Which for non-humans

If you are talking about sentences like "It also has shareholders, which are people who own some of the business and receive some of the profits" (randomly Googled) then it is not very good English, in my opinion. If the sentences you are referring to are materially different in some way, please post the whole sentence.

pructusNormally, "which" is used only to refer to non-human things.But, as it is sometimes used for people, there must be some hidden rule.

Sometimes the grammar and vocabulary of a specific sentence make that the reasonable choice, that is all, I think—though none springs to mind.

The dictionaries are rather adamant, however:

—Nonstandard

Thanks GPY...
Here are some examples....

They are the people which are “People You May Know.”

The mestizos, which are people that are half Indian and half Spanish, were also angry because they were even lower than the creoles.

Facebook is suggesting friends which are people I know but haven't spoken with on there, and have no common friends with.

Thanks a lot, Mister Micawber!!

That's very helpful...
Your examples seem to start to give me some hint...

pructusThe mestizos, which are people that are half Indian and half Spanish, were also angry because they were even lower than the creoles.Facebook is suggesting friends which are people I know but haven't spoken with on there, and have no common friends with.Loners, which are people who feel like outsiders, tend to become more confident over time and are more likely to b

Thanks for the input, GPY!!