Where is the island of Caucasia?

Question

People call me "Caucasian". Myspace has be labeled as "Caucasian".

Im from ireland, but everyone considers me to be from a mysterious place called "Caucasia".

If black people are African Americans, why arent I called Irish American instead of Caucasian?

Answer 1

It's pretty much just a fancy word for white; doesn't really have anything to do with where you're from.

Answer 2

Actually, that black guy is wrong, it does have alot to do with where you are from. If you are caucasian, then your ansestors came from Europe, or the Middle East. Although you could be living anywhere in the world or anywhere in the universe and still be called caucasian.

Answer 3

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/C...

http://encarta.msn.com/map_701511583/Cau...

Answer 4

Not all African Americans are black. For example, Dave Mathews is from South Africa.  

This all goes back to around WWI when some German scientists were attempting to prove the superiority of the German race.  Through studying skull shape, they concluded that the "white" homeland was the Caucus Mountains, near Armenia. They also used the Bible to support their theory; Noah's arc is said to have landed in the Caucus, therefor, the people living in that area would be the closest to Noah and his family, whom God chose to spare.

So, "Caucasian" is really a racist term, because it arose from theories of white supremacy.

A quick anthro lesson:

The Caucus Mountains lie between the Caspian and Black seas. Above the Caucus and around the Black Sea, continuing to Ukraine and Mongolia is an area called the Eurasian Steppe. Most anthropological theories state that the most Indo-European peoples migrated North out of Iran/India East and/or West of the Caspian Sea.  Interestingly, Slavic languages are actually more similar to Sanskrit (Persian) than to the Germanic or Baltic languages.

So for me (Polish descent) the term "Caucasian" would be simply incorrect because my ancestors most likely migrated through present-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan - not through the Caucus Mountains.