posted by Sam Richards
Here’s an interesting article from TIME/CNN about the upcoming U.S. Census and the use of racial signifiers. Quite fascinating discussion of “new school” – “old school” terminology and who should get to decide which terms should be deemed acceptable for public use.
“Should the Census Be Asking People if They’re Negro?”
By Barbara Kiviat – TIME/CNNUse of the word Negro to describe a black person has largely fallen out of polite conversation — except on the U.S. Census questionnaire. There, under “What is this person’s race?” is an option that reads, “Black, African Am., or Negro.” That has raised the ire of certain black activists and politicians as the Census Bureau gears up to mail out its once-a-decade questionnaires. The controversy has been cast by many as an instance of a tone-deaf agency not keeping up with the times. In actuality, the flash point represents a much larger theme: the often contentious way the Census both reflects and forges our evolving understanding of race. (See the best pictures of 2009.)
The immediate reason the word Negro is on the Census is simple enough: in the 2000 Census, more than 56,000 people wrote in Negro to describe their identity — even though it was already on the form. Some people, it seems, still strongly identify with the term, which used to be a perfectly polite designation. To blindly delete it is to risk incorrectly counting the unknown number of (presumably older) black Americans who identify with the term. (See rare photos at home of Martin Luther King Jr.)
But the Census Bureau is aware that times are changing — and not just when it comes to the word Negro. As part of the 2010 Census, the bureau will test 15 major changes to questions about race and Hispanic origin. For each, approximately 30,000 households will receive a slightly different questionnaire so that demographers and statisticians can use data — along with follow-up interviews — to decide if the modification helps or hurts the accuracy and consistency of information collected. “We hope this will help us better understand the way people identify with these concepts,” says Nicholas Jones, chief of the Census’ racial-statistics branch. One change being tested: deleting the word Negro. Others include combining queries about Hispanic origin and race into one question and getting rid of the word race in the question altogether.
Those modifications could have a lasting impact on how Americans think about race. Census data underpin broad stretches of society, from federal regulations to corporate marketing strategies, and how data are framed when collected speaks to our collective worldview (both contemporary and historical). Consider that in a 2006 study of 138 censuses from around the world, New York University sociologist Ann Morning found that only 15% of those asking about ancestry or national origin used the term race. Almost all of those that did were former slave economies. (See a video of perspectives in Harlem on President Obama’s first year in office.)
Further, among nations Morning studied, only the U.S. asked about Hispanic ethnicity in a stand-alone question. (Race and ethnicity are synonymous practically everywhere else in the world.) Morning concluded that talking about the two separately, as is done in the U.S., could unintentionally reinforce the view that while ethnicity is a product of culture and society, race represents something else — a set of characteristics inherent to a certain type of person (e.g., black people are athletic; Asians are smart). (See TIME’s special on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)
If it seems like a stretch that the Census would have such grand influence, take a moment for a little history. The first Census, in 1790, explicitly asked about only one race: white. Blacks, for the most part, fell into the slave category. Race was about civil status. In the 19th century, concerns about keeping the white race pure led to the addition of the “mulatto” category in 1850 (and “quadroon” and “octoroon” in 1890), a process traced by Harvard political scientist Melissa Nobles in her book Shades of Citizenship. With rising immigration, Chinese and Japanese were added as categories — but not Irish or Italian — underscoring that somehow Asians were more fundamentally different.
In the civil rights era of the 20th century, Census data took on a whole new meaning. The antidiscrimination laws written in the 1960s and the affirmative-action policies that followed relied on Census data to determine if minorities were underrepresented in any number of realms, from home sales to small-business loans. One of the largest leaps in the Census’ racial scheme came in 2000 when, for the first time, respondents were allowed to check more than one race box. The change was celebrated by those hoping to usher in an era of postracial America and assailed by those fearing the weakening of civil rights enforcement.
As it turns out, neither extreme came to pass — partly because only 2.4% of the population checked more than one race. Nonetheless, the instruction to “mark one or more boxes” signified a major turning point in how the Census sets the parameters for national discussion. In the words of former Census director Kenneth Prewitt, we are now moving from “a justice-based classification system” to “an identity-based classification system.” If not revolution, that is at least evolution. (See the world’s most influential people in the 2009 TIME 100.)
And it continues today. One of the possible changes the Census is testing during the 2010 count is allowing respondents to check more than one box not just for race but for Hispanic origin as well. A popular rally cry during the push to allow multiple races was, Why should a person with one black parent and one white parent be forced to choose between them? Indeed, why should a person with a Hispanic mother and non-Hispanic father be any different?
Another change under review is letting people who check “white” or “black” to write in more specific information afterward. In recent years, groups representing a number of backgrounds, including Afro-Caribbean and Arab, have lobbied to be included separately on the Census instead of being confined to broad categories (black for people of Afro-Caribbean decent; white for those with Arab ancestry). By trying out additional write-in blanks, the Census is attempting to see what other designations it might be able to reliably collect data about.
For the time being, write-in responses still often need to be shoehorned into broader categories for the purpose of following certain laws based on official statistics. But in the longer term, the write-in box could prove to be an even more momentous step in the evolution of racial categorization than the ability to check more than one race. By encouraging wider swaths of people to explain as precisely as possible how they see themselves, the Census is implicitly acknowledging that its count of the U.S. population is increasingly becoming a conduit for self-expression. “We are measuring the characteristics of the American people as they wish to be known,” says Prewitt.
