The Myth of the Caucasian Race

How did a female skull lead to “Caucasians”?

How did a female skull lead to “Caucasians”?

Last week, I had an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, "The Pernicious Myth of a Caucasian Race." Many readers were surprised to find that “Caucasians” were simply invented by one German anthropologist in 1795 -- so I was gratified that the piece was widely-read and widely shared. And there were only two trolls on email and three on Twitter! The piece is drawn from my current project on the origins of racial ideas in America.