Posted on 01/11/2010 7:30:04 AM PST by Between the Lines
It's a new decade, which means that the U.S. Census Bureau is hard at work getting the nation's more than 300 million residents to fill out a 10-question form that determines how the federal government doles out its money.
But one question is causing some controversy. Specifically question No. 9 asks "What is Person 1's race?" The answer choices are "White; Black, African-American, or Negro; American Indian or Alaska Native."
The Grio reports that many older blacks preferred to be called "Negro." "Some prefer it because of their complexion, whether they're light-skinned or dark," said Jeanne R. Stanley, a retiree in Richmond, Va. "Others still have a slave mentality. There are a lot of people who still have a color complex."
But younger generations are angered by the use of the term.
"I find the word 'Negro' to be quite offensive when it comes to the census and separating and differentiating among races because of the history of the use of the word," said Taryn Anthony, a 25-year old graduate student. "I've yet to hear someone use it in a respectable manner, so placing it on a census seems as yet another way to set back African-Americans."
Added Patrick Riley, a New York television producer, "Well, if the census form authors are going to go so far as to include an the archaic term 'Negro,' why not put 'Colored' on there ... just in case someone hadn't graduated from that word usage."
Census officials said that "Negro" was offered as an option because many people wrote in "Negro" on their 2000 census forms. A spokeswoman added that the questions were "tested ad nauseum" and that including the term "outweighed the negatives."
The Grio writes that in light of the census trying to be inclusive of all U.S. residents this year, the decision to include "Negro" could hamper those efforts. Traditionally Hispanics have been wary of filling out census forms, fearing deportation.
"The biggest obstacle I have is that the Hispanic community is very reluctant to give information to anybody related to the government," Roberto Belen told the Island Packet newspaper . Belen, a native of Puerto Rico, is encouraging Hispanics in South Carolina to turn in their forms. But he said he constantly hears people say of the form, "What is so important that I have to risk my liberty?"
When was “negro” upgraded to the offensive status of “N****”?
But if the most powerful Democrat in the US Senate were to use the term, it wouldn't bother me at all!
When people stopped using the latter,
the former had to be “upgraded” in order for
the perpetually victimized and offended
to retain their level of offense.
There shouldn’t even be a racial designation on the damned thing anyway.
Depemds on the dialect you employ.
Its OK to use the term “Negro” as long as you are Light Skinned and Speak Like A White Person.
I musta missed the part where you were offended by The United Negro College Fund, hmm?
Because they can.
‘Negro’s’ will never advance their culture until national organizations consider them just people and not ‘colored people’.
When it became apparent that another reason to be "outraged" was needed.
Negro race - a dark-skinned race
Black race, Negroid race
race - people who are believed to belong to the same genetic stock; Black person, blackamoor, Negro, Negroid, Black - a person with dark skin who comes from Africa (or whose ancestors came from Africa)
United NEGRO College Fund -
NAACP National Association of COLORED People
For these two organizations, where is the outrage????
Harold Ford Jr. may give us the honor in running in the Dem.
primary in N.Y. His campaign slogan could be_I’m even lighter than Obama.
Absolutely agree! It’s stupid and divisive to even list race. Besides that it’s meaningless as there are very few people in the US who are not actually multiracial.
As my great grandmother used to say about our family, “there might just be an indian or two in the woodpile somewhere”.
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