That is true even when the way a person wishes to be known is as a Negro — at least for the time being. Considering that older black people are more likely to use the term, Negro will almost surely eventually come off the Census. But it is important to remember that when it does, it will not be a simple reaction to changing social mores. In 1970 the Census changed its black category from “Negro” to “Negro or Black.” The Federal Government sent a form to every U.S. household and effectively said, We have a new way of thinking about this particular group of people. Census categories reflect perceptions. But they also forge them.
I still don't understand why to this day why it matters what race you are for a united states census. We are all made up up different cultures and backgrounds, so in essence we should all mark other for the fill in. What i would have done awhile ago is just ask the question and not the race, but they keep it and get more and more controversy. most of the people too think they are one race and might be half and half or something, so your tests are already messed up, so why not just change them so they are right?
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Reading this article got me thinking about a couple different things. It does seem pretty archaic to use the term “negroes,” presumably in reference to blacks. I understand the backlash against the census bureau for continuing to use this as a racial identity, particularly since it is often seen as having a negative connotation attached to it. However, the fact that many people were in fact writing this in as their race obviously shows that this is exactly how they see themselves. Although it may seem to be a negative term to us, to them it’s just another word to describe them, so why shouldn’t it be included, when clearly it’s not offensive to these people?
As I thought more about this issue though, I wondered how they even break up everyone in the US into 15 races and then other. If you try and think about what makes a race, there are so many grey lines that defining a race is nearly impossible. If it was based on skin color, then there could be millions of races for each shade. If it’s based on heritage, then there could be countless races plus mixed races as well. If the only options you have are several categories and then other, couldn’t anyone really place themselves into other? Even though I would put white, what is it that makes me white? My skin isn’t white, it’s more of a peachy with freckles, so why isn’t that a race category? Why can’t I have my own category of half-Polish half-Irish pale ginger race? Clearly pale people look different than tan people, there’s a much larger difference between our skin colors and tan people to some black people, so why does one group have to be defined as white and one as black? How can you expect everyone to either fit into one of these categories or be stuck in “other?” Maybe everyone should just get to write in what they think they are, instead of having to fit themselves into a construct set up by someone else.
So, as I was thinking about all this, I started to wonder something else. Why do we even need to know this information? What’s the purpose of knowing how many Hispanics, how many black, or how many whites are in an area? Honestly, I don’t see how this information is relevant. I feel like we always talk about how race isn’t an issue and how we shouldn’t discriminate based on race, etc. So, by dividing the country into these racial groups, aren’t we merely perpetuating the idea that race matters? If the color of your skin really doesn’t matter than why should we even have to check a box on forms? As far as I’m concerned, if you’re here and you’re an American, than that’s that. Whether you call yourself white, black, brown, negroe, Hispanic, or whatever, you're the same person with the same identity so why should anyone else care what box you're checking?
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As the American society fixes the racial differences that stands within it, and becomes more and more politically correct, it leaves behind many words, descriptions, and phrases that were not only acceptable, but once popular. Though most of us believe that removing words like “negro” as a description for Blacks, or deciding whether being Hispanic is a race or an ethnicity is a morally right decisions, I believe this makes it no easier to identify yourself. Of coarse, as a society, it is important that we move forward towards better racial relationships, and stop using words that are now seen as derogatory. But, as this happens, we need new words or descriptions that are more accurate as descriptions for different races or ethnicities. For instance, if you are black, but your family has been in America for hundreds of years, are you still an African-American? And what kind of descriptions is Afro-American? To me, calling a black person “Afro”-American is just as derogatory as calling them a Negro. Yes, Negro is a demeaning word, but I see no sense in describing a whole peoples after a the stereotype for their hair. That would be like calling an Asian person a Slanty-eyed-American, it just isn’t correct.
My biggest problem in this whole dilemma, is that I am unsure of what to consider myself. I refuse to call myself a Caucasian, because technically, a Caucasian is anyone with traits of people from Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, or South Asia. That means that although a dark skinned man from North Africa and a pale, freckled, red-headed man from Ireland are about as similar as an apple to an orange, they still fall under the same race. My family is Moroccan-Israeli, but because Caucasian is a silly excuse for a generalization of race, I don’t consider either of those countries as Caucasian countries. So how could we categorize it better? Well I won’t call myself white, because when people from North Africa and the Middle East are out of this dreary-weathered environment, it is clear to see that “white” would not describe our skin color. In fact, during the summer I often am mistaken for being of Latino decent. Middle Eastern? No, because that is usually used to describe people of Arabic or Persian decent. North Africans, and people from the horn of Africa are far different looking than someone from Nigeria or Kenya, so putting them in the same category would be completely wrong. So when the upcoming census comes to my door, how should I answer without feeling misrepresented? Well unless between now and then we invent some better descriptive words, I guess I’m shit out of luck.
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I have been alive for 3 censuses only conscious of 2, but still I understand the need to know how many people and how they identify themselves in our society. this change is one i think could better refine the country because people cant be herded into 1or 2 category's and expected to be accurate. personally I don't like the idea of a race category simply because it socially detracts from the unity concept of the U.S.. ethnic backgrounds are useful for medical histories and the like but for the national census it seems useless, what does it matter if your black white or Hispanic if your a legal resident then your good. we need to consider the diversity is an argument I've heard and again I ask why? for instance I'm white but of a mixed bag of European nationalities such as English Welsh, Dutch and Scottish, all but Dutch are now considered Great Brittan but ask my grand parents and they'll tell you I'm more Welsh than English. does it matter if I'm white but of Spanish decent? this is my question for the census doesn't it matter more where we live than where our ancestors came from? despite my lack of concern for race I do like that they will let us refine our answers now, that will let us show pride in our familial histories and explain that we were from Africa and not former slaves if that were the case but otherwise this is a mater of personal pride and not a mater of national importance. no corporation needs to know that this town has 30% more Hispanics than African Americans, because that could be answered by the primary language spoken in the home question. so while I agree that there should be more space for refinement, I don't believe the question is necessary anymore.to discuss if the term Negro should be on the forms I have no need for the term in polite society but can understand that some people remember it as how they were to refer to themselves years ago, so yes it should still be on there. but so should the terms Black, African American, and even non white. I personally tend to not answer the question of race on surveys it's like asking how some one of your race would answer this. for me I would rather answer nationality questions as I was raised to be a proud Welshmen. but to be identified as we like to be is something we should be able to do on the census forms.
