CHAT : Re: Racial Classification (was Re: LOTR credit line)

Quoting Akhilesh Pillalamarri <valardil@...>:

> The racial classification system is totally messed up.
Who ever said it was _supposed_ to make sense? ;)

> When they say "asian,"
> i guess they mean the "East asians." I also guess "white" refers to people of
> european, north african, and middle eastern descent, though i cant figure out
> where central asians belong. I also wonder aobut native americans and
> austrialian natives. I'm of indian (from India) descent. I cant figure out if
> im "white" or "asian." I kno im supposed to be white, but it doesnt seem to
> fit. I kno many indians that if they didnt have "Caucassian" features, they
> would be classified as "Black." And then, for blacks, i would exclude Khosian
> people. They should really create a better classification system, though
> scientifically race is non-existant; how about: northern white(european,some
> central asians), southern white(most middle eastern,north africa,india?),
> asian (many east and southeast asians), northern asian (north and many east
> asians) [there is a big difference genetically between north and south
> chines!
> e],
>  amerindians, austrialian aborigonies, black, khosian people, pacific
> islander, and pygmies.Thats 10, and it makes better sense. though i cant
> really draw a line between my "Asian" and "North Asian" group, and the
> "Asian" and "Pacific islander" group. I also cant figure out where to put
> eskimos. And latinos dont even form a group so their really hard to classify.
> Please give me feedback, questions, answers, comments, (general discussion).
> Read "Genes, Race, and Language" very good book.
I make no claims it useful for purposes of science or racism, but by my mental
classification, "black" means Negroid, "white" means light-skinned
Caucasoid, "yellow" means paler varieties of Asian Mongoloid and "red"
American Mongoloid. This leaves a few thousand million people outside the
system, but I've never perceived that as a problem.

How 'Latino' came to be treated as a racially category has always completely
mystified me.

                                                    Andreas

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