They are genetically distinct from each other so they are different "races".
There are a number of different races in Africa and Asia too.
You do their DNA and you come up with different groups. Some are very very different even if outwardly they resemble each other. The Sami and Basque are two such groups.
There are around 5000 different races of humans. Or conversely there is only one race of humans with a bunch of different breeds.
You pays your money and makes your choice.
There might be 5,000 different ethnic groups, but there are only three or four different races: Caucasian, Negroid, Mongoloid and Australoid. Or European, African, Asian and Australian aborigine.
This calling numerous different groups a different race is a lot of PC nonsense many have adopted so they can throw the racism charges around and more groups can claim to be victims of racism.