Charlize Theron born August 7,1975 Benoni,South Africa . Naturalized U.S. citizen May 2007.
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?"
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Juliet:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
I propose that the Census form have a check off box for “Liberal Traitor” to be a designation. Big Brother can then identify who they want to support and give free medical care to.
Juliet, the converse is also true.
Just like the left relabelling communism because people came to understand what the label meant.
I am a white girl and I am thinking of checking off African American since the Scientific community says that the birthplace of man is Africa.
At least they've finally junked the bogus classification "caucasian".
Japanese-Americans aren't included in the above list.
Here’s a thought. Since we are supposed to be a color blind society, let’s stop asking people’s race.
El Presidente es negro. Does every speaker of espanol need to appologize?
Charlize Theron born August 7,1975 Benoni,South Africa . Naturalized U.S. citizen May 2007.
"Specifically question No. 9 asks "What is Person 1's race?""In years past I have written, "Human", on the form.
Cordially
The funny thing is, those classifications don’t really make sense. White? That’s a color. Alaska Native? That’s based on where someone is from. They need to junk the entire idea that we should be classified in this way in the US. I am a native American. I was born here.
Do you ever hear back from them?
After all, that WOULD be the only one involved, yes? Everything else is ethnicity and local adaptation.
“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 .
Heck....I’m reluctant to give info to anybody related to the government. I guess they are not concerned about white people not responding.
I think they would prefer it if we white folks didn’t respond.
Three designations for one race???
The problem is that Blacks keep changing the term they use to refer to themselves. The latest designation, as I heard on NPR, is Afrikaan or Afrikaans. Yes, to refer to Black Americans. They've now appropriated a term already in use in Africa, to refer to themselves here in the US. The people on the program who used this term are in academe.
The race section is ludicrous. During the Reagan administration, the census incorporated the nonsense word “Hispanic” as a race.
Hispanic can theoretically mean one or more of the following.
1) From North, Central, or South America and the Caribbean and Pacific, or Spain or Portugal.
2) May have any skin color from dark black to pale white, any hair and eye color. Any type facial features.
3) A racial mix of any of the following: Black, Native American, any variety of European and African, as well as Oriental.
Ironically, about the only affiliation that could be compared to Hispanic, would be “Britannic”. That is, anyone from anywhere that had even been substantially occupied by Britain. And there would be substantial overlap between the two groups.
And yes, “black” and “negro” are likewise nonsensical.
I am a white guy and I am thinking of checking off Cracker since the Scientific community says that white people have no color.
THAT’S Cracker-American to you!!!!
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