White extinction scenario
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*'''[[Miscegenation]]''' could cause a decline in "racial purity," leaving fewer unmixed white people with each generation | *'''[[Miscegenation]]''' could cause a decline in "racial purity," leaving fewer unmixed white people with each generation | ||
*'''[[Multiculturalism]]''' could erode "white" or Western identity, including cultural [[tradition]]s and "[[family values]]" | *'''[[Multiculturalism]]''' could erode "white" or Western identity, including cultural [[tradition]]s and "[[family values]]" | ||
| + | *Attacks on white people, Christians or certain ethnic groups (such as the [[South African farm attacks]]) could be part of a persecution campaign | ||
==Fallacies== | ==Fallacies== | ||
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*According to many Western racial concepts, such as the [[one-drop rule]], people of mixed origin are defined as non-white. As [[miscegenation]] has occurred through centuries, such definitions would make the ratio of white people smaller than more neutral definitions. | *According to many Western racial concepts, such as the [[one-drop rule]], people of mixed origin are defined as non-white. As [[miscegenation]] has occurred through centuries, such definitions would make the ratio of white people smaller than more neutral definitions. | ||
*The claims might rest on a confusion between race, religion or [[nationality]], to inflate the ratio of non-whites. Some examples are defining ethnic groups that are traditionally [[Muslims]] and white ([[Albania]]ns, [[Turkey|Tatars]] etc.), or white Hispanics, as non-whites. | *The claims might rest on a confusion between race, religion or [[nationality]], to inflate the ratio of non-whites. Some examples are defining ethnic groups that are traditionally [[Muslims]] and white ([[Albania]]ns, [[Turkey|Tatars]] etc.), or white Hispanics, as non-whites. | ||
| − | *Supporters might regard [[Colonialism|colonized territories]], such as the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]] or [[South Africa]] as "white homeland," to find more case studies for the hypothesis. One can find a declining ratio of white people in parts of the western United States, but one should also be aware that whites have only been the majority population in that area for 150-200 years. | + | *Supporters might regard [[Colonialism|colonized territories]], such as the [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]] or [[South Africa]] as "white homeland," to find more case studies for the hypothesis. One can find a declining ratio of white people in parts of the western United States, but one should also be aware that whites have only been the majority population in that area for 150-200 years. South Africa has ''never'' had a white majority population. |
*Some demographics record country of birth, or parents' country of birth, instead of race or religion. Based on such records, a Christian person descending from Iraq could count as a Muslim, or a white person descending from an African country could count as an African. | *Some demographics record country of birth, or parents' country of birth, instead of race or religion. Based on such records, a Christian person descending from Iraq could count as a Muslim, or a white person descending from an African country could count as an African. | ||
*An immigrant might be broadly defined as a person with at least one parent born abroad. This would count a natural-born British citizen with one parent born in Britain, and the other born in Ireland, as an immigrant, how white and English-speaking they might be. Of course, this kind of definition inflates the ratio of immigrants. | *An immigrant might be broadly defined as a person with at least one parent born abroad. This would count a natural-born British citizen with one parent born in Britain, and the other born in Ireland, as an immigrant, how white and English-speaking they might be. Of course, this kind of definition inflates the ratio of immigrants. | ||
Revision as of 12:50, 6 December 2013
| The touchy subject of |
| Key concepts |
| Racism and racists |
The "white extinction hypothesis" is a doomsday scenario that either the white race or some demographic group associated with white people (common Western people or Christians) would be heading towards a demographic crisis becoming a minority, possibly followed by extinction.
The scenario is a kind of framing used to promote white supremacy or similar movements as self-defense, by describing non-whites, non-Christians and/or non-Westerners (notably Arabs, Hispanics and black people) as the aggressors in a clash of races or civilizations. When it comes to Arabs or Muslims, claims about white extinction might be associated with the Eurabia scenario.