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This article strikes a brilliant point. Every time I fill out a survey or an application for an internship my race and ethnicity are always asked. It seems redundant to have them both on the census form. Also, aren’t there people who fill out the census that put different answers for the race question and the ethnicity question. What does the Census bureau do there. I think the fact that only 15% of the 130 something countries sampled that use censuses have both race and ethnicity means it needs to go. I think another great point in this article is that “black” and “white” or anything for that matter should be allowed to write in more information about their race/ethnicity, because the term is so vague.
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This article was definitely interesting, but it made me think about a few things. I don't see why there needs to be a question about race on the census in the first place. The United States has become such a cultural melting pot, that to try to categorize millions of people based on what they look like, or where their ancestors were from seems ridiculous. If it really is necessary to put a race question on the census, for affirmative action reasons or otherwise, why can't we just let each person write in the race that they identify with, rather than having this debacle about it?
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The census serves a purpose that obviously can be positive for citizens but in certain situations I feel it unnecessarily puts people in a certain box that they do not need to be backed into. By asking someone flat out to say what race and ethnicity they are on a piece of paper that is to be sent along to people who will never meet them seems to be somewhat of a breach of privacy if the person is not comfortable with sharing such things. An example I have of this is when we all had to apply to colleges. After we filled out our applications and wrote our essays on why we thought we should be accepted into this school or that we were prompted with another questionnaire. It asked up to fill out what race we were, and I had to specifically fill out white/non Hispanic. Now to me it seems that something of this is irrelevant when I am applying to something so important such as my college education. Why should it make a difference what race I am or what ethnicity? The decision of whether I am accepted into a school or rejected should be based on my accomplishments up until that point rather than what color my skin is.
For the census to ask people to check this box or that to say who you are is not entirely right in my opinion. I think their choice now to leave more spaces to be filled in so people can put down as the way they feel comfortable explaining is a great idea. What a certain person is called or how they refer to themselves should be their opinion not that of someone who is writing the census form in some office not knowing exactly what type of people will be filling out the census and how they feel about the way it is addressed to them. This article written in Time/CNN doesn’t directly affect me because I don’t have to state what race I am besides the fact that I’m white, but I can see how it can be a topic of debate among those that it affects. One should not eliminate the world negro entirely from the census because it is obvious that there are many people out there who still identify themselves as that and need that option on the census. But it doesn’t mean that we should not have to list every single name to put a label on every citizen that fills this out. By having the blanks for people to write in, I feel that it makes more sense and it seems like less of a labeling system than what is in place currently. It may cause for less efficiency after all the census takers finish the surveys but I think it makes for a less forward system that ultimately should not serve as a label for those filling it out.
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I believe that the U.S. Census Bureau is taking the right action by listening to peoples thoughts, objections, and opinions on the word Negro in the U.S. Census questionnaire. I feel that it is very important not to offend anyone in anyway. I do not fully understand how the term Negro can offend some black people yet not other black people. I also feel that it is very important not to exclude anyone in the racial category of the U.S. Census questionnaire. The people that who do not like the fact that Negro is still an option in the U.S. Census questionnaire claim that the U.S. Census is not "keeping up with the times" and that Negro is an outdated term when in actuality there were 56,000 people alone who actually wrote out Negro in the "other" category of the racial section. They most likely wrote Negro because they are used to not checking a box or filling in a bubble that corresponds with Negro. This is because the U.S. Census questionnaire is most likely one of the only documents to still use the terminology Negro. Having said that this means that there is actually more than 56,000 Americans who prefer to be called Negros. And removing the option Negro from the U.S. Census questionnaire, in my opinion, would be insulting and rude. I know if I were filling out that form and White or Caucasian were not an option I would be very upset. I would feel unimportant and disrespected. This article shows how times are changing and that revisions may need to be made to accommodate them. I believe that one day the option Negro will be removed for the U.S. Census questionnaire. The reality that Negro is slowly fading away and soon to be history is similar to several other words in history that we now consider harsh words. For example a decent person would never use the word "Nigger" to refer to an African American because that would be offensive and harsh. A decent person would also not call a white person a "cracker" because that also is an awful word and extremely offensive. I believe that the word negro has historic and significant meaning, but the altercation of the word such as Nigger, Niga and so on have down graded the word and has created it to be a terrible insult and slang term to those of African descent. The U.S. Census is dealing with a difficult dilemma on whether to allow the term negro to remain on the U.S. Census questionnaire or to abolish it indefinitely like our sixteenth president of the United States of America, Mr. Abraham Lincoln, did with abolishing slavery all throughout America. I am very curious to see what will happen and whether the Negro option will remain on U.S. Census Questionnaires to come.
