Minorities in the Imperium of Man

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In the grim darkness of the far future, there are only white people!

When called out on this, Games Workshop claimed that it was the working on the assumption that there would be as much variance in the human appearance as there is in today's world (especially with the existence of Abhumans and Space Marines). However, the early art teams were rather small, and tended to paint what they knew. They went on to say the habit was continued on more out of familiarity than anything else. Yet even though their art team has grown considerably, as well as the fanbase, the changes seem to be taking awhile to happen.

However, Games Workshop has also "claimed" that they weren't skilled enough to make human models with non-Caucasian facial features without making them look like stereotypes (which is bullshit when you remember that Games Workshop can make their models somewhat resemble real-life people's faces, such as the Fellowship models from their The Lord of the Rings range. Though, on the other hand, it might be better for them to error on the side of caution and not risk the shit storm claims of stereotyped models would bring. Despite this, GW still hasn't caught on that they can paint different skin colors on human minitures).

Remember, gamers and modelists can paint different skin colors, eye colors and/or hair colors on their models. So people can make their own ethnically diverse armies.

Most people that are depicted in 40k are white. That said, there are some exceptions:

African (A.K.A Black)

• Inquisitor Mordecai Toth.
• Some people on Catachan.
• An unnamed Black Templar (appropriately enough), who appears in Damnation Crusade.
• Multiple Horus Heresy characters, including Mersadie Oliton, Uxor Honen Mu and Lord Commander Teng Namatjira (incidentally, all from works by Dan Abnett, he seems to like having black people in his books. Abnett seems to be one of GW's more multicultural writers). Likewise, Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Betrayer features Delvarus, a black World Eater. With dreadlocks.
• Sisters of Battle artwork had cute black girl complete with black/white mini afro.
• Lord Admiral Lazlo Tiberius, Master of the Fleet of the Ultramarines Chapter after Uriel Ventris became Captain of the Fourth Company and declined the role of Fleet Master.
• Speaking of Abnett, don't forget the Glavians. A planet aparently populated entirely by black hotshot fighter jocks with Greek names.
• The Betancore family from Eisenhorn.
• According to Blood and Fire, the Celestial Lions.
• In Cadian Blood there is a black commissar
• Despite being a Valhallan, Hail, a member of the 597th Regiment of the Valhallan Ice Warriors from the Ciaphas Cain series. Her skin is "very dark, almost the color of recaf" (recaf is SPAAACE coffee). The series also states Hail's skin color is the norm on many wolds in that sector. Typical Valhallans "have the lightest of complexions", living largely underground might have something to do with it.
• A black Raptors Sergeant appears on the bridge of Admiral Constantine's flagship in Fire Warrior.

Hispanic

• Probably the Crimson Fists, especially with character names like Alessio Cortez, Jorge Martinez, Esteban de Dominova, Caldimus Ortiz, Eustace Mendoza and the chapter master Pedro Kantor confirmed (the name Kantor also implies, though not confirms, Jewish heritage).

Central Asian

• All the White Scars are Mongols.
• The Attilan Rough Riders and Mogul Kamir are pretty much Tatars in space.
• The slave-meatshields in Siege of Castallex have presumably Asian names such as Yuxiang.

Middle Eastern

• The quasi-Arabic Tallarn Desert Raiders.
• The Persian-like people from Prospero before the planet got turned to dust.
• The God-Emperor of Mankind. He was born in Central Anatolia in 8,000 BC. At least before his skin decayed off his body.
• A minor commissar character in Rebel Winter named Daridh Ahl Karif
• According to Betrayer all the Word Bearers are "Dusky Skinned"

Others

• The Raven Guard are black ops Native Americans. This is somewhat lessened as a flaw within the Melanchromic organ turns their skin pale white. Their recent Contemptor Dreadnought has what were officially described as "tribal tattoos", at least.
• The Dark Angels used to have some plains Indian elements, though these seem to be slowly fading away with each addition. Now they're just Christian monks.
• Ratskins are your stereotypical Native Americans transplanted into hive settings, basically a "what-if" scenario if the whole world became industrialised around them. They swing from the peaceful in the extreme to lazy, drunk, violent troublemakers. (Guess which one is the playable faction)
• Castellax is full of Chinese.
• The Carcharadons appear to have a Maori influence in their spiral style markings and tattoos
• Some of the seafarer tribes from the Fenrisian south are described as being "dark of skin"
• According to Betrayer, the World Eaters have no one world they recruit from and so have marines of many different skin colors.