Are Italians White? If not, what is the historical justification for them not being White, and does that mean that the Roman Republic and Empire were not White? Allegedly, the modern Italians have the same admixture as Roman citizens, but I find this highly dubious considering all the various genetic influences on the region since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Especially considering the colossal demographic collapse of Roma itself, falling from an estimated 1 million residents to just 23,000.