white or caucasion because the term hamite means an african person with european or semitic features and sometimes soft hair it could also be a black skinned person with european features. With North Indians and Afghans its obvious that they are brown and they consider themselves brown just like Persians or Pakistanis

User Detail :  

Name : Berber-girl, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Muslim, Age : 21, City : Montreal, State : WY Country : Canada, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Karim]

Most Arabs would NOT classify themselves as white. If they HAVE to classify themselves under a race Arabs would search for the 'others' option, as I will do when I post this message. I think the word 'Arab' can be used as an ethnic classification, but the concept of race is really not known in this part of the world. Concepts like 'culture' or 'background' are popular here but 'race' has a bad ringing (reminds us of years of European imperialism and superiority complex).

User Detail :  

Name : Karim, Gender : M, Age : 23, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[Hayat R.]

I've known thousands of Arabs in my life, though I am not one. Arabs consider themselves Arab. Seriously, their culture is so old and so defined, and for them, it is a proud culture, and that is what they define themselves as racially. Of course, 'Arab' is a broad term; depending on whether the individual is a Moorish Arab (Morocco to Egypt) or a Mid-Eastern Arab, or a Berber Arab, they might classify themselves differently racially. But I have never met an Arab who considered himself or herself white. I've met some who labeled themselves as black and others as Asians, but white I have yet to see.

User Detail :  

Name : Hayat R., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Caucasian/Asian mix, Religion : Muslim, Age : 20, City : Islamabad, State : NA Country : Pakistan, Occupation : Journalist, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[al28991]

i belive arabs in different regions have different colour skin for eg. morrocan arabs have more of the hespanic tan. Saudi arabs have more of the light african tan and me I'm a lebanese arab but i have white skin i think its because lebanon is probably the closest country to Europe and was once ruled by the Roman empire If you were to classify an arab i'd describe them as a light brown tan to even it up

User Detail :  

Name : al28991, Gender : M, City : melbourne, State : WA Country : Australia, 

[Marina22267]

I am of Egyptian origin, born in the United States. What does this make me? I'm 25 and have yet to figure it out. The U.S. Census says I'm white, despite my Middle Eastern heritage and culture. I don't look like white people, and most people I meet do not perceive me as white.

I never know what to refer to myself as when forced to choose between the narrow categories of white, black, Asian or Hispanic. Some Arabs designate themselves as white, in the hope of being treated as white. Others, Egyptians and Moroccans, etc. call themselves African American since Egypt and Morocco are on the continent of Africa, but I've always felt wrong doing this. Still others call themselves Asian because their countries of origin are technically in Asia - but I think that Asian Indians, Japanese, Chinese, etc. would not think of these people as Asians.

In short, it's high time we deal with this identity issue and allow Arabs to have a category of our own - call it 'Mid-Easterners' or whatever you will. I'd be interested in hearing from other Arabs on this.

User Detail :  

Name : Marina22267, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Mid-Easterner, Religion : Catholic, Age : 25, City : Ann Arbor, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Marketing, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Moe20295]

Placing people from the middle-east into the white gene pool has more to do with religion than genetics. White folks like to believe that Jesus, Moses, and Abraham were white. They put pictures in the church where as Jesus looks more like the nordic god Thor than a man of middle-eastern stock. So if these great men are white, then the folks in the region in which they lived must be white as well, regardless of how they actually look.

User Detail :  

Name : Moe20295, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Of many races but live as a black man, Religion : Christian, Age : 38, City : Portland, State : OR Country : United States, Occupation : Network Admin, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Karim]

Arabs are definitely not white. This term relates to Europe mostly. Arabs are not Africans either, most Sub-Saharans refuse to treat North Africans as black (which they are not!). If I have to classify myself (I don't see the point, and I don't have to do it over here!), then I would look for an 'others' category. By the way is it not time yet for Yforum to add 'Arab' to its drop down menu of races?

User Detail :  

Name : Karim, Gender : M, Age : 23, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

[D. Ross]

Technically Ancient Arabs are dark skinned Africans. Do to European mixing among the Arabs they have lighter skin and tend to look more European. Because Europeans have migrated and have settled into Africa for a little over 2,000 years, the White Arabs will classify themselves as white. For those Arabs who know their true identity will admit that they are Africans. For thosw people who don't know, the Middle East is a part of the continent of Africa. It is the Northern extention of Africa.

User Detail :  

Name : D. Ross, Gender : F, Age : 24, City : Ross, State : OH Country : United States, 

[Author]

Posts