Census & Racial identity.

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

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.

Comments

I'm offended by people who are offended

[reality-hammer.livejournal.com]

A) Some Americans still self-identify as "negro". (This is the Census position.)

2) It's Spanish for "black".

Re: I'm offended by people who are offended

[lucazzo.livejournal.com]

About A, yes. I've heard several older ones referring to themselves as that and actually finding the term "black" insulting.

Re: I'm offended by people who are offended

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

That would the reason I think the term is still on there.

Re: I'm offended by people who are offended

[readherring.livejournal.com]

Back in college, I unintentionally started an argument by defending old Jews that referred to black people as "Schvatzahs". The word is Yiddish for black. Some of those Jews didn't like blacks, but the word itself wasn't derogitory. Somehow, we need to come to peace with words like that. The whole "you can't call me that anymore because I've decided its racist" mentality is breeding a new phase of racism against people stereotyped as always playing the race card.

Re: I'm offended by people who are offended

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

Word, B. But some people wouldn't have an excuse if they didn't have racism, so they have to keep it fresh. (And that is seriously a race-independent situation).

Re: I'm offended by people who are offended

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Is it really a race-card if the deck is racist?