Divrsity Dictionary: What is the meaning of Caucasian?

Why Diversity and Inclusion Survey Questions shouldn't use the term...

Last Update 8 Oct 2023, originally 15 Sept 2023 by Rochana Jackson

One of the benefits of running your Diversity and Inclusion Survey on the Divrsity platform is that we have done the hard work of figuring out a) which questions to ask, and b) how to ask them in a way that doesn't cause offense.

This means that our template Diversity and Inclusion Survey questions are constantly evolving as language and expectations change.

For example, 'Caucasian' is often used to mean white european, but it's not only grossly inaccurate, it's also potentially offensive!

Do we mean White?

We know that there are a lot of words that people use or shy-away-from but the word 'Caucasian' may not immediately strike you as a racially offensive term since, in its modern usage, Caucasian has become the PC word people use when they don't want to say 'white'.

But Caucasian didn't always mean white: before the 18th century, it was exclusively a term to describe people from the Caucasus region, located at the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, including countries like Armenia (cough, Kardashians).

Ok... so where did it all get messy?

To understand the term "Caucasian," we need to travel back in time to the 18th century and the work of a German biologist named Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. Blumenbach was fascinated by human variation and set out to classify the world's population into racial groups.

In his 1779 book, he introduced the term "Caucasian" to describe people with certain physical characteristics, including light skin, straight hair, and a particular facial structure. In his opinion, the “fair skin and distinct facial features” were THE most aesthetically pleasing so therefore at the top of his rankings.

Where did the name "Caucasian" come from? Blumenbach believed that these traits originated in the Caucasus region, located between Europe and Asia. He argued that the first humans emerged from this area and then migrated outwards, which is why he used the term "Caucasian" to describe what we now typically refer to as "white" people.

Blumenbach's work gained traction, and his classification system was widely adopted, particularly in the Western world. The term "Caucasian" became a way to describe people of European descent, and it was often used interchangeably with the term "white." However, it's important to note that Blumenbach himself recognized that his classification system had its limitations and that human variation didn't fit neatly into categories.

Interestingly, Blumenbach's 'definition' of Caucasian included Europeans and the inhabitants of a region spanning from northern Africa, to the Ob River in Russia, to the Caspian Sea, to the Ganges; a definition which technically included Indians...

So how could this be racist?

Fast-forward to the early 20th Century: meet Bhagat Singh Thind - a Punjabi immigrant to America who not only had a PhD, was a top university lecturer and wrote several books, but also fought in the US army in WW1.

American law at the time stated that Caucasians - this superior & prized 'race' - had access to the right to secure US citizenship yet, when Thind applied for citizenship, he was denied. The court decided that Indians were not considered Caucasian (anymore). Convenient huh?

Another example of a 'convenient' twist of the definition was in the case of the US Boston bombings; despite the bombers being both white and quite literally Caucasian, the media struggled to accept that fact so used their 'radicalised' religion as a way to denounce the men as not 'white Americans'.

Just two of many brutal reminders that race is just a social construct, and that words & definitions associated with race are therefore entirely subjective. And, when systems of power are at play which proactively & intentionally cause inequity, exclusion & discrimination based on someone's 'race' - that is when it becomes racism.

Maybe let's stop throwing the word Caucasian about?

No matter how you personally identify, today's use of the team Caucasian is at the very least an inefficient and lazy way of (quite literally) white-washing entire populations with an identity that simply isn't theirs.

By embracing accurate terminology and celebrating the rich tapestry of human diversity, we can work towards a more inclusive and equitable society where all individuals are valued for who they are, rather than being reduced to inaccurate labels. Let us continue our journey to create a world where diversity is celebrated and every voice is heard.

So, What's the Alternative? Embracing Direct Language

Now that we've explored the issues with the term "Caucasian," you might be wondering: what should we say instead? The simple answer is: let's call things by their name. Using terms like "white" or "Black" may feel uncomfortable for some, but that discomfort is a small price to pay for honest dialogue.

Here are a few reasons why direct language is often the best approach:

1. It Acknowledges Reality: Terms like "white" and "Black" recognize the lived experiences of people and their unique cultural contexts. By using these terms, we acknowledge the historical and systemic racism that has impacted these communities and continue to do so today.

2. It Promotes Understanding: When we use direct language, we open up space for education and empathy. For example, saying "white privilege" rather than "Caucasian advantage" invites discussion about the unearned advantages that come with being in a dominant racial group.

3. It's More Inclusive: By using terms like "white," we include people of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian descent who may not identify as "Caucasian" but are often included in that category. It also acknowledges the diversity within "white" communities, recognizing that not all European-descended people have the same experiences.

4. It Challenges Stereotypes: Direct language can help break down harmful stereotypes. For instance, using "Black" instead of "Black British" recognizes the diversity of the Black community and challenges the notion that all Black people originate from Africa.

How Divrsity can help

This is just one example of where inaccurate terminology can potentially cause offense: for the ultimate in trigger words check out our article on the words Woke...

Diversity has many years of experience asking D&I questions in the "right" way, and our pre-configured Diversity & Inclusion questions are constantly evolving. This means you can be completely confident that running your workplace Diversity & Inclusion Survey with Divrsity will lead to actionable insights, rather than unhappy employees.

Not only that but, with the click of a button, customers can constantly update their demographic questions and Lenses to reflect learnings across our entire client base.

If your organisation is ready to move the dial when it comes to DE&I, don't hesitate to email support@divrsity.team or, better still, just sign-up and give it a go...