When will M.E. Muslims be considered White like M.E. Christians already are?

[phk]

When will Middle Eastern Muslims be considered White like Middle Eastern Christians already are?

It's important to note the process was well underway before 9/11 which disrupted it. Muslims were on a trajectory to being somewhat like Mormons. Now the question really is whether 9/11 created a whole new trend or just delayed the old trend temporarily.

I would probably it would come in waves.

Iranians are the closest at the moment.

Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Jordanian would be the next soonest. The ones who already have large Christian diasporas in America.

Egyptians would be the leaders of the next wave as well as counting the Maghreb.

[GMantis]

Do they consider themselves white in the US?

[opebo]

I didn't know the Christian ones were 'white'.  It seems vague.

Here in Thailand they call them 'kak', which includes all Middle Easterners and Indians together.  There is a great deal of hostility to 'kak' in Thailand.

[Boris]

I didn't know the Christian ones were 'white'.  It seems vague.

Here in Thailand they call them 'kak', which includes all Middle Easterners and Indians together.  There is a great deal of hostility to 'kak' in Thailand.

My brother actually just got back from Bangkok/Phuket/Chiang Mai. I was hoping he'd run into you but he said he didn't meet any other Americans on the trip, only European expats (although he did buy me a sweet Chang beer t-shirt!)

[memphis]

It's more likely that the white/black dichotomy will die rather than incorporating more and more people into white. We're getting so many different shades of brown from all over the world lately that and it's just so obvious that "white" doesn't even mean anything.

[opebo]

Christian Middle Easterners blend in so well into the US that you'd be surprised at people who have Syrian/Lebanese/Palestinian ancestry.

Well, I'm sure they wouldn't 'pass' in my family or even my hometown, but sure, in Italian, Greek, or other ethnic neighborhoods.

My brother actually just got back from Bangkok/Phuket/Chiang Mai. I was hoping he'd run into you but he said he didn't meet any other Americans on the trip, only European expats (although he did buy me a sweet Chang beer t-shirt!)

Haha, 'run into me'.  Well I never go to Phuket or Chiang Mai, and only as briefly as possible to Bangkok on business - I don't like any of those places.

[tallguy23]

It all depends on assimilation. Usually people are completely assimilated by the 3rd generation. We have the same issue in my town, which has a huge Armenian population. Many people, including Armenians, don't consider themselves "white". I think they'll eventually become like the Italians where they are considered white yet still hold onto their ethnic pride. The meaning of race in America will be very different 60-100 years from now.

[opebo]

...The meaning of race in America will be very different 60-100 years from now.

Talk about positive thinking! - I fear by 60-100 years from now the world will have run out of oil and who eats whom or gets eaten by whom may very well be determined by the age old grouping 'race'.

[Badger]

I'm not sure ME Christians are. When you get people several generations removed like Casey Kasem, sure. But for recent Christian immigrants I fear too many people, sadly, lump them together as generic "towelheads".

Of course many of those geniuses don't understand Arab/Middle Eastern isn't synonymous with Muslim.

[rbt48]

I didn't know the Christian ones were 'white'.  It seems vague.

Christian Middle Easterners blend in so well into the US that you'd be surprised at people who have Syrian/Lebanese/Palestinian ancestry.

Gov Mitch Daniels, Indiana, for example.

[Bacon King]

I had a friend in high school who was second generation Lebanese American (parents had moved here ~10 years before she was born) and I don't think anyone considered her "not white". 

[The Mikado]

One of my best friends is an immigrant from Syria, raised Muslim.  She's now an atheist and can (and does) outdrink me, and whenever we've been out, no one ever seems to think she's anything other than white. 

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

my wife is a ME christian and i don't consider her white

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

there is a very simple test to determine if someone is white - look at the back of their hand, if the skin around the knuckles darkens, then they are not white, if the skin on the knuckles is the same peach color as their hand, then they are white

thank you for your attention, this has been a public service announcement

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

It's important to note the process was well underway before 9/11 which disrupted it. Muslims were on a trajectory to being somewhat like Mormons.

somewhat like mormons?!  i have no idea what you're trying to say, and i'm not sure you do either

[phk]

I'm not sure ME Christians are. When you get people several generations removed like Casey Kasem, sure. But for recent Christian immigrants I fear too many people, sadly, lump them together as generic "towelheads".

Of course many of those geniuses don't understand Arab/Middle Eastern isn't synonymous with Muslim.

Casey Kasem is Druze.

[milhouse24]

Well, most people who are "white" are mixed European ancestry. 
So unless, you are wearing religious attire, many people can call themselves white if they choose to.  As long as you inter-marry other mixed whites, then your offspring will be considered white. 
Obama is half-white, and he can call himself white if he wanted to.  I don't know if many people would believe him though. 

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Well, most people who are "white" are mixed European ancestry. 
So unless, you are wearing religious attire, many people can call themselves white if they choose to.  As long as you inter-marry other mixed whites, then your offspring will be considered white. 


