White Americans facts for kids
The countries from which White Americans claim their ancestry.
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| Total population | |
|---|---|
 223,553,26572.4% of total U.S. population, 2010 Non-Hispanic whites 196,817,55263.7% of total U.S. population, 2010 White Hispanics 26,735,7138.7% of total U.S. population, 2010 |
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| Regions with significant populations | |
| All areas of the United States | |
| Languages | |
| English Albanian · Arabic · American Sign Language · Armenian · Azerbaijani · Belarusian · Czech · Danish · Dutch · Finnish · French · German · Greek · Hebrew · Hungarian · Italian · Kurdish · Ladino · Lithuanian · Norwegian · Pashto · Persian · Polish · Portuguese · Romanian · Russian · Slovak · South Slavic · Spanish · Swedish · Tamazight · Turkish · Ukrainian · Yiddish |
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| Related ethnic groups | |
| European Americans, Europeans, Middle Eastern Americans, White Latin Americans, European Canadians, White Australians, White New Zealanders |
White Americans are people living in the United States who are seen or identify themselves as White. The United States Census Bureau says White people are those who come from any of the original groups in Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
The U.S. Census has two main groups for White people. One group is "not Hispanic or Latino," and the other is "Hispanic or Latino." This second group often includes White Mexican Americans and White Cuban Americans. The word "Caucasian" is sometimes used like "White," but they are not exactly the same. Some groups, like Arab-Americans or Hispanics, might be counted as White by the Census but may not see themselves that way.
Many White Americans have family roots from different countries. The biggest groups include people of German, Irish, and English backgrounds. Other large groups come from Italy, France, Poland, Scotland, and the Netherlands. Some people whose families have been in America for a long time, especially those with English roots, might simply say their background is "American."
In 2014, White people, including those who are also Hispanic, made up about 77.35% of the U.S. population. White people who are not Hispanic made up about 62.06% of the population.
Contents
What Does "White" Mean in the U.S.?
The idea of who is considered "White" has changed over time in the United States.
How the U.S. Census Defines "White"
The U.S. Census tries to define race based on how society sees it, not just biology. The Census Bureau says that its racial groups show how race is generally understood in the country. They are not based on scientific facts about genes or human origins.
When you fill out the Census, you can choose from categories like White or European American, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Asian. You can also pick "Some other race" or choose more than one category.
The Census Bureau explains "White" as:
"White" means a person whose family came from any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. This includes people who said their race was "White" or wrote things like Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.
The Census also has a separate category for Hispanic or Latino people. This group can be of any race. So, a person can be both White and Hispanic or Latino. Hispanic and Latino Americans are a very diverse group and are the largest minority group in the country.
There has been some discussion about whether Arab and North African Americans should be counted as White. In the early 1900s, some people from Arab countries were not allowed into the U.S. because they were not seen as White. But in 1944, the law changed, and people from the Middle East and North Africa were given White status. The U.S. Census is now thinking about creating a separate category for Middle Eastern and North African Americans for the 2020 Census.
How Society Defines "White"
Today, most people in the United States consider anyone with European family roots to be White. However, some groups, like Arab-Americans or Hispanics and Latinos, might be counted as White by the Census but may not feel or be seen as White by others.
The definition of "White" has changed a lot throughout American history. In the past, some European groups were not always considered White. This included people from Italy, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Early in U.S. history, being White usually meant having British, German, or Nordic family backgrounds.
Some historians believe that the idea of a "White race" in the U.S. helped slave owners feel separate from enslaved people. Being officially defined as "White" often happened through court cases when people were trying to become citizens.
Images for kids
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President Abraham Lincoln had English and Welsh family roots.
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Actress Raquel Welch has Spanish and English family roots.
See also
In Spanish: Blanco estadounidense para niños
