Historical and present definitions 
The 2000 U.S. census states that
racial categories "generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country. They do not conform to any biological, anthropological or genetic criteria." This may result in the counting of persons such as
Indian Muslims,
Indian Jews, and
Indian Zoroastrians as white, if they solely report their religious heritage without their national origin.
Current U.S. Census definition According to race scholars such as Karen Brodkin, in the United States, essentially anyone of European descent is considered white
Social definition Main article: United States Census, 2000 Demographic information According to the Census definition, white Americans are the majority racial group in almost all of the United States. They are not the majority in
Hawaii, many
American Indian reservations, parts of the
South known as the
Black Belt, and in many urban areas throughout the country. In
California, non-Hispanic Whites slipped from 80% of the state's population in 1970 to 43% in 2006.
Although all large geographical areas are dominated by white Americans, much larger differences can be seen between specific parts of large cities.
Geographic distribution Main article: Affluence in the United States#Race Admixture