A similar canard focuses on the perceived decline in specific genetic traits associated with white people, such as blue eyes or blonde hair, rather than the white race itself.[1]
Contents |
Claims and gambits
Supporters might claim that
- Low birth rates among white/Western communities could lead them to extinction
- Immigration could decrease the ratio of white people/Christians/Westerners in certain countries
- Miscegenation could cause a decline in "racial purity," leaving fewer unmixed white people with each generation
- Multiculturalism could erode "white" or Western identity, including cultural traditions and "family values"
- Attacks on white people, Christians or certain ethnic groups (such as the South African farm attacks) could be part of a persecution campaign
Fallacies
White extinction scenarios usually rest on several fallacies, to feign an urgent threat towards white people.
Definition of racial, ethnic and religious groups
- The concept of racial division is, by itself, controversial.
- According to many Western racial concepts, such as the one-drop rule, people of mixed origin are defined as non-white. As miscegenation has occurred through centuries, such definitions would make the ratio of white people smaller than more neutral definitions.
- The claims might rest on a confusion between race, religion or nationality, to inflate the ratio of non-whites. Some examples are defining ethnic groups that are traditionally Muslims and white (Albanians, Tatars etc.), or white Hispanics, as non-whites.
- Supporters might regard colonized territories, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa as "white homeland," to find more case studies for the hypothesis. One can find a declining ratio of white people in parts of the western United States, but one should also be aware that whites have only been the majority population in that area for 150-200 years. South Africa has never had a white majority population.
- Some demographics record country of birth, or parents' country of birth, instead of race or religion. Based on such records, a Christian person descending from Iraq could count as a Muslim, or a white person descending from an African country could count as an African.
- An immigrant might be broadly defined as a person with at least one parent born abroad. This would count a natural-born British citizen with one parent born in Britain, and the other born in Ireland, as an immigrant, how white and English-speaking they might be. Of course, this kind of definition inflates the ratio of immigrants.
Demographic factors
- The tempo effect: as the age of childbearing is increasing (which it is, in most high-income countries), the birth rate per capita, or current number of children per woman, declines, even though the total number of children per woman during fertile life stays largely constant.
- Most of the world's nations pass through a demographic transition, where family size decreases from 4-8 children per woman to 2 children per woman. Several countries (most of Asia and Latin America) are recently through this process, and due to increased life expectancy their population is increasing, though the reproduction rate is at a stable level.
- Their equivocation of decrease in the percentage of white people with decrease in the actual number. If we look at US census results, we see that whites comprised 75.1% of the total US population in 2000, and 72.4% in 2010 - giving the impression that whites have declined in number. But if we look at the actual population numbers we see that, between the ten years, the total number of whites actually rose from 211,460,626 to 223,553,265.[2]
Perspective
- Why does it matter what color your descendants are? Your black ancestors didn't seem to care.[3]
- Proponents might compare the claimed decline of white people to genocide (as in a genocide conspiracy), while diminishing real genocides, such as in Holocaust denial.
- Proponents also often chalk the scenario up to non-white immigration, ignoring the role of declining birth rates amongst whites. William Beveridge (a eugenics supporter) spoke of a need to "ensure the continuation of the British race [which at] its present rate of reproduction... cannot continue" as early as 1942,[4][5] long before there was a substantial non-white presence in the United Kingdom.
- Even if you accept the dubious premises that the entire argument rests upon, there is no way of preventing the situation without banning international travel, banning international students and eliminating lust. A substantial number of immigrants to "white" countries are on marriage visas, because some white guy/gal couldn't maintain their "commitment to racial purity" and fell in love with a non-white. And let's be honest: if you got the chance to hook up with, say, Jamie Chung or Emanuela De Paula - or depending on your preference, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - just how concerned about "racial purity" are you really going to be?
See also
References
- ↑ See the Wikipedia article on disappearing blonde gene. See also "Blonde Extinction" at Snopes.com for examples of the meme, some of them dating back to the nineteenth century.
- ↑ http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf
- ↑ http://www.stewartsynopsis.com/first_appearance_of_white_skin_i.htm
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Peter Hennessy, Having It So Good: Britain in the Fifties (London: Allen Lane, 2006), p. 123.