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I think it's a little ridiculous that people have to identify themselves as something that is underneath another category which more people can identify with, and means the same thing. It would make it a lot easier for all of us. However, let's take a look for a minute at religion. There are hundreds of sects of Christianity, all of who are properly defined under the word, "Christian" and will not settle for this overly simple definition of who they are. No one complains about small religions that cannot accept as a definition of their religion some broad term, and are their own subcategory. So is it right for people to be upset that "Negro" has to be a race to choose from on a census form? Who knows. I don't know. I don't think there's any correct answer. We live in a crazy world. Who should be able to decide what's right? The majority, I guess. But does that make the minority wrong? I don't think so. Maybe the majority is the one who is mistaken. Write that down.
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The TIME article brings up a lot of interesting points. The one thing that keeps coming up in my mind is, how is the U.S. Census going to make sense of all these categories and write in answers? I’m a category person. I understand that race cannot be categorized, however I feel as though it’s a waste of time to continually create or use different categories to describe ones race. While I understand the reasoning behind asking about someone’s race to see where government funds should be allocated, I feel that the U.S. Census is perpetuating racial stereotypes. The people who create the U.S. Census have not been able to create a “catch all” race category. Thus have created several different race categories that do not seem to be to a current or accurate description of how people today would describe themselves. And say people strictly use these categories to describe themselves, how is it ensure that the numbers reported can create reputable statistics? The U.S. Census will lump the categories together after everyone takes them to create meaningful numbers, but that is still not accurate. I just don’t really understand it. I almost feel like I did filling out job applications at the end of my junior year. I was currently a junior, going to be a senior and on track to graduate. However I was going to take summer classes to make sure I could graduate on time. I would technically be a junior until halfway through my Fall 2010 semester when my credits from the summer would go through finally deeming me an official senior. I just started to put plan to graduate Spring 2010 to clarify where I was. Those categorizations had to do with college standing, which is must less complicated than determining one’s race.
Because I would categorize my skin is considered white, I do not really have an equal comparison. Regardless, I tried to put myself into the shoes of someone who is unable to be simply categorized. So I thought, I have two parents, one predominantly Irish, one predominantly English. If I were asked, based on that criteria, to fit into one category I would not be able to. If I were asked if I were English or Irish, I could not just say one. Would I choose my mother’s heritage or fathers? Would I create an entire separate category English/Irish? And if I had to, then how would I compare myself to others statistically? To make things more complicated I have one parent who was born in the United State and one born in England. I hold both United State and British Citizenship. What category would I fit into then? Is asking someone to categorize themselves based on the color of their skin really telling society anything? In my opinion a more accurate question would be where someone lives, their education level and income. Based on a socioeconomic profile, I believe more information could be derived that the U.S. Census could statistically use. Isn’t the whole point of statistics, to paint a picture of a certain sector of society or societal phenomenon? If so, then what is race really telling us?
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I thought this article was very intriguing because it is about a subject I’ve never thought about before. I am not very familiar with the U.S. census considering I’ve only been alive for two of them thus far: the year I was born (1990) and when I was ten years old which, in my opinion, I was too young to pay any attention to. So this year it really matters. I think the census is something everyone can relate to, no matter what race or ethical background. We are all United States citizens. Therefore, we are all counted in the census. So, we should all have an opinion about this matter of race. Personally, I think it shouldn’t matter what race we are or where we come from because in the end, we are all being counted for the same purpose. And our race shouldn’t influence our thoughts about census topics. Therefore, I don’t think we should have to state our race on our form.
I also found this article interesting because my discussion group talked about a similar topic yesterday. Someone brought up the subject of having to state your race on your college applications and whether or not this affects the decisions of the admissions’ officers. I believe race and/or ethnical background should have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you get accepted into a college. I think admissions decisions should be based solely on academics and extracurricular activities. While it is true that certain minorities do not have the necessary upbringing to be successful in college, I don’t think it’s fair to the more fortunate ones who worked very hard in high school and as a result, are very deserving of a college acceptance letter. That being said, there are still educational opportunities for everyone. That is why different colleges have different entrance criteria. I know the purpose of the race question on college applications is so that schools will be diverse, but think about it. Is this really fair?
Going back to the U.S. census, the purpose of it is not to figure out how many people associate with all the different races and cultural backgrounds. I don’t think it matters if “Negro” is included on it, nor do I think race in general should be a question on it. One’s race has become such a big deal in society today, and I have a hard time understanding why. If we are all United States citizens, isn’t that enough to make us equal then? Does it really matter where we come from? I just don’t think it is fair to accept or not accept people based on the color of their skin or how they choose to identify themselves. In the case of the census, I don’t think it is fair to record or analyze data based on racial identification. The people in charge of the census should just completely ignore this racial concept altogether.
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In my opinion this article was very interesting. It was interesting to see how developed our country has become in regards to race. I also thought it was interesting that people can now mark more that one thing for their race because many people have one black parent and one white parent or vice versa and it was unfair to them that they had to choose what race they are. However, I don't see why we still have to focus so much on race. I thought we've came a long way from the days of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement so why can't we just focus on everyone being equal instead of separating people by their race and skin color.