Obama is half-white, and he can call himself white if he wanted to.  I don't know if many people would believe him though. 

I think using Obama as an example contradicted what you were claiming in the previous paragraph.  As a result of slavery in America, Obama is probably about as white as most African Americans who decended from slaves..but I wouldn't call Obama white

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Obama probably has more White ancestry than most African-Americans but less Native American history.

not sure on the white part, there was plenty of sex going on between whites and slaves.

[milhouse24]

Well, most people who are "white" are mixed European ancestry. 
So unless, you are wearing religious attire, many people can call themselves white if they choose to.  As long as you inter-marry other mixed whites, then your offspring will be considered white. 


Obama is half-white, and he can call himself white if he wanted to.  I don't know if many people would believe him though. 

I think using Obama as an example contradicted what you were claiming in the previous paragraph.  As a result of slavery in America, Obama is probably about as white as most African Americans who decended from slaves..but I wouldn't call Obama white

I don't know why you won't call someone with one White parent "white" since they can prove they have a biological white parent. 

You have to define what being "white" skin color is?  Can hispanics originally from Spain be considered white since they are from Europe?  Is all of Europe considered "white"?  Are Asians or Eastern Russia considered white? 

I think you are saying a person is "white" solely based on the eye of the viewer, that is up to your own superficial judgment if a person "looks white".  There may even be some mixed Blacks that are light-skinned and can pass as white. 

Unless you are 100% Irish, British, German or Nordic, you can't claim to be pure white.
Then there are mixed whites, which are a mixture of European heritage. 
Then there are mixed blacks, who are a mixture of West African slaves. 
Then there are mixed races - which I think can allude to middle eastern heritage because it was a geographical crossing point of Africans out to Europe and Asia.  Then there is Indian/SouthEast Asians who are very tan, but not considered Black.

I think if you are of "mixed race" it is up to you to "self identify" if you want to have white friends in the white community or black friends in the black community, since America has a lot of segregated communities. 
Therefore, my opinion of a mixed race person is whoever race he/she chooses to identify with and not what anyone else says.

But on a side note, I think African-Americans should consider converting to Islam because it is more strict and will probably reduce crime and drug use in the cities.  I think that African Americans are unable to integrate into White Society, not just because of segregation laws until the 60's  but a lack of discipline in education/culture/and religion that an African-Muslim religion can provide.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I think we're all descended from adam and eve so no one is pure any race...so yeah white is all in the eye of the beholder...and I disagree on the african muslim thingy

[milhouse24]

I think we're all descended from adam and eve so no one is pure any race...so yeah white is all in the eye of the beholder...and I disagree on the african muslim thingy

Do you realize that Adam and Eve were probably Black or at least Middle Eastern in race? 
Since human being originated in Africa or Northern Africa, and migrated out to Europe and Asia.
I think that Racial skin color developed from distance from the Equator, since most people near the Equator and sun exposure have black or tan skin.
But people in northern Europe have white skin because they have less exposure to the Sun and heat. 
When you speak about "race" its really about historical culture and civilization, from Europe. 
Race is only an issue in America because slavery clearly defined Whites as the Slave-owners and Blacks as the Slaves.  If there was never any slavery or slaves, then there wouldn't be such a racial issue in America.  But the Southern Whites needed Black Slaves for their economic survival. 
White and Black Americans have split their culture among racial lines. 

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I think we're all descended from adam and eve so no one is pure any race...so yeah white is all in the eye of the beholder...and I disagree on the african muslim thingy

Do you realize that Adam and Eve were probably Black or at least Middle Eastern in race?  

 i really don't care if they were green, it makes no difference to me.

---

Race is only an issue in America because slavery clearly defined Whites as the Slave-owners and Blacks as the Slaves.  If there was never any slavery or slaves, then there wouldn't be such a racial issue in America.  But the Southern Whites needed Black Slaves for their economic survival.  
White and Black Americans have split their culture among racial lines.  

you really need to travel abroad more, for America is more tolerant of race than almost any other country, if not all.

[milhouse24]

Adam and Eve were not green, they were definitely Black.

Isn't Canada very tolerant, but they never had any Black slaves in their past. 

I think we're all descended from adam and eve so no one is pure any race...so yeah white is all in the eye of the beholder...and I disagree on the african muslim thingy

Do you realize that Adam and Eve were probably Black or at least Middle Eastern in race?  

 i really don't care if they were green, it makes no difference to me.

---

Race is only an issue in America because slavery clearly defined Whites as the Slave-owners and Blacks as the Slaves.  If there was never any slavery or slaves, then there wouldn't be such a racial issue in America.  But the Southern Whites needed Black Slaves for their economic survival.  
White and Black Americans have split their culture among racial lines.  

you really need to travel abroad more, for America is more tolerant of race than almost any other country, if not all.