Extreme right wing groups often complain (hysterically) about the fact that increasing immigration and incidences of interracial relationships will ‘wipe out’ the ‘white race.’ The declining birth rate in many European countries has similarly added to these kinds of fears (although racists are quick to overlook declining fertility rates worldwide which undermine their argument).

This kind of racist scaremongering is hardly anything new. For example, the passing of the immigration act of 1924 in the United States was strongly influenced by claims by Eugenicists who suggested that admitting too many peoples of ‘inferior stock’ would weaken the country.

Let’s imagine for a second that the demographic shifts in the world, combined with the cultural changes in modern societies which make interracial relationships more acceptable, will eventually lead to there being no ‘white’ people. It’s difficult for a reasonable person not to come one conclusion, namely: ‘who cares?’

After all, people have been constantly changing and intermixing since time immemorial. Surely in the twenty-first century we can be progressive enough to appreciate that all people are people and that one’s own identity should not be anchored to something as irrelevant as skin colour.

However, I think we should be questioning the very idea that white people will ‘die off.’ I would suggest that there are several trends and underlying preferences which suggest that demographic change will not be as straightforward as many people think.

In the first instance, intermarriage and racial integration is not a one-way street. For example, President Obama is darker than his white mother, but equally he is lighter than his black father. Intermixing might mean fewer white people, but it also means fewer very dark people.

Secondly, and I think more importantly, is the apparently widespread prevalence of a preference towards lighter skin in many non-European parts of the world. This can be seen in India, where the caste system is linked to skin colour and Bollywood actresses are notably lighter than many of their fellow countrywomen (as pointed out by Don. W’s excellent hub on the subject). Likewise, in East Asia and Africa there is a healthy trade in distinctly unhealthy skin whitening products.

As technology allows us increasing control over reproduction and the characteristics of our children, what will this mean for future generations? Given that we already try through various means to influence the sex of our children, why would people not try to use technology in order to have more intelligent or taller children? And if preferences extend to whiter skin, then would it not be reasonable to suggest that people will try to ensure that their children have lighter skin?

There is some evidence that this happens already. While exact figures are difficult to come by, the high level of popularity of donor sperm from Denmark, where donors are often tall, blond-haired and blue-eyed, compared with the popularity of sperm from other places could be an indicator that this kind of practice is already in place. According to Wikipedia, ‘More than 50 countries worldwide are importers of Danish sperm, including Paraguay, Canada, Kenya, and Hong Kong.’

The point is that there are at least as many reasons to think that current trends favour the promotion of ‘white’ genes as there are that said genes will become a smaller minority or even disappear.

This hub is certainly not about celebrating some kind of future ‘white hegemony’ or even about the sadness of ‘shadism’ which exists in non-Western countries. Really it’s about dispelling the right-wing myths that have a lot of popular currency. These ideas might originate in the extreme right but they spread and taint the public debate on topics like foreign aid, globalisation and immigration.

The fact is we have no idea about how these various demographic factors and dynamics will play out. If I was to guess I would say that we will see more diversity in the future rather than less, as people utilise technologies to individualise their appearances to more extreme degrees.

But whatever happens will happen, regardless of the public handwringing that accompanies these changes. Our twenty-first century world is one of uncertainty and constant change and I suggest that there are far too many important things in the world to worry too much about the skin colour of our children’s children.