Why do so many people think Italians are not white?

I think because many people are retarded. Anyone who interprets the term "White" to mean that a person is literally white is probably borderline mentally handicapped, if not full. White is a slang term referring to Caucasians. Just like every other race, Caucasians come in a variety of skin tones, eye color, hair color, etc..Anyone of European origin is White. Furthermore, the majority of Italians I have ever met looked like every other White person, ranging from brunettes with brown eyes to red heads with blue eyes. Even the dark skinned dark eyed Italians I have met are still clearly White. In fact, most of the dark skinned Italians I know are not naturally dark, they fake n' bake to try and fit into the stereotypical image of an Italian. People are always trying to sound more exotic than they really are, especially Italians, it's stupid really.