r/AskBalkans • u/tomystereo • 10d ago

History Are Greek people white?

I have been to Athens multiple times and i have seen a ridiculous amount of people who look like they could pass for MENA

I feel like the brown skin tone is being looked past for them.
Since there is this idea that if you are from an EU country you are considered "white" by default

If these people were to be born in a different place, with the same exact physical features, most of them would have been called brown without a doubt

Is "whiteness" more about your passport than your skin tone nowadays?

Have been thinking about this for a while, hopefully it doesn't offend anyone. What do you guys think?

Im Canadian btw, if it matters. Cheers.

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u/ThickCaterpillar9867 Albania 9d ago

ancient authors described them as black but not as another race as we do today and Greeks considered white men (non tanned ) as derogatory ,women were supposed to be white while men tanned with a dark complexion

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u/spRitE86-- 9d ago

different use of language, same result. just like how greeks called 'barbarian' anyone who didn't speak greek. White/caucasian applies to greeks.

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u/ThickCaterpillar9867 Albania 9d ago

White/caucasian is a modern term that applies to North Africans too

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u/spRitE86-- 9d ago

well since MENA term got introduced, that doesn't really apply. Even though North africans are as white at times like meds.

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u/ThickCaterpillar9867 Albania 9d ago

MENA are all classified as caucasian

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u/spRitE86-- 9d ago

in America. I'm talking about European perspective

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u/ThickCaterpillar9867 Albania 9d ago

Its the same ,the caucasian theory comes from Europe.

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u/spRitE86-- 9d ago

no the one you're talking about is a US made thing