Am I being unreasonable for wanting to tell you about being Caucasian?

[DelphineMarineaux]

Inspired by another thread I just responded to, I thought I would start this one.

So, do you think I'm being unreasonable for wanting to tell you about what it means to be Caucasian?

The reason I want to tell you about it is because when most people hear the term 'Caucasian' their thoughts most often go to a dark place. White supremacy. Racism. But reality is, Caucasians are not "white". "White" being someone of, say, Germanic, Scandinavian or Anglo-Saxon heritage. For those that might know this, there is a rather large region in Central Asia called the Caucasus. It consists of countries like Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also lots of regions in what we know as Russia. People that originate from the Caucasus - such as myself - we are called Caucasians. The reason why I want to tell people about the Caucasus and Caucasian people is because I feel like our name is being misused so much, and almost always in negative contexts. I shouldn't have to be worried about offending someone by telling them I'm Caucasian. Just because, in their mind, a Caucasian must be a white supremacist.

I really hope that even one person might read this thread might think twice about their reaction next time they meet someone that tells them they are Caucasian. Because some of us genuinely are Caucasians, and very proud of our ancient heritage, our culture and our history. We do not want to be associated with racism, superiority of any kind, or anything else that's negative and so far away from us / who we are.

Thank you for reading...

I also don't link the term "Caucasian" with white supremacy. This is a very odd thread.

Also glad to hear so many of you haven't heard term Caucasian being used in racist contexts as much as I sadly have. Gives me hope =)

@onelittlefrog

I also don't link the term "Caucasian" with white supremacy. This is a very odd thread.

Did you read it? I was essentially trying to explain and clarify what a Caucasian is, because the term gets used too often in wrong contexts, and to describe the wrong groups of people. That's all =)

You say you are not in the uk so maybe the white supremacy baggage is particular to the place where you are, rather than a general thing.

This is why the White Russian cocktail of Vodka, Kahlua and cream is also known as a Caucasian. Someone on a Facebook thread about cocktails actually got a ban warning for saying they hated White Russians, which we thought was funny.

Good thread OP. I am Turkish so have grown up knowing about the Caucasus and Cherkez (amongst other ethnicities). In the UK I would probably say I am Cherkez from Turkey/Armenia/Azerbaijan or wherever. I think in a English it’s Circassian that might be more recognisable that Cherkez.

Thanks for this thread, I have always been confused about why the term 'Caucasian' is used as a synonym for white. I don't think the term is commonly used in the UK though, I have only heard it on American police drama TV shows. I didn't know it had connotations of white supremacy either.

@znaika

I echo what Dreaming says. You are right to say that the term Causcasian is frequently misused in N America. But I jave never once heard someone call themselves a Caucasian. It would be like saying Balkanite or Alpine, people normally use their nationality

Sure, I agree. But some of don't have a nationality and ethnicty that match...

@eurochick

You say you are not in the uk so maybe the white supremacy baggage is particular to the place where you are, rather than a general thing.

It seems like it at this point, yes =D

@GlutenFreeGingerCake

This is why the White Russian cocktail of Vodka, Kahlua and cream is also known as a Caucasian. Someone on a Facebook thread about cocktails actually got a ban warning for saying they hated White Russians, which we thought was funny.

That made me laugh =D People can be so ridiculous...

I am Russian. I know what you mean as I come from a minority nationality and not technically a slav, normally I just say russian as that it what is in my passport (but not my passport iykwim😅)

@StColumbofNavron

Good thread OP. I am Turkish so have grown up knowing about the Caucasus and Cherkez (amongst other ethnicities). In the UK I would probably say I am Cherkez from Turkey/Armenia/Azerbaijan or wherever. I think in a English it’s Circassian that might be more recognisable that Cherkez.

Thanks for your input and for your advice =D As a Turk I can imagine you must indeed have a quite vast knowledge of Caucasus. After all, Caucasians and Turks have a lot in common and are to some extent neighbours =)

@znaika

I am Russian. I know what you mean as I come from a minority nationality and not technically a slav, normally I just say russian as that it what is in my passport (but not my passport iykwim😅)

See, so you get it =D It's the same reason I just say I'm Caucasian. I'm quite mixed so it's easier to just say Caucasian than to say my exact ethnicty. To then have to explain exactly where it is and what we are. I don't mind doing that in certain settings, but in most contexts it's just tideous for every party involved.

@Lovinghannah

Also I would never associate the term Caucasian with white supremacy.

Nor would I. I just associate it with police identification if anything

@dreamingbohemian

I know quite a few people from the Caucasus and I've never heard any of them call themselves Caucasian.

They say I'm Georgian, Armenian, Chechen, etc.

Caucasian is not very specific, why wouldn't you just say where you're from? Especially because the word does have a twisted meaning here.

Same here.

I’ve never heard someone describe themselves as Caucasian, and I’ve never heard anyone use the term to mean white people outside of police dramas.

Where are you that this is a big issue OP? In what circumstances is it arising as a problem?

In the UK the term is never used on official documentation. They normally have White British and then a drop down box fow white other, sometimes you can specify. I think it's a us cop show thing tbh

I never knew this region existed and would have also associated Caucasian with skin colour , rather than a region. I suppose its like saying I'm celtic, I'm irish but also from the celtic region.

Racial obsession is confusing and meaningless. Here, people use terms such as, 'people of colour', which does seem racist itself. If there is any country of entirely 1 colour, I have no awareness of it. The classification of countries by race is bizarre too. Being from a country isn't specific to colour.

@znaika : But what actually is white?

Years ago, I had an Armenian boyfriend who used to say that Armenians were the “original Caucasians”. He also believed that Armenians are related to the Basque people of northern Spain.

Who the fuck knows @SaharaFlowera?
I am Asian or Eurasian. I thought I was white until i wwnt to the states. There they th8nk Antonio Banderas is a "mab of colour'. I bet noone in the UK does. Just goes to show it's a load of old bollocks

That’s really interesting OP.
I am so sick of labels in general. Why can’t we all just be people from whatever the hell country we are from? I don’t give a crap about skin colour and anyone who does, don’t matter.
I’m quite ashamed to be white anyway…. I spend every summer trying to get some colour. When I run I’m pink, when I’m sick I’m green. I am by far more coloured than anyone of so called colour. Meh. 😊

It's also puzzling to think that half Anglo half Armenian Kim Kardashian is a woman of colour. I know many Armenians woukd disagree with her

[quote SaharaFlower]@znaika : But what actually is white? [/quote]
I always wonder that. I presumed I was "white British" as did my mum and gran
Turns out my great great grandad was black, I never knew! The things you find doing your family tree. I mean I do wonder why nobody ever mused where my uncles 3c curls came from

It's also puzzling to think that half Anglo half Armenian Kim Kardashian is a woman of colour.

Surely she's white?