Was Jesus white?

One of the most important religious symbols is the image of Jesus Christ. I have often wondered why he is usually portrayed as white when he was born in the middle east and therefore one would think he would look more middle eastern. In my research I found that it was not known exactly what ethnicity Jesus was because the Bible doesn't include any clear physical description of him. The most common images of Jesus as white or sometimes as African come from cultural stereotypes that have been passed down through generations.

I think that the race of Jesus is a really interesting topic because it illustrates the way we create images and stereotypes based heavily on our own cultural norms.