Am I White???

We are looking at the history of race in law this week in one of my classes. This is one of those things that I have never given much thought to. Of course I know the discrimination that African Americans went through, and the persecution of the Jews. But what about Chinese? Syrians? Half Japanese and half German? Three quarters Filipino and one quarter white?  Did you know that there is case law on this? 

Here is what I know:

Burmese=not white

Japanese=not white

Chinese=not white

Mexican=white

Native Americans=not white

1/2 White, 1/4 Japanese, 1/4 Chinese=not white

Asian Indians=probably not white (1909), no wait, a 1910 decision says they are! Then in 1923 they are no longer white. 

Syrians=white (1909), but in 1913 they changed colors again. In 1915 they once again find themselves white. 

Armenians=white

3/4 Filipino & 1/4 white=not white

1/2 German & 1/2 Japanese=not white

This list is not comprehensive of course, I am just listing some of the highlights. If you are really interested in the details contact me and I can give you specifics. 

Can you imagine the chaos people must have felt during the period? I have just never given it any thought as to if a Japanese person is white or not. It was certainly a sign of the times, a time that I am glad is gone. 

But after all of this reading, now I wonder if I am really white... I am pasty complected with blue eyes, so that is a silly question for me to ask, but what about others who are darker complected? Some of the criteria used (the sole criteria in some cases) for determining people white or non-white was "ocular inspection of skin."  In English, that means they looked at you. 

I wonder how my dark complected son would have fared in those days. My mother in law is dark as well. I have a friend who is dark. Would they have been white 100 years ago? 

I guess I am just a bit amazed at the effort this topic was given over the course of fifty or so years. I am so glad that we have moved on to better things. Well, I don't know if it is better or not, but other things. 

These judges would be spinning with all of the race combinations that we have today!