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The original was posted on /r/nostupidquestions by /u/rdrayman on 2023-12-26 20:57:17+00:00.

So I’m a person of European descent (specifically British and various countries in Western Europe). So not surprisingly, I have very pale skin.

I’m filling out some identifying paperwork and come to the “ethnicity” section. Choices are pretty standard: American Indian/Native American, Black/African American, Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, White, Decline/Not Specified, and Other. Not ‘White/European’… just… ‘White’. The only other color mentioned in the options was ‘Black’, and it had an associated continent included… besides that, significant populations of Europe historically are not pale skinned as to be considered ‘White’, and the inverse is also true of Africa, albeit to a lesser degree.

So my question is this: would it be inaccurate for me to select ‘Not specified’ or ‘Other’ for myself? It may seem petty, or getting hung up on semantics… but imo ‘White’ shouldn’t be considered an Ethnicity, it’s a color. Would be interested to read internet strangers’ takes.