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Although the word ‘negro’ isn’t used in polite conversation and isn’t politically correct in today’s society it should certainly be included on the U.S. Census. If a significant measure of people consider themselves to be negros, then it’d be a failure not to include it. I’m not going to lie—I am a bit surprised that so many people would consider themselves negro, an even handwrite the choice in although it was already included in the form. It’s obviously most likely that these are older black Americans that lived during the time when this term was politically correct, but those people are significant in terms of the census. Although I have a feeling that the census lacks representation for so many other niche groups or whatever—so is it really significant to include ‘negro’? I’m sure there are other names for other groups similar to the word negro that are not included on the census, so it would be interesting to see if there is further reasoning behind including this choice on the form. These are just names that fade away I believe. The only choice I have is ‘white.’ Not western European decent, English, Irish, or anything. Essentially I am the same in the eyes of the census as a white skinned person from Russian heritage. The article says the census is a very important indicator for far reaching branches of U.S. society such as corporate marketing, federal regulations, etc. If people disregard their census form or give false information because their preference is not included the information is false and can mislead. I don’t think it is racist or offensive at all to include this choice especially when the statistics from last census suggest we should maintain the choice, ‘negro’ on the form. It’s interesting that Hispanic ethnicity is a question by itself and that race and ethnicity are virtually identical everywhere except for the United States. Ann Morning’s conclusion that keeping race and ethnicity separate unintentionally could have race representing biological characteristics seems very true. It would probably be less problematic if ethnicity and race could be combined somehow as to display ancestry and origin.
Anyway, like a few other people have discussed, the census should really become irrelevant soon enough because so many people are mixed. I don’t know how much of the population is 50% or more of one single race, but it seems as though so many Americans are “multi-racial.”
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I think the fact that it is such an issue, worrying about how to phrase the race questions, and what words should be used to describe different races, says it all about America's obsession with racial classification, and the politics involved. Firstly, why should it matter exactly what race people are on the census, that is not the point of the exercise. Secondly, it is not as if the poeple preparing the census are deliberately being racist, in fact they are dedicating a ridiculous amount of resources to not appear insensitive, and most people understand this. I think the increasing fear over which words are acceptable and which words are not, serves only to increase peoples awareness of racial differences, preventing assimilation.
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I think race identification is completely stupid. So far in class all we've been talking about is how race is a social construct and it dosen't really exist. Why can't everyone in the world–including government officials–just be required to take Sam's class, and poof the problem disappears. I know its not that simple. And maybe we do need to know about race, or about the social construct we've created and its side effects in the world. I think race is something that'll forever remain in existence because its something that we believe in because we presumably see. But I think its good when people are able to identify themselves as more and more things, kind of keeping our options open. I like that idea. I think in twenty thirty years we'll be able to identify ourselves as anything we want. And I dont know if thats a bad thing.
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It's great that the US Census is opting to provide the general public with more opportunities to categorize themselves on the census as they perceive themselves, instead of forcing multi-cultural people to choose between a select few options such as White or Negro. Many people are a mix of multiply cultures and "races," even though I use the term for lack of a better term as I know race doesn't really exist. Hopefully a few of the changes go through, as the census will be more precise than ever before as it will allow its voters to describe themselves as accurately as possible, while aslo providing its public with an untimately happier experience.
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This is a tough topic. I do believe the term Negro is out dated and should not be on the Consensus questionnaire. However it is our duty to respect what peoples belief and who they are. If the consensus came back and people called themselves Negros than it should on it. In my eyes this shows that people take pride in their ethnicity and that name. I don't prefer the word personally but it is not my choice. We should always respect others and be considerate. I don't believe it is a racial term anymore that is in the past. We have risen above that by now and moved on.
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The thing I've been realizing more and more as the semester progresses is that it doesn't matter what race you are because there is no such thing as race. Race is something we decided to create to describe what we look like, not necessarily where we're from. In many cases, it gives people the wrong impression of where they're from (ex. calling all black people in America 'African-American'. This may sound ‘politically correct’ to many people, but it’s not actually correct in many cases.
I often times refer to myself as being Spanish. This is not because I have family from Spain, however. I refer to myself as Spanish because my mom was born in Honduras where they speak Spanish. So I would assume that this makes me Central American or Hispanic? I’m not sure. The fact that I’m only half Honduran, the other half is Pennsylvania Dutch (which is ‘white’ I guess) just confuses me further. I only know that my dad’s family is from England on one side and Germany and Wales on the other. Why do I have to spend time worrying about what racial name I should give myself? It doesn’t really matter to me. It doesn’t change who I am or who any of my family members are. I would rather refer to myself as nothing or a mutt. I find it really crazy how my whole life I have been surrounded by race differences, but in actuality, everybody is the same as everybody underneath their skin.
When race was first introduced, I assume it was because one group with a certain skin color decided they wanted to have power over a group with a different skin color. I’m not sure of this, but I cannot see another reason for people to begin calling themselves different because of how much sun their skin can take in.
What I find extremely crazy is the fact that if a map of different skin tones across the world is looked at it is completely clear that skin color is completely based on where a person lives.
In this article, race and ethnicity are referred to as different things. I always thought those two terms were interchangeable. The census takers should not have to know about the racial differences in the country. It doesn’t really make a difference, does it? The more time we put into separating ourselves gives us more reason to continue with issues of racial difference.
I had a strange thought while I was writing this: when we spend so much time worrying about racial differences and ethnicities in the people we encounter every day we are judging them, even if we don’t mean to. We all have stereotypes that hide in our minds, behind all the politically correct thoughts we speak, we all have racial stereotypes of some sort. The fact that we stereotype… does that make us racist? I may just be going way off topic and not making any sense, but I thought I’d put it on here.
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When I heard about this change that the Census was trying to impose, I had to admit, I never truly met anyone who identified as Negro. But then again I grew up in a totally different time and so did my parents. They are both fairly young (40 and 39) and I would not doubt that they would not be in a demographic where many of their peers identify as Negro either. Still, I think I can figure out why older black people of color would like to identify as Negro. The word had a more positive connotation than many of the other terms they could have been labeled in their lifetime. But I can not wrap my head around the differences between black and Negro because to me they are the same. Negro in Spanish means black in English. And vice versa. From what I learned from somewhere else, the term Negro grew out of the mispronunciation of the Spanish word negro. So if anything, I would think that a misunderstanding created the word and some how it found its way into our language. Label me what you want I say.
