White American
Susan B. Anthony • Neil Armstrong • Albert Einstein • Elvis Presley • Benjamin Franklin • Helen Keller • John F. Kennedy • Madonna • Marilyn Monroe • Eleanor Roosevelt • Meryl Streep • George Washington • Thomas Edison • Abraham Lincoln • Romualdo Pacheco • Franklin D. Roosevelt
Total population
White American 221,331,507[1] 73. Susan Brownell Anthony ( February 15, 1820 &ndash March 13, 1906) was a prominent American Civil rights leader who played Neil Alden Armstrong (born August 5 1930 is a former American Astronaut, Test pilot, University Professor, and United States Albert Einstein ( German: ˈalbɐt ˈaɪ̯nʃtaɪ̯n; English: ˈælbɝt ˈaɪnstaɪn (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955 was a German -born theoretical Benjamin Franklin ( April 17 1790 was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. Helen Adams Keller (June 27 1880 – June 1 1968 was an American Author, Activist and lecturer John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy (May 29 1917&ndashNovember 22 1963 often referred to by his initials JFK, was the thirty-fifth President of Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson, June 1 1926 &ndash August 5 1962 baptized Norma Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (ˈɛlɪnɔr ˈroʊzəvɛlt October 11 1884 &ndash November 7 1962 Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an award-winning American Actress who has worked in Theatre, George Washington (February 22 1732 December 14 1799 served as the first President of the United States of America (1789&ndash1797 and led the Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal José Antonio Romualdo Pacheco Jr ( October 31, 1831 January 23, 1899) was an American Politician and Diplomat 93% of the total U. S. population Non-Hispanic White 198,176,991[2] 66. 20% of the U. S. population White Hispanic 23,154,516[2] 7. 73% of the U. S. population
Regions with significant populations
All areas of the United States
Languages
Major: American English Minor: Spanish · German · Italian · Arabic · French · Swedish, Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Serbo-Croatian, Polish, Czech, Dutch,Persian, Greek, Kabyle, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Armenian, Others. This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. The Serbo-Croatian language or Croato-Serbian language (cрпскохрватски језик srpskohrvatski jezik) is a South Slavic Diasystem Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Modern Greek (el Νέα Ελληνικά or el Νεοελληνική lit Kabyle is a Berber language (Kabyle Ṯaqbayliṯ,, ˌθæqβæjˈlɪθ spoken by the Kabyle people Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. The Armenian language (hy հայերեն լեզու hajɛɹɛn lɛzu —, conventional short form) is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian
Religions
Predominantly various sects of Christianity. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Significant atheist, agnostic percentage. Atheism Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the Minorities practicing Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and other religions

White American (often used interchangeably with "Caucasian American"^[3] and within the United States simply "white"^[4]) is an umbrella term officially employed by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget and other U. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An umbrella term is a word that provides a Superset or grouping of related concepts also called a Hypernym. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census The Office of Management and Budget (OMB is a Cabinet -level office and is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP S. government for the classification of American citizens or resident aliens "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe,^[5] the Middle East, or North Africa". The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In US law, an alien is a legal term for a person, either a corporation or a human who is not a United States national. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan ^[6] Included in the category are White Hispanics representing 7. This article concerns itself with Americans whose race is white and whose ethnicity is Hispanic or Latino; i 73% of the total US population in 2006. ^[2]

In some American circles, in contemporary social scientific terms Whites are regarded as the dominant racial group, whose norms and behavioral patterns are seen as the benchmark for normality. According to sociologist Steven Seidman, "Whiteness is assumed. Steven Seidman is an American sociologist, currently professor at State University of New York at Albany. . . it is the default condition. " Many early European immigrants, especially Jews, Irish and Italians, were not seen as White upon arrival, as Whiteness describes membership in the societal mainstream. ^[7] Sociologist Ruth Frankenberg points out that Whiteness, though seemingly raceless for Whites themselves is visible among minorities, stating that "it is safe to suggest that whiteness remains quite visible to men and women of color even when ‘cultural micro-climates’ make it possible for the concept to disappear into false universality from the purview of some white people. ”^[8] As the cultural boundaries separating white Americans from other racial categories are contested and fluid, this broad official definition includes people who might not be considered white by others and who might not consider themselves white.

Historical and present definitions

Main article: Definitions of whiteness in the United States

The countries from which White Americans claim their ancestry. The cultural boundaries separating White Americans from other racial or ethnic categories are contested and always changing

Today, the term "white American" can encompass many different ethnic groups. Although the United States Census purports to reflect a social definition of race, the social dimensions of race are more complex than Census criteria. The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution.

