Joel Dinerstein

writer & professor
race, music & cool

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The Myth of the Caucasian Race

September 29, 2019

Last week, I had an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, "The Pernicious Myth of a Caucasian Race." Many readers were surprised to find that “Caucasians” were simply invented by one German anthropologist in 1795 -- so I was gratified that the piece was widely-read and widely shared. And there were only two trolls on email and three on Twitter! The piece is drawn from my current project on the origins of racial ideas in America.

Joel Dinerstein is the author of three books on cool, including the first history of the concept (The Origins of Cool in Postwar America), the first major exhibit of cool icons (American Cool), and a corporate history, Coach: A Story of NY Cool. My TED Talk, entitled "Why Cool Matters," can be found on YouTube. I am also the author of the award-winning Swinging the Machine, a theory of swing-era jazz and technology, and Jazz: A Quick Immersion, a short history and listening guide.

I am a cultural historian and Professor of English at Tulane University, and hold a Ph.D in American Studies from the University of Texas @ Austin.

In 2014, I curated the exhibit American Cool at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. American Cool featured 100 cool icons and 100 photographs, and it was based on my historical research.