In the article it said that the Census helped marketing ploys, neighborhood planning, and many other processes. And it obviously must be working because there are many companies who are clearly making their targets in key demographics. There are neighborhoods that set up different programs and they are either a hit or miss because of the dynamic of the people living there. Of course they will not be able to target everyone, because everyone in different but to concentrate on the group as a whole is a pretty successful tool.
It kind of relates to the demonstration that we performed in class on Thursday. Our classmates individually could have come from all types of socioeconomic statuses and backgrounds in life, but just based on a skin color they would be categorized in a less powerful or more powerful and wealthy in the larger group. It's a shame but it's the society that we live in. I am not very fond of making people change the way they address people, but making them aware that the issue of race is completely arbitrary would make life a little more bearable I believe.
I personally do not really know what category I would fit into. And I do not want to force myself into one. But people can think whatever they want about me. The people who want information about me just because of the skin color I am will be very disappointed when they come to realize I am not like the average person of my "racial grouping". However, I do not plan to stop them either. There may actually be a social science behind race, but I do not know. I just think that the Census may do a good job of helping more people identify as well as creating molds for people. They are doing their jobs though. It is our culture that feeds into it.
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I feel that the term “Negro” has a negative since it was a staple negative term in the Civil Rights movement. It was also plastered all over places where on blacks could gather. Drinking fountains and diners carried the banners that told blacks where they could eat and drink. Why would we still use a word that carries such a negative connotation? I feel that by taking it off the census we would not see the proposed that the Bureau claims would arise. It is something that I find to be offensive. I would expect more people to be offended by the term “Negro”. Even though it may be just a title, I feel it carries a burden too strong to hold up over time.
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After reading this blog, I have no problem with the Census using words like Negro as a category. In my opinion, the main point of the Census is to get an understanding of how people perceive themselves. So if people want to be called Negros, then let them call themselves that. As long as there are people lobbying for certain words in the Census, those words should be added. As the blog said, the word Negro will probably find its way off the Census as the years go on since it is a word primarily used by older African Americans. People who take offense tot he word are probably younger African Americans for the most part. The younger African American population just needs to understand that times were different not too long ago, and Negro is just a term that some older African Americans identify with. As soon as the older generation passes, the term will most likely be taken off the Census and the younger generation can stop complaining.
The only way that I would have a problem with the word Negro being on the Census would be if it were white people lobbying for it to be on the ballot. Then, it could be seen as racist. What I mean is that if white people put the term Negro on the Census during the slavery era, then it could be seen as a derogatory term. Clearly, this is not the case. Therefore, I do not see a problem with this term being on the Census.
I guess as a white person, I am not as passionate about this topic as someone of color. For me, white is white. White is what I would check off on the Census. However, things clearly get more complex for black people as well as many other people, including Hispanic people. So I guess I would see this as a bigger issue if I was being directly affected by the words used on the ballot.
I completely agree with the blog in the sense that including more and more in each Census is definitely improving the system. Everyone wants to be represented, and a more detailed Census does a good job at this. The more detailed the Census is, the more accurate information it can collect. Even now, the Census isn't perfect. Diversity is increasing as more and more immigrants enter the country and for various other reasons. The Census needs to make sure they account for this growing and increasingly diverse United States population. One thing that I thought was a significant change was the fact that you can check more than one box. This just proves the growing diversity that exists in our country today. By continuing to add to the Census over time, it will become more and more accurate.
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The more involved in the race discussion I get the more confusing it seems to be. No one is just black/white/brown/Asian/Hispanic, what do those generalizations even mean? It seems to get so incredibly complicated the further people dive into their family lineage. In regards to who should decide who to call what though, I think the census should listen to those that fall under that general category. If someone is to consider himself or herself black, their opinion of whether or not to include the word Negro should be taken seriously. My opinion on the terms, since I’m white, is irrelevant.
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I am very glad that each time the United States census comes around it is getting more in depth on people’s race. In terms of the word negro I find it highly offensive. Yes politically incorrect but when you hear the word negro what do you think about. For me when I hear the word negro it takes me back to a time of slavery, a time where people of color were not granted the same rights as everyone else. This term was used for people of color as a term of oppression. This is why I feel like the word negro should not be used on the census because I personally find it extremely offensive and not a word of today’s times even though some people in this country do classify themselves as being negro. As times have changed I think its appropriate that they open up new categories for different races. Especially in the united state which almost a Mecca for many people to pursue their hopes and dreams everyone deserves a chance to be represented. Not only is it a source of pride for people but it shows equality which shows a change in our world. The census provides a historical factor of how are world is changing as more races are being represented. Also another factor of people being able to check more than one box makes it socially acceptable and does not force people to have to choose sides with one race as in the older days. Being a mixed person myself I found it very confusing about which box to check off on standard testing and they always said select more one. Now this year on the census I can truly show who I am in this unique world that we live in. Race seems to be such a major topic in this world. I understand that color does not have anything to do with who we are or even where we come from but I find it very special to note the historical factors of our ever changing world. Even though only 2.4 percent of the population checked more than one box it still believe that there are many people out there who do not acknowledge there multicultural background, it’s still holds ground for social barriers to be broken. It’s amazing how we have evolved from so many cultural differences in our non understanding world. In the 1800’s when the census first appeared you could only choose white or negro which in term meant you were a slave. In today’s world where people are fighting for the representation for their ethnicity and now sexual orientation this an amazing change in the society of our culture to know how many types of people and origins we have in our world.
