I think you're on to something here. There is definitely a much looser standard for whiteness in the United States. The one drop rule was used only w.r.t. forme

I think you're on to something here. There is definitely a much looser standard for whiteness in the United States. The one drop rule was used only w.r.t. former slaves. But the definition of whiteness in the United States seems to be much broader these days. Contrast that with Europe, where whiteness is a very strict category. This could partially explain the unrest that's going on in the UK. I saw a group of X users arguing with a British citizen with an Italian surname. They claimed that he was not really English (really what they were implying was, he wasn't white), even though his passport said so. I found it strange, because in the States we often consider Italian Americans to be white.