Dumb questions about race...

Seeing a quote from Ann Coulter in another thread reminded me of a question my housemate ran into which left me a bit confused and without a good answer...

Maybe you guys will have an answer to the initial question I had and some additional ones... For your responses, maybe stick to the typical options on U.S. (White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander)

If someone is Persian (Iranian), what is their race?
Spoiler:
I kind of think they'd be classed as white/Caucasians. Arguably, they are the original Caucasians as they live pretty close to the Caucus Mountains which I think is what Caucasian is derived from. Or am I wrong about that part? On the other hand, it seems like there would be some reasonably good arguments for saying they are Asian. One in particular being they live in Asia and have been there for millenia...

ETA: I should mention that my housemate was told that she wasn't white so she was a bit unclear as to what her race should be listed as and I couldn't come up with an answer other than white... if you'd just met her, you'd probably think she was Latina, Greek, Southern Italian or Turkish.


Expanding on that question, if you go into google maps and zoom out a bit, it's possible to draw a straightish line between Vietnam and Germany going through/nearish Vietnam, Thailand, China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Austria and Germany. Where along that line is the cutoff between people who's race is European/Caucasian and Asian? Are there any countries for which you'd say the race of the people was African?
Spoiler:
I'd think the split is somewhere in Eastern Iran/Southern Afghanistan, but seems like it could almost be India depending on how you decide the division. e.g. do you go by skin colour or facial features?


Finally, what are/were the races of the Australian Aborigines and the Incans?
Spoiler:
Seems like if you're going on the 3 great races theory, they'd have to be Asian, wouldn't they? Going with U.S. standards, seems like the Incans would be American Indians, but it isn't clear to me if the Aborigines would be Pacific Islanders or Asian or simply not included...


Dumb questions about race...