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Is it even legal for a Federal authority to demand that I divulge my ancestry or ethnic background?!

Regards,

A friend of mine enlisted in the Marine Corps when she was 18. Her mother was black, her father was white, Her mother had a brain aneuryism when she was five. Her parents had met and married in the Marine Corps. She was raised by her father and his relatives, culturally “white”.

During her Marine career, the form on which “race” was declared stated declaring “race” was not mandatory. She looks “black” with dark skin and curly hair, brown eyes. She checked off “white” on the form.

The authorities would not allow her to do that. The speculation was they needed high performers like her to be “black” in order to “look” better on affirmative action or some similar program in the military.

Eventually she was allowed to check “other”.

I did not witness any of this. I may be mis-remembering some details. My friend told me of it some time ago.

The authorities would not allow her to do that.

Thanks for your anecdote!

Of course, my question is irrelevant when it comes to facing down your superiors in smokey backrooms - superiors who won't openly say what they want you to do, but whose preferences are unmistakable.

Regards,