What is the PC term: "White" or "Caucasian"?

'White' is the generic term for most fair-skinned people with mostly straight hair and narrow lips, most of whom are of European descent. Caucasian that is more all encompassing for white people. Caucasians were the ancestors of the white Europeans, most of whom came from present day Eurasia. White is not derrogatory unless someone follows the word white with trash or uses the word whitey.

Caucasian White

That term is just saying that our ancestors came from Africa, not necessarily the people alive today that are called that. I do hate the word Black(like crayon color) though, I mean technically, we are brown, and I have NEVER seen a person that was actually Black, I just think it would be a darker shade of brown. I guess I could see where you are coming from though, but only a little. Besides, its been going on for this long, why change it only to complicate things. The answers you get will be based on individuality, meaning that some people like it, and others don't. I don't know what to say about the whole matter, I mean as long as it isn't racial, then I am cool with it.

I always though Caucasian was the PC term, but I'm not offended by the word "white" unless it's used in derogatory context. But if it's just in describing demographics or factual physical description, then it's fine by me!

Either is fine..

Before there were "politically" correct "lists" such as :

Caucasian

Hispanic

Asian

Black

Indian

Vietnamese

White

Etc. Etc.

There were only 3 connotations

Black

White

Other

If you were'nt White or Black ( negro) back then you were listed as OTHER.... too vague of a description .

White meant .....Caucasion or hispanic

Other was for Asian etc.

In the words of the great George Carlin: " Caucasion? Sounds like a shoe style! I will take a pair of Caucasions in a 9D!" or "Caucasions? Sounds like a mountain range. The wife and I are going to the Caucasions this week end."

I am white and proud. Call me white.

I think being labeled both white AND Caucasian is derogatory. I'm definitely more of a light, light tannish color with just a tint of an olive-colored hue. I wouldn't label it as white. I also know for a fact I am not from anywhere in Asia. Technically, I'm of European descent. Most "Whites" are.

I'm French - from my Dad's side - and Italian Jew from my mom's. I have a dual citizenship - I'm Canadian and American. I lived in Minnesota growing up but have spent most of my life since in Arizona. On those boxes they ask you to check, they don't leave spots open for that. Even if they did, I can't really describe myself as French or Italian because I look like a mutt of both. Jew is a religious affiliation - not ethnicity. Canada and America are countries I associate with my nationalism. As for the color of my skin? Who cares. You know my background now. Take a guess or leave it along. It doesn't matter.

Asking for someone to disclose their ethnicity via paper seems so inane to me. If it's for government aid, do they want to know if I'm Mexican so they have their "proof" to tighten border laws? If it's for a scholarship application, do they want to know if I am white so they can ignore my awesome grades in favor of affirmative action? If it's for job interview, do they want to know if I am black so they can deny me the job because of out-dated and ignorant racism?

My entire sophomore class checked every single one of the ethnicity boxes on our "no-child-left-behind" subsidized testing to make a stand against that labeling. Hopefully, someday, everyone will just stop caring about something as non-determining as ethnicity.

Who cares. White. Caucasian. They both are titles that just group and divide anyway.

Have you ever noticed that whites and blacks are the only people we can publically call by the color of their skin? We don't call the Chinese "yellow" or Native Americans "red", because it comes of deragatory.

If someone calls me white I don't care, because I am white. If someone calls me "Caucasian", it seems to have some kind of negative conotation to it.

I refuse to call someone of African descent "African-American" unless they or their parents were directly from Africa. If you and your parents were born in this country, you're American. People need to stop polarizing everything based on trivial words for race. Adding negative meanings to harmless words is just dump.

Caucasian. White can be used to describe anything from polar bears to wall paper.

I prefer using the term white though. Because it seems more laid back rather than using terms like Caucasian it seems very race-focused.

I will give you more respect as a person if you are NOT politically correct.

White is fine as is Caucasian. I don't mind either. But don't be politically correct!