Current U. S. Census definition

The 2000 U. S. census states that racial categories "generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country. They do not conform to any biological, anthropological or genetic criteria. "^[9] It defines "white people" as "people having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan ^[10] This also includes national and regional ancestries where these peoples contributed to the demographic make-up; Canadian, Latin American, Oceanian, and African ancestries for instance. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page White Latin Americans are the white population of Latin America. In U. S. census documents, the designation white overlaps, as do all other official racial categories, with the term Hispanic, which was introduced in the 1980 census as a category of ethnicity, separate and independent of race. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) ^[11]

Hispanicity, which is independent of race, is the only ethnic category, as opposed to racial category, which is officially collated by the U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census The distinction made by government agencies for those within the population of any official race category, including "white American", is between those with Hispanic ethnic backgrounds and all others of non-Hispanic ethnic backgrounds. Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically In the case of White Americans, these two groups are respectively termed "White Hispanics" and "non-Hispanic Whites"; the former having at least one ancestor from the people of Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America, and the latter consisting of an ethnically diverse collection of all others who are classified as white American who are of non-Hispanic ethnic backgrounds. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

Many Americans who are treated as part of minority groups are included in the census category "white. " This is true for many Hispanic Americans, 47. 9% of whom identified racially as white. The 2000 Census separated the question on Hispanics from the question on race, the latter being divided into the 5 categories of white, black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Asian American, plus "other", with the respondent having the ability to mark more than one category. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Pacific Islander Americans are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Indian It is also true for many Arab and other Middle Eastern Americans and North African Americans, as well as non-European Jewish Americans, since the 2000 Census conflates race and geographic/national origin: white is defined to include people with original origins in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. An Arab American is a United States citizen or resident of Arab cultural and linguistic heritage and/or Identity whose ancestry traces back to any of various American Jews, or Jewish Americans

In cases where individuals do not self-identify, the U.S. census parameters for race give each national origin a racial value. Additionally, people who reported Muslim (or a sect of Islam such as Shi'ite or Sunni), Jewish, Zoroastrian, Mexican, or Caucasian as their "race" in the "Some other race" section, without noting a country of origin, are automatically tallied as white. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The Caucasian race, sometimes the Caucasoid race, is a term of Racial classification, coined around 1800 by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach for the " ^[12]

Social definition

According to race scholars such as Karen Brodkin, in the United States, essentially anyone of European descent is considered white and Jews (presumably those of European origin, that is, Ashkenazi Jews) are also today considered white. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing ^[13] However, while the census asserts that "race" and "ethnicity" are separate, some Hispanics of primarily European descent may not consider themselves white and may not be considered white by others, possibly because of the long-held stereotype of Hispanics being given a non-white racial value. This article concerns itself with Americans whose race is white and whose ethnicity is Hispanic or Latino; i ^[14][15][16] Likewise, while people of Middle Eastern and North African descent are included in the white category in the census, studies have found that Arab American teenagers may sometimes construct identities that distinguish themselves from "white society. "^[17] Some American white people, mainly those of distant descent from multiple European countries, tend to see themselves as belonging to no ethnic group at all, but just "generic American".

The cultural boundaries separating white Americans from other racial or ethnic categories have changed significantly over the course of American history. Even among Europeans, those not considered white at some time in American history are the Irish, Germans, Ashkenazi Jews, Italians, Spaniards, Slavs, Greeks and other European Mediterranean peoples. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions ^[18] David R. Roediger argues that the construction of the white race in the United States was an effort to mentally distance slave owners from slaves. ^[19] The process of officially being defined as white by law often came about in court disputes over pursuit of citizenship. ^[20]

Position within society

As whites are the dominant racial and cultural group; according to sociologist Steven Seidman writing about the most prominent perspective among researches, "White culture constitutes the general cultural mainstream, causing non-White culture to be seen as deviant, in either a positive or negative manner. Steven Seidman is an American sociologist, currently professor at State University of New York at Albany. Moreover, Whites tend to be disproportionately represented in powerful positions, controlling almost all political, economic and cultural institutions. " Yet, according to Seidman, Whites are most commonly unaware of their "privilege" and the manner in which their culture has always been dominant in the US, as they do not identify as members of a specific racial group but rather incorrectly perceive their views and culture as "raceless," when in fact it is ethno-national (ethnic / cultural) specific with a racial base component. ^[7]

