The Surprisingly Racist History of "Caucasian" | Decoded | MTV News

Summary

This script delves into the etymology of 'Caucasian,' a term often used to describe white people. It challenges the common assumption by highlighting that outside America, 'Caucasian' refers to individuals from the Caucasus region. The script explores the historical roots of the term in scientific racism, particularly through the views of Christoph Meiners and Johann Blumenbach, who classified Georgians as the epitome of beauty and categorized humanity into races. It critiques how these classifications were used to justify slavery and immigration policies in the U.S. The script also ponders why 'Caucasian' persists in American English, suggesting its legal history and the subtle reinforcement of racial ideology as potential reasons.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The term 'Caucasian' is not universally used to describe white people outside of America, as many countries define it as a person from the Caucasus region.
• 🏛️ The concept of 'Caucasian' as representative of white people originated from 18th-century German scientist Christoph Meiners, who promoted the idea of a superior 'white' race.
• 🧬 Meiners' views were unscientific and racist, considering non-Caucasians as inferior and even animal-like, while praising the people from the Caucasus region for their skin color.
• 💀 Johann Blumenbach, another German scientist, contributed to the racial classification by considering the Georgian people as the most beautiful race and categorizing humanity into five races, including Caucasian.
• 🏳️‍🌈 Blumenbach's racial classifications were adopted by the United States, which used them to justify slavery and immigration policies.
• 📚 The term 'Caucasian' has a long legal history in the U.S., with the Supreme Court using it in 64 cases, including one that defined it as white Europeans.
• 🏆 The persistence of the term 'Caucasian' might be due to its historical and legal usage in America, as well as its perceived scientific connotation.
• 🤔 The script challenges the viewer to consider why 'Caucasian' is still in use when other racial categories like 'Mongoloid' and 'Negroid' have fallen out of use.
• 🗣️ The script suggests that language plays a significant role in perpetuating racial ideologies, and the term 'Caucasian' implies a false sense of connection and superiority among white people.

Q & A

Why is the term 'Caucasian' used to refer to white people?

The term 'Caucasian' has become synonymous with white people due to historical classifications by scientists like Johann Blumenbach, who believed the Caucasus region was home to the most beautiful race of men, and extended the term to include light-skinned Europeans.

What is the geographical area referred to as the Caucasus region?

The Caucasus region includes parts of Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and northern Turkey.

Who was Christoph Meiners and what was his contribution to the concept of 'Caucasian'?

Christoph Meiners was an early adopter of 'scientific racism' who believed that people from the Caucasus region had the 'whitest, most blooming, and most delicate skin' and considered non-Caucasians to be inferior.

How did Johann Blumenbach's views on race influence the classification of 'Caucasian'?

Johann Blumenbach believed that the people of Georgia in the Caucasus region were the most beautiful race and that light-skinned Europeans belonged to the same 'Caucasian' race, which influenced later racial classifications.

What was the significance of the 1928 Supreme Court case involving Bhagat Singh Thind?

The 1928 Supreme Court case involving Bhagat Singh Thind, an Indian man, legally defined 'Caucasian' as white Europeans, excluding people of other races from being considered Caucasian for naturalized citizenship.

Why have terms like 'Mongoloid' and 'Negroid' fallen out of use while 'Caucasian' persists?

The term 'Caucasian' persists due to its long legal history in America, its use in Supreme Court cases, and its implication of a distinct racial group separate from other racial groups.

How did the racial classifications of Blumenbach contribute to social policies in the United States?

Blumenbach's racial classifications were adopted by the United States, helping to justify social policies like slavery and selective immigration quotas.

What is the modern American definition of 'Caucasian' as per the Supreme Court decision?

The modern American definition of 'Caucasian', as per the Supreme Court decision, is 'whites with European ancestry'.

Why does the speaker suggest that the term 'Caucasian' might have persisted?

The speaker suggests that the term 'Caucasian' has persisted because of its power in language to spread racial ideology and its implication of a scientific classification.

What other races did Johann Blumenbach classify besides 'Caucasian'?

Johann Blumenbach classified other races as 'Mongolian' (yellow race), 'Malayan' (brown race), 'Ethiopian' (black race), and 'American' (red race).

How does the script suggest that language can influence racial ideology?

The script suggests that language, particularly terms like 'Caucasian', can be a subtle and significant vehicle for spreading racial ideology by implying differences and connections among racial groups.

