Census & Racial identity.
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talkpolitics
Question #9 on the this year's census asks about your race. One of the boxes you can choose is "black," "African American," or "negro," all placed next to the same box.
The word 'negro' has offended several people as the referenced article shows.
http://wcbstv.com/national/negro.census.form.2.1409469.html
Should the term Negro be phased out of the census? if so, shouldn't Caucasian be phased out as well since they are from Typology?
I dislike 'multi-racial' in the census. It's too inclusive. It means little, especially in America. I know people who have multi-European backgrounds who classify themselves as multi-racial.
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Date: 7/1/10 17:20 (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 7/1/10 17:27 (UTC)As a mulatto I find terms like mutt, half breed, and mixed offensive. I like racial terms that are clearly defined. Mutt could be any mixture of anything.
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From:I'm offended by people who are offended
Date: 7/1/10 18:34 (UTC)2) It's Spanish for "black".
Re: I'm offended by people who are offended
Date: 7/1/10 19:27 (UTC)Re: I'm offended by people who are offended
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Date: 7/1/10 19:28 (UTC)Re: I'm offended by people who are offended
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Date: 7/1/10 18:59 (UTC)I don't understand why someone with a "multi-European" despondency would identify as multi-racial. What, if you're Celtic and Slavic that's multi-racial? Really? I know my wife like to play with people by marking Asian, just because her Grandfather was a Siberian Jew. Given that people self report and self identify, how useful is the racial data, I wonder..?
us vs them
Date: 7/1/10 20:16 (UTC)By traditional standards...
Date: 8/1/10 00:24 (UTC)(no subject)
From:Time is relative...
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Date: 7/1/10 19:38 (UTC)If it is that offensive, they should shut down/change names of the NAACP and United Negro College Fund.
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Date: 7/1/10 22:07 (UTC)(no subject)
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From:The NAACP...
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Date: 7/1/10 23:27 (UTC)Soooo racist that...
Date: 8/1/10 00:19 (UTC)As for taking offense at the use of the anachronism, negro, perhaps they could simply boycott the form altogether. I'm surprised that the census would use the term race, rather than ethnic identity. (On the other hand, in Redneckistan, such a question would cause a brow or two to rise.) I find it offensive that the census doesn't include the categories: gray-hound, horse, stock-car, Indy-car, motocross.
Re: Soooo racist that...
Date: 8/1/10 00:33 (UTC)ohsnap
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From:(no subject)
Date: 8/1/10 00:36 (UTC)In this case they got a number of people in 2000 writing in negro and thought they would include it since people are stating it. I can see the issue, but I think in this case giving them the benefit of the doubt is in order.
As for removing the question entirely, sure race is arbitrary distinction, but so is the boundary of cities and regions, religion, and notions of class. Money is a made up form of exchange as are the degrees people earn.
These things have social and political significance and provide interesting and important statistical information that help us understand the current state of this country. Removing the question only hides the issue.
(no subject)
Date: 8/1/10 00:48 (UTC)The modern-day United States is not required to be a White Man's country, we are in theory supposed to be civilized enough to recognize that practicing Muslims and Hindus and black men are both able contributors and the last category has been such for the entirety of our history.
I would note I say this as a middle-class WASP raised by two professors and hence subject to all the limitations that perspective really offers.
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Date: 8/1/10 02:12 (UTC)It's an antiquated question, and if we want a post-racial world, we need to stop asking it. My race is human.
(no subject)
Date: 8/1/10 05:51 (UTC)(no subject)
From:hmm...
Date: 8/1/10 06:17 (UTC)There are many ethnic groups.
Even some offensive term exists like: "face of Caucasian nationality".
(no subject)
Date: 8/1/10 08:32 (UTC)Norse (Norwegian):
Caucasian (Armenian):
Italian:
Slavic (Russian):
Iberian (Spanish):
Anatolian (Turkish):
Where's the link between all these?
(no subject)
Date: 8/1/10 12:35 (UTC)Which also puts them in cahoots with these:
Pashtuns.
Indians.
And Persians. That's right, whites are linguistically closer to Ahmadinejad than they are King Fahd.
(no subject)
From:Let me be the first ...
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From:Waitaminute!
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Date: 8/1/10 16:47 (UTC)I personally have issues about the word "and." I'll be writing a letter to the census bureau today.
And I concur with you
Date: 14/1/10 21:37 (UTC)