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We spoke about the subject of racial classification in our section this week. Erret25 brings up a very valid point that we discussed. We are trying to make race an irrelevant fact; however, we are still constantly using race to classify who we are as people. We identify our race on scholarship applications as well as applications for schools. Most schools and work places are even forced to fill a quota with a specific amount of people with a different racial background. So back to the original prompt, if we are humans and people of the United States, why should race matter? The reason it finds it’s way into our everyday lives is because we keep making it a large part of our lives.
I feel that most of the changes they are making to the census will be enlightening. I find it very interesting that Negro is still a category used on the form. If I were to call one of my peers a “Negro,” I would feel as if I was insulting them. But at the same time, an older black man might find it offensive if I called him anything else. This really brings the affect that “social norms” has on our life into account. It also makes me wonder, how much longer it will be used in the Census? And what causes a racial name to fade away? Will we still be calling African Americans “African Americans” in the future, or will that change too?
Along with Negro, African American and Black are also included on the census. I don’t understand why there needs to be three categories describing the same race. I understand that African American means one can trace their heritage back to slavery, but what’s the difference between Black and Negro? It’s confusing. In my mind, this is a negative aspect of the census. There are many positives about the new changes.
I do think allowing respondents to check more than one box is also very important. Imagine if you were a child and told to check your race, but you had one white parent and one black parent. Imagine the inner struggle and confusion one would encounter. I’m glad that the census isn’t forcing them to choose, as well as the children of a Hispanic and non-Hispanic parent.
The census also got me thinking about the future. What does the future hold for the race of the United States? I predict that in the future most people will no longer be just “white.” Many people in the world will be mixed. Now it is more socially acceptable for an interracial marriage, and I believe in the future we will be seeing more of this type of relationship. I can't wait to see what the future has to hold.
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I think it is very interesting how the census is influenced by the population and the population seems to follow the census. That indicates that no one really has a clue about race relations including me because we all just follow whatever seems to be widely accepted. It was also interesting to see the progression that the census has gone through in the years that it has been operational.
I think the best solution might be to just not provide any categories at all and to make you have to write in your ethnicity. Admittedly this would be more work for census workers, but I think it would be a step in the direction of equality, minor as it may be. I also liked the articles insight that most countries that do not have slavery backgrounds have only ethnicity and not ethnicity and race. I agree with the author that merely making these 2 separate categories seems to imply that there is some difference between the 2 words. I think the difference only exists as long as there are people who perceive there to be a difference in “races”. But I think until there are very, very few of these people we are dealing with a system which does little to stifle racism.
Getting back to the Census, I guess I still do not entirely understand why we cannot begin to phase out the ethnicity question altogether. I remember Sam said something in class related to the distribution of information to all citizens and it was cheaper to do if they knew they needed say %15 percent of the papers to be in another language, but I think this should be phased out altogether. Frankly, I do not know enough about the reasons to even know if that is plausible but I think from a strictly race relations standpoint, that would be one of the best things to happen.
That led me to think about when Sam was talking in class about the people from different ethnicities at the race table. He said that sometimes/ most of the time you see the white people take a step back and wait and see where the situation is going to go. I know that I would do that exact same thing in that situation, but it would not be because I didn’t want to say anything politically incorrect, it would be because I would be thoroughly confused why I was even at the table in the first place. I would not think that there was anything for me to say, because I think for the most part I do not think about skin color when I am living my life. It’s weird that not talking to each other about race brings about little change but at the same time the ultimate goal is for people to never even have to talk about race. So in order to correct the inequalities we have to talk about something that mainly racist people think about.
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Negro is simply just a word, it’s meaningless. The only reason some people in some countries referee to themselves as Negros is because it means something completely different to them, no one would call themselves a bad word or insult themselves. Just try to explain your definition of Negro to those who call themselves that and see what happens, they will most likely have a completely different reaction. It is all about what those words mean to us, I can call a white guy a nigger and it would mean absolutely nothing to him because he cannot associate himself with the insult.
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Surprisingly I found this article very interesting. When I first started to read the article I had no idea that Negro was even an available option to fill in for your race on the census. I was more shocked than angered to see this term on the census; I would have never expected such a controversial term to be used on such an important and widespread document. The term does not negatively affect me personally but I can definitely see it being offensive to other people. I do not understand what the committee was thinking when they put this on the Census, it obviously was not just one person it had to be a group and I cannot fathom what was going on in their minds. Just because almost sixty thousand individuals filled in this bubble for their race does not give them the right to use the term Negro. I understand completely that there goal is trying to get the most accurate number of individuals in the United States, so where does race come into play? If the only goal of a census is to find the accurate number of individuals living in a certain country why involve race at all. I feel that by adding these different racial groups for the survey takers to fill out they have a hidden agenda. If they want to know the racial or background information for these individuals they should let this be known and not try to hide it. Also using derogatory words such as Negro is not going to help. Another point that I came across while reading this article is I feel that more of the younger generation of African Americans would have a problem with this term than the older generations. I cannot speak for any African Americans but I know for a fact that the African Americans who I am friends with would never consider their race to be called Negro and never call themselves a Negro. In today’s society Negro is not a well accepted term and is almost looked down upon. I feel that there are many more pertinent steps that could have been taken to advance the census then adding a special category for Negro. I am not really bashing the Census Agency because from the tone of the article it seems that they are trying to do the right thing and are trying to be politically correct, I hope this is truly the case.
