Imagine you are part of a community discussion about racial identity. A participant asserts that the term 'Caucasian' should only refer to people from Europe. Based on your understanding of historical definitions of racial categories, how would you respond to clarify the broader implications of this classification?

The term 'Caucasian' originally referred to people from Europe but has evolved to include a wider range of groups. Historically, it was used in the 18th century by a scientist named Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, who classified humans into five races based on skull shape, including those from parts of North Africa and the Middle East. This classification shows that racial categories are not fixed and can be influenced by social and scientific ideas of the time. For example, people from the Middle East might be classified as Caucasian in some contexts, even if they don't fit the traditional European image. Understanding these historical definitions helps us see that racial identity is complex and not limited to one specific region or group.