The Samurai are like the Japanese counterpart of Knights; proud, heavily trained warriors that dedicated themselves to a master (unless they're Rōnin), wield fancy steel swords, and generally keep the peace. The Western Samurai are samurai of non-Japanese heritage, black or white and even those of other Asian countries like Chinese and Korean, if they wield a katana or wear the armor (and are not Japanese), then they are worthy of the prestige and title of the Samurai.