He notes the increasing numbers of Hispanic peoples who list themselves as White. He fails to note that in many parts of our society Asians are counted (or treated) as “honorary” Whites, so that for example employing or enrolling them gets the firm or school no “minority” credit.
In other words, what constitutes White is flexible. Persons whose ancestors are clearly not of European ancestry are nevertheless treated as though they were that.
Perhaps we need to consider that “White” is more a set of values, a set of cultural programming than actually a racial thing. If enough members of a group “act White,” that group ‘becomes’ White and is so considered. I suspect any honest observer would have to reach some similar conclusion.
If, for whatever reasons, a group chooses not to adopt the prevailing cultural and social values, its status remains that of “outsider” essentially forever. Consider the Roma people of Europe who have followed this path, and remained the “other” in perpetuity. Consider the different achievement levels of Black people whose ancestors have been in the U.S. since slavery vs. Black people whose ancestors recently came here from the Caribbean and have been successful.