Outlines

00:00

🏛️ The Origin of 'Caucasian'

This paragraph delves into the etymology and historical usage of the term 'Caucasian,' which is commonly used to refer to white people of European descent in America. Contrary to its American usage, the term is not universally applied to white individuals globally, as it originally denotes people from the Caucasus region, encompassing parts of Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and northern Turkey. The paragraph explores how the term became associated with white people, tracing back to the 18th-century German scientist Christoph Meiners, who was an early proponent of 'scientific racism.' Meiners believed that the people from the Caucasus had the 'whitest, most blooming, and most delicate skin,' and he derogatorily classified non-Caucasians as ugly, inferior, and immoral. Johann Blumenbach, another German scientist, further contributed to the racial classification by asserting that the Georgian people were the most beautiful race, based on his collection of human skulls. His arbitrary categorization influenced the United States' early racial policies, including slavery and immigration, and the term 'Caucasian' has persisted in American legal history, despite its scientifically unfounded origins.

Keywords

💡Caucasian

Caucasian traditionally refers to a person from the Caucasus region, which includes parts of Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and northern Turkey. In the context of the video, it has been misappropriated to broadly categorize white-skinned individuals of European descent. The video discusses how this term has been racialized and used to differentiate white people from other racial groups, which is a central theme in understanding the historical and social implications of racial categorization.

💡Scientific Racism

Scientific racism is the pseudoscientific belief that certain races are inherently superior to others. The video mentions Christoph Meiners as an early adopter of this ideology, using it to argue that people from the Caucasus region were the 'perfect race'. This concept is debunked in the video, illustrating how such beliefs have been used to justify discrimination and social hierarchies.

💡Christoph Meiners

Christoph Meiners was a German philosopher who is highlighted in the video for his role in promoting the idea of 'scientific racism'. He is presented as believing that Caucasians, particularly those from the Caucasus region, were the most beautiful and superior race. His views are used in the video to exemplify the historical roots of racial stereotypes and prejudices.

💡Johann Blumenbach

Johann Blumenbach was a German scientist who is discussed in the video for his contributions to racial classifications. He is known for categorizing humans into different races based on physical characteristics, particularly skull measurements. His work is critiqued in the video as it helped to perpetuate the idea of a 'Caucasian race' and contributed to racial hierarchies.

💡Racial Classification

Racial classification is the categorization of humans into groups based on physical characteristics, which the video argues is often arbitrary and unscientific. The video discusses how Blumenbach's classifications, including the division of humanity into 'Caucasian', 'Mongolian', 'Malayan', 'Ethiopian', and 'American' races, have had lasting impacts on social and legal structures, such as immigration policies and citizenship laws.

💡Affirmative Action

Affirmative action refers to policies designed to increase opportunities for members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged. In the video, it is mentioned in a humorous context to highlight misconceptions about how such policies work. The video uses this term to discuss the complexities and controversies surrounding race and social equity.

💡Racial Ideology

Racial ideology encompasses the beliefs and attitudes about race that influence social and political structures. The video argues that terms like 'Caucasian' have been used to spread racial ideologies, implying a false sense of scientific legitimacy and reinforcing racial differences. This concept is central to understanding how language can be used to perpetuate racial biases.

💡Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the United States is mentioned in the video in relation to its historical use of the term 'Caucasian' in legal decisions. The video discusses a specific case from 1928 where the Court defined 'Caucasian' as referring to white Europeans, which had significant implications for citizenship and immigration laws. This example illustrates the role of legal institutions in shaping racial definitions and policies.

💡European Ancestry

European ancestry is used in the video to describe the lineage of individuals from European descent. The term is relevant as the video discusses how the concept of 'Caucasian' has been linked to having European ancestry, which has been used to differentiate white individuals from other racial groups and justify certain social and legal practices.

💡Degenerate Forms

The term 'degenerate forms' is used in the video to describe how Blumenbach categorized non-Caucasian races as inferior variations of the original human race. This concept is critiqued as it reflects the discriminatory and unscientific views that have been used to marginalize and devalue non-white racial groups.

💡Naturalized Citizens

Naturalized citizens are individuals who have become citizens of a country after being born in another. The video references a historical policy that only allowed 'free whites' or 'Caucasians' to become naturalized citizens, which is tied to the broader discussion of racial restrictions in immigration and citizenship laws.

Highlights

The term 'Caucasian' is not universally used to refer to white people outside of America.

The Caucasus region includes parts of Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and northern Turkey.

Christoph Meiners, a German, was an early proponent of 'scientific racism' and viewed Caucasians as the perfect race.

Meiners considered non-Caucasian races as ugly, inferior, immoral, and animal-like.

Johann Blumenbach, a German scientist, believed the Caucasus region was home to the most beautiful race, the Georgians.

Blumenbach's classification of races, including Caucasian, was adopted by the United States, influencing policies like slavery and immigration.

