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

[xpiscesgrl227x.livejournal.com]

Maybe they should just be "pure-bred" and "mutt"? I'd kind of get a kick out of checking "mutt" as my race. =)

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

-laughs- No.

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.

[xpiscesgrl227x.livejournal.com]

That's what I mean, though. Can you imagine the poor person who had to catelogue that? "WTF? Mutt? WTF????"

(As a serious sidenote - I thought mulatto was also considered offensive?? I could also be confused.)

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

HAHA I respect the twistedness of your mutt catagory.

I didn't learn thet mulatto was a pejorative until I joined Livejournal.

Considering the choices are high yellow, redbone, mixed, mutt, half breed, or bi-racial...I will stick to Mulatto.

=)

[xpiscesgrl227x.livejournal.com]

That's cool. I've heard "bi-racial" and "mulatto" and I've heard people get their panties in a twist about both. I can honestly say, I never know what's going to offend someone anymore.