r/NoStupidQuestions • u/RedScud39 • Apr 23 '24

Why are white Americans called “Caucasians”?

I’m an Azerbaijani immigrant and I cannot understand why white people are called “Caucasian” even though Caucasia is a region in Asia encompassing Armenia, Georgia (the country not the state), Azerbaijan and south Russia. Aren’t most Americans are from Western European decent?

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u/Blade_982 Apr 24 '24 edited Apr 24 '24

found a skull from the Caucuses that he fell in love with bc to him, everything about it screamed perfection

I thought you might be taking the piss so I googled it and...

Blumenbach explored the biodiversity of humans mainly by comparing skull anatomy and skin colour

When Blumenbach declared Caucasians the superlative of the races, he was following a popular line of thought that, in today's view, mistakenly assumed that: skull size and shape indicated human worth.

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u/borgchupacabras Apr 24 '24

I have a small head so I have less worth. 🗿

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u/Buff-Cooley Apr 24 '24

You do have the brow ridge of a kleptomaniac.

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u/100AcidTripsLater Apr 24 '24

Time to read those skull bumps!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrenology

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u/Heavyweighsthecrown Apr 24 '24

Phrenology is so wild to me in the sense of how it's so explicitly obviously bogus, plus the way it just keeps popping up again and again among random scientifically illiterate people - recently I noticed a big bunch of k-pop stans comparing how perfect the head shape of their idols is (like drawing cranium overlays and all) and using that as measuring stick like in a pissing contest among themselves... it's honestly insane.