White people is a
racial classification specifier, depending on context used for people of
Europid ancestry. The contemporary usage of "white people" or a "white race" as a large group of (mainly European) populations contrasting with "
black",
American Indian, "
colored" or
non-white originates in the 17th century. It is today particularly used as a racial classifier in
multiracial societies, such as the
United States (
White American), the
United Kingdom (
White British),
Brazil (
White Brazilian), and
South Africa (
White South African). Various
social constructions of
whiteness have been significant to national identity,
public policy,
religion,
population statistics,
racial segregation,
affirmative action,
white privilege,
eugenics, racial
marginalization and
racial quotas.