Originally Posted by AmateurFlix

It's a generalization. They're not popular in these times but they're appropriate.
Africans tend to get referred to as having black skin, though it is obviously brown.
People such as myself are referred to as being white, though my skin does not resemble the color of bleached paper.
Latinos tend to get referred to as being 'brown skinned' even though some are more pale than I am.

Surely this isn't the first time you've encountered this?