Demographic information

Main article: United States Census, 2000

White American is the largest racial group counted in the 2000 Census, comprising 75. 1% of the population. This number is sometimes recorded as 77. 1% when it includes about 2% of the population who self-identified as "white" in combination with one or more other races; about 6% also identified ethnically as Hispanic. The largest ethnic groups (by descent) among white Americans were Germans, followed by the Irish and the English. The 2000 census reports of the 1000 most popular surnames show that Yoder is the whitest. Yoder is a Surname originating in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. ^[21]

White Americans (non-Hispanic Whites together with White Hispanics) are projected to remain the majority, though with their percentage decreasing to 72% of the total population by 2050. This article concerns itself with Americans whose race is white and whose ethnicity is Hispanic or Latino; i ^[22]

Geographic distribution

White Americans as percent of population, Census 2000. (Around 9% of white Americans also identify as Hispanic. )

According to the Census definition, white Americans are the majority racial group in almost all of the United States. They are not the majority in Hawaii, many American Indian reservations, parts of the South known as the Black Belt, and in many urban areas throughout the country. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the An Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American Tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The Black Belt is a region of the United States. Although the term originally describes the prairies and dark Soil of central Alabama and northeast In California, Whites slipped from 80% of the state's population in 1970 to 43% in 2006. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. ^[23]

Overall the highest concentration of those referred to as white alone by the Census Bureau was found in the northern Midwest, New England, the Rocky Mountain states, Kentucky, and West Virginia. History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by The lowest concentration of whites was found in southern and mid-Atlantic states. ^[24][25][26]

Although all large geographical areas are dominated by white Americans, much larger differences can be seen between specific parts of large cities.

Income and educational attainment

Main article: Affluence in the United States#Race

Further information: Personal income in the United States and Household income in the United States

Some argue that because white Americans have faced the least discrimination of any racial or ethnic group, they have had time to build up wealth, and that this is a major contributor to economic inequities among races today. Affluence in the United States refers to an individual's or household's state of being in an economically favorable position in contrast to a given Reference group. Personal income is a measure utilized by the United States government particularly the Department of Commerce, to determine the income of individuals Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions Personal income is a measure utilized by the United States government particularly the Department of Commerce, to determine the income of individuals Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions The United States Census is a decennial Census mandated by the United States Constitution. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Racism in the United States has been a major issue since the colonial era ^[27][28] White Americans have the second highest median household income and personal income levels in the nation. Household income is a measure of current private income commonly used by the United States government and private institutions Personal income is a measure utilized by the United States government particularly the Department of Commerce, to determine the income of individuals The median income per household member was also the highest, since white Americans had the smallest households of any racial demographic in the nation. Income in the United States is measured by the United States Department of Commerce either by household or individual. In 2006, the median individual income of a white American age 25 or older was $33,030, with those who were full-time employed between ages 25 and 64 earning $34,432. Since 42% of all households had two income earners, the median household income was considerably higher than the median personal income, which was $48,554 in 2005. Among whites, Jewish Americans rank first in household income, personal income and educational attainment among white Americans. American Jews, or Jewish Americans In 2005, white households had a median household income of $48,977, 10. 3% above the national median of $44,389. Cuban Americans with 85% classifying as white, have a higher median income and educational attainment level than most other whites. A Cuban American ( Cubanoamericano) is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. ^[29]

Poverty rates for white Americans are the lowest of any racial group, with 8. 6% of white individuals living below the poverty line (3% below the national average). ^[30] However, due to whites' majority status, 48% of Americans living in poverty are white. ^[31]

Whites' educational attainment are the second-highest in the country, after Asian Americans'. The educational attainment of the US population is similar to that of many other industrialized countries with the vast majority of the population having completed secondary education Overall, nearly one-third of white Americans had a Bachelor degree, with the educational attainment for whites being higher for those born outside the United States. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and Nearly forty percent, 37. 6%, of foreign born and 29. 7% of native born whites had a college degree. Both figures are above the national average of 27. 2%. ^[32]

Gender income inequality was the greatest among whites with white men outearning white women by 48%. Census Bureau data for 2005 reveals that the median income of white females was lower than that of males of all races. In 2005, the median income for white females was only slightly higher than that of African American females, indicating that income inequities seem to run along gender lines more so than along racial lines. ^[33]

Admixture

see also Race and genetics

According to a recent study, about 30% of all White Americans, approximately 66 million people, have between 2 and 20% of Native American or African admixture with an exact median of 2. Notions of race based on Human genetic variation have replaced historical approaches such as Craniology with the advent of Human genetics in 3%, which means the median admixture percentage for all White population of the United State is 0. 69. ^[34]

See also

References

External links

• White Population 2000 from the US Census