It makes sense if you follow the narrative arc of the country. The above people I mentioned slot right into the WASP trend of the ruling decorum of the country, even if the trend abandoned nominal white Anglo-Saxon protestants centuries ago.

It's the same reason why white supremacy is still relevant despite the color of skin being less important: it still ties into the impressive rhetorical power of colorism and the implicit introduction of "others" that allows the oppression of the general population for not being "civilized" enough, as if the word had any meaning to a person whose brain hadn't been turned to porridge by interaction with finance bros.