A question for Americans about race: the census taker comes around and how do you answer?

Question

In Canada the equivalent census question asks about your ethnic background, and the first language you learned as a child and still speak.

In the USA - I was amazed to discover - the equivalent question asks about a person's "race". I asked the census taker "how white is white, and how black is black? Did you bring a colour chart along?" all the while thinking about my neighbour who was rejected by both communities because she wasn't white enough to be considered white, and not black enough to be considered black.

This whole business did my head right in. How do you cope?

Answer 1

"Race" is an arbitrary designation and serves little good to discuss.  As we are one species "race" is an irrelevant term.  Culture, native tongue, country of origin, belief system or lack therof and other more relevant factors are far more important than the concentration of colour pigment in the skin.

Interestinly, in the former USSR, a person of Jewish extraction was formally termed a jew on his or her passport.  For this reason, Judaism was regarded as a race in Eastern Europe and in large part still is.  For this reason, there were so many political refugees in the years preceding the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Answer 2

We mark the answer and move on to the next question.  Census takers only come around if you don't fill out the form.

It really should be changed though.  Most people have some mix somewhere in them.  There is a section for "other."  I've never really done one myself, but I did take a glance at it.  I can't remember if there's a way to say you have a mix or if other is the way you have to go.

"Race" here means Caucasian, African-American, Asian, etc., not just white or black.  So I would guess it's pretty similar.  I think that's the way it is anyway, it's been so long since the last census I don't remember for sure.

I think Asian covers them all.  As for Tiger Woods, he'd have a mix if it allows it.  Like I said, I forgot exactly how you do it if you have a lot of mixed ethnicity.

Answer 3

I just write in " North Atlantic Islander ". That leaves then scratching their heads!