The term 'Caucasian' has a long legal history in the U.S., including 64 Supreme Court cases.

The 1928 Supreme Court case involving Bhagat Singh Thind helped define 'Caucasian' as white Europeans in a legal context.

The word 'Caucasian' persists in America partly due to its historical and legal use.

Language plays a significant role in spreading racial ideology, and 'Caucasian' implies a distinction among white people.

The term 'Caucasian' sounds scientific but has no scientific basis.

The show invites viewers to comment on their surprise regarding the history of the word 'Caucasian'.

The term 'Caucasian' is still used despite other racial categories like 'Mongoloid' and 'Negroid' having faded.

The modern American definition of 'Caucasian' is 'whites with European ancestry', established by legal precedent.

The show discusses the implications of affirmative action and legacy admissions in the context of university admissions.

Transcripts

Have you ever wondered why we call white people

“Caucasian”?

The answer is surprisingly—

heck, you know how what this show is about!

Most people know the definition of Caucasian

as “a white-skinned person of European descent”.

Right? Not really.

Outside of America, white people generally

aren’t seen as Caucasian at all. Why?

Because almost every country

has a different definition for Caucasian:

“a person from the Caucasus region”.

Which, in case you’re wondering, is actually right over here,

with parts of Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan,

and northern Turkey.

So why has Caucasian become synonymous

with all white people?

Well bucket your seatbelts ‘cause things

are about to get pretty racist.

A century before Hitler’s rise to power,

there was another German man

who believed white people were the perfect race:

Christoph Meiners,

who was one of the earliest adopters of “scientific racism”.

Now hold on, because it’s about to get really unscientific.

Meiners believed that Caucasians,

A.K.A. the actual people

from that region between Russia and Turkey,

had, quote, the “whitest, most blooming,

and most delicate skin”.

In fact, he viewed every non-Caucasian race

as ugly, inferior, immoral, and animal-like.

He also believed people from the Middle East

and Asia had little intelligence

and were predispositioned to be evil.

Then German scientist

Johann Blumenbach added to this emerging definition.

Blumenbach believed that the Caucasus region was home

to the most beautiful race of men: the people of Georgia.

And what made the Georgian people so beautiful?

Well this creepy guy had a huge collection

of human skulls

and, out of the 245,

the Georgian skull was his favorite.

Did I mention that he had a collection

of 245 human skulls?

So this weirdo, using no science at all,

decided that all of humanity must have come from this region.

Spoiler alert— we didn’t.

He also decided that all light-skinned people

from Europe belonged to the same race: Caucasian.

Then he split the rest of the world

into four other races,

which he referred to as “degenerate forms

of God’s original creation”.

Sounds like a fun guy.

Those other races were: Mongolian, the “yellow” race;

Malayan, the “brown” race;

Ethiopian, the “black” race;

and American, the “red” race.

Blumenbach’s racial classifications

went on to be adopted by the newly formed

United States, because of course it did.

It helped our Founding Fathers justify things like slavery

and selective immigration quotas.

But that was a long time ago, right?

So why does the word Caucasian persist

while other old-timey categories

like Mongoloid and Negroid have disappeared?

Well there seems to be a few reasons

that are a little intertwined.

In America there’s a long legal history of the word.

The Supreme Court has actually used Caucasian in 64 cases,

including one from 1928 that is key.

During the 1920s, only free whites,

or Caucasians, were allowed to become naturalized citizens.

In 1928, Bhagat Singh Thind,

an Indian man who fought for the U.S.

in World War I,

tried to become a U.S. citizen

by arguing that many anthropologists

defined Indians as Caucasians.

After a major legal battle, the Supreme Court decided

that Caucasian really only meant white Europeans.

This decision legally codified the modern American definition

of Caucasian as “whites with European ancestry”.

Why else? We don’t exactly know for sure,

but one reason I think Caucasian has likely stuck around

is because of its power.

Language is one of the most systematic, subtle,

and significant vehicles for spreading racial ideology.

And Caucasian implies that white people are different

from other racial groups in America.

It makes is seem like white people

are somehow connected in a way

that’s not just based on the pigmentation of their skin.

It even sounds kinda scientific,

even though it’s really, really not.

So were you surprised by the history

of the word Caucasian?

Sound off in the comments below

and we’ll see you next week right here on Decoded.

…like Marcus:

he thought he was definitely getting in because he was black.

Nope, that’s just not how affirmative action works.

Even Marcus may as well have lit

that 75 dollar application fee on fire.

And if you really want to get upset, meet Bradley.

He’s a legacy.

Bradley got in because his dad and grandpa

both went to school here.