>>17832652Ethnic Russians are generally classified as white in Western racial categorizations due to their East Slavic ancestry and predominant European physical characteristics. In the United States, they are officially counted as White by the Census Bureau, although many Russian immigrants express discomfort with this label due to distinct cultural histories and negative stereotypes associated with "White American" identity.
However, the term "Russian" refers to a citizenship that encompasses over 190 ethnic groups, making the population far more diverse than the "white" label suggests. While the majority (~80%) are ethnic Russians who fit the European/white phenotype, significant populations of Tatars, Chechens, Buryats, and other Central Asian or Caucasus peoples reside in Russia, possessing distinct non-white or mixed heritage.
In Russia itself, race is not a primary social or legal category; identity is instead defined by nationality (ethnicity) and regional origin. Consequently, while outsiders often view Russians as white, many Russians do not identify with the Western concept of "whiteness," emphasizing their specific Slavic or Eurasian heritage instead.