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Varela-Silva, Ines (2025). Meet Askio (they/them). Loughborough University. Online resource. https://doi.org/10.17028/rd.lboro.30127837.v1

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Why the term Caucasian should not be used

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Why the term Caucasian should not be used

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Askio, a huge Crime Scene Investigation fan, was excitedly telling Inês about a case where forensic experts identified a skeleton as Caucasian based on skull measurements. Inês nearly spit out her coffee, knocking over a book that landed right on Askio - almost flattening their question mark shape into a full stop. After regaining her composure, she explained why no one should ever use the word Caucasian again.  In the 18th and 19th centuries, scientists like Linnaeus, Blumenbach, and Meiners tried to divide humans into “races” based on superficial traits such as skin colour, falsely linking them to personality, intelligence, and worth. Blumenbach’s term Caucasian originally referred to people from Europe and parts of West Asia but was framed as superior - associated with beauty, intelligence, and additional ideal traits. Other racial classifications carried harmful stereotypes: the Mongolian or Yellow category described East Asians as stern and greedy; the American or Red category labelled Indigenous peoples as choleric and obstinate; and the Ethiopian, Black or Negroid category was the most dehumanizing with Meiners claiming Black individuals were inferior and less sensitive to pain.  Askio froze in horror. After deep reflection, they wondered: if no one would consider using terms like Mongolian or Negroid today, why does Caucasian persist? Despite emerging from the same pseudoscientific system, the term has endured - absorbed into legal, governmental, and scientific discourse, giving it an air of legitimacy. But longevity doesn’t erase harm. Language evolves, and just as we’ve abandoned other racial labels rooted in racism, it’s time to retire this one too.

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Askio, ever the eager learner, read the full Oxford Dictionary of Media and Communication (wowza!) and discovered that lived experience means knowing the world firsthand, not through books, research, or media. This came in handy when Inês shared a story about period pains.

At a stage show in London, comedian Lily Phillips declared: “If period pains had a soundtrack, it would be the sound of lots of deranged bagpipes blasting incessantly.”

Askio, an anthropomorphized question mark with no reproductive system, paused and reflected. They understood that no matter how much they studied periods, they would never feel the cringing, bloody bagpipes themselves. So, they wisely chose not to make uninformed comments and instead joined Inês in laughter, because the show was absolutely, hilariously phenomenal.

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Askio loves learning new concepts. Recently, they discovered unconscious bias - also called implicit bias - which refers to automatic judgments we make about people without realizing it. These biases stem from our experiences, cultural norms, and societal influences, often reinforcing stereotypes rather than objective assessments. Askio wanted to know how this would play out in real life, and  asked Inês for an example.

Inês shared an eye-opening experiment: while seeking funding for a PhD student, she sent two identical emails to funders, changing just one word. The responses are below.

RESPONSE 1

Inês: I am keen to recruit an international PhD student to research bilingualism and health outcomes.  Would your agency consider funding?

Funder: This topic is of interest. We’re happy to provide guidelines and the application package.

Inês: Great, looking forward to receiving the application package! Thanks.

Funder : We are committed to supporting more international students in UK universities. Here’s the link to apply: www.wowza.InternationalStudent.wowza

RESPONSE 2

Inês: I Am keen to recruit an indigenous PhD student to research bilingualism and health outcomes.  Would your agency consider funding?

Funder: What guarantees can you provide that the indigenous student meets PhD qualifications?

Inês: The indigenous student meets the same academic criteria as any international student and speaks English, Spanish, and Mayan—an added asset.

Funder: Why aren’t they doing their PhD in their own country?  Don’t they have universities there?

Shocked and surprised, Askio drowned their sorrows in a late-night binge of snacks and existential dread, while Inês sought solace in yoga - before surrendering to an all-weekend Star Trek: Voyager marathon.

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Askio, in a moment of questionable judgment, snooped through Inês’s fieldwork notes and stumbled upon a rant filled with swear words and emojis. Not exactly peak scientific rigour. It all started with what seemed like a harmless question: a man asked Inês if she was a feminist. He even tried to help. Expressing their surprise, Askio asked why Inês was so "emotional" about it (stellar move!). Instead of calming down, Inês made it clear: if Askio couldn’t figure this one out on their own, they’d be shipped straight back to Punctuation World. Askio re-read the note until it clicked. Inês was right (isn’t she always?). Sometimes, the only rational response is a rant, with swearing and emojis, for good measure.

The Note in all its splendour

Location: A university campus in a country far, far away.
Participants: Inês (happily rolling her suitcase), Inês’s friend, and the clueless idiot henceforth referred to as the Dimwit.

The Dimwit: Are you a feminist?
Inês: Yes, of course.
The Dimwit: Oh well, in that case, I cannot help you with your suitcase.
Inês: I do not need help with my suitcase, thank you very much.
The Dimwit: 😤
Inês’s friend: 😳

Inês: 🙄

The Dimwit (snatching the suitcase from Inês’s hand): I do not care. I will roll your suitcase anyway!!

The whole world: 😂 🤣 😬😱