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There are so many ways people classify themselves as today, that it what makes it difficult to put everyone of them on the census. They should put all the different ways people classify themselves and then a place for other and then they could use that for their census count. The census doesn’t seem to be as accurate as it should be. College students like us I feel that sometimes we may not get counted especially if there are specific questions like how long do you live at that household if it’s less than 6 months they may not want to count you in. I feel that it would take a lot of work to count every person and race in.
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This article was interesting to read because it showed how America has changed from African Americans and blacks not even being counted as people to now the census is making categories for blacks to check so that they can distinguish which type they are. In some ways it is nice to see that things are changing for the better but its sad that there still are so many older blacks that categorize themselves as "Negro". I would assume that they are probably southern blacks that distinguish themselves this way. I mean if the census wants to add these categories then they should but they should take into consideration that there will be plenty blacks that will be offended by this action.
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If a Black/African American/Colored person/etc. wants to be called a Negro, so be it. I don’t care especially as a white person. If somebody else wants to make a big deal than let them do that. It’s a waste of my time to try and change how people talk about another race. Let Negros call themselves Negros because it’s what they are. Plain and simple. It’s never going to get changed because from the beginning of my life I have known people of the darker race as blacks, African Americans, colored people, negros and more. Until I die that’s how its going to be.
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This topic is pretty interesting. In my life I have never heard anyone refer to himself, herself or someone else as a “Negro.” Maybe that is because I live in a predominantly white suburb, but that definitely does not mean I was not exposed to other races. It is just the fact that this term is falling out of style, but I do not really understand the hype over the boxes on the census. In my opinion, if you have people who are still checking off that box to identify their race, then keep the box! Those who find it offensive do not have to check it, because those who ARE checking it obviously identify themselves with that particular term, so why take it away?
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I don’t feel that it should be an issue to keep the word negro on the census forms. If people choose to classify themselves as such a group then that is their right and we shouldn’t judge. Also, if someone who is black has any sort of problem with the word they do not have to classify themselves in that category so it really shouldn’t turn out to be a problem with anyone who is involved with taking the census. Also, I feel that most people who make an issue about the word are those of us who are trying to avoid any stereotypes or racial slurs.
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This is one of those cases where everyone just needs to calm down and look at the big picture. I am all for standing up in what you believe in and being passionate about a worthy cause. I have respect for those who fight for that they believe is right. I say, good for them However, is the wording on a survey really worth all this time and energy? I find that hard to believe. Quit being so sensitive. The reason the word Negro is being used is because that is how a large number of people identified themselves. These people specifically chose to be identified as Negro rather than Black of African American. This is not a case of white people guess what the minorities want or assuming they know what is best for them; they are taking cues from the Negroes themselves. May I also point out that the word Negro is alongside Black and African American, not instead of it.
It kind of seems silly to get all worked up about this. Especially when the really bad "n-word" is used very loosely these days. Most people find that much more offensive, with good reason, than Negro. Blacks (or African Americans…or Negros) are not treated with equality. (Yet!) There are so many bigger issues out there than the wording on a survey. If people put their time and energy towards something that really means something imagine what they could achieve! But, maybe that's why they are so worked up in the first place. Maybe they feel like they can't catch a break on anything, even the census. And it is easier to eliminate a word from a survey to eliminate hate. They may have just found something they can control.
On another subject, it is about time that the Census is allowing people to check more than one race. Say a man's mother is Mexican and his father is Black. Which box would he check? If he choses the Mexican box for instance, the census would not recognize him as being Black at all. Let's ignore that people find this unfair to chose one race over another, or thinking he is denying his identity, or ashamed to be Black, or whatever else people can come up with. Let's not read into this (for once!). It simply is not accurate. The man is not Mexican. He is Mexican and Black. He equally represents both races, or perhaps a different Black Mexican race. The government and other agencies use the information provided by the sense for all sorts of things. It is extremely important that it is an accurate representation of our country. Ignoring half of a biracial person's race is misleading.
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Additional blog # 2
The word Negro has been the uproar of history for African Americans and Blacks for many years. Anywhere one goes, I’m pretty sure that you will hear and older African American say the word Negro. Sometimes people take offense to it and then sometimes they won’t. However, when we as African Americans or Blacks see it on a piece of paper that is when we get angry.
The time to get angry about the word itself is when we as African Americans or Blacks use the word ourselves. We cannot fully blame the government for something that we continuously do ourselves. I know that the data suggests, that mainly only older people of African American and Black race use it, but that does not matter. Using the word gives ground for the government to use as a way to describe us. Also, since we see it on the census, if people stop agreeing with the term, then I am pretty sure the government will stop using it. However the usage of the word will only stop being a burden if we as African Americans and Blacks stop giving other people as well as ourselves the right to the word.
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We’ve come to a point in society where everything has to be politically correct all the time and if it should happen to skew from that, there is automatically someone to blame. That person is deemed as insensitive and out of touch with the modern world.
We say that we embrace diversity but really we try to stay away from it as much as possible. You will never see people acknowledging different races at the workplace or in any setting whatsoever. It is seen as taboo and insensitive. ‘Embracing diversity’ is just a term we all adopted to make ourselves feel better about how we live our lives when in reality, it is more likely a step backward than forward.
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The beginning of this article really sparked my interest. The article mentioned how keeping the word "negro" really does reflect how the definition of race is constantly evolving, and how it is still portrayed in society today. It then said in parentheses to look at the best pictures of 2009. While I was looking at them, I really started to realize how much the media had always played a big role in how we view other cultures. I was just in a class yesterday where we were talking about "orientalism" and how the art of the time really reflected on what the rest of the world thought of the Orient. For example, if you look at the 18th century paintings at the time, paintings entitles "Oriental Women" portray women who clearly could not come from anywhere but Europe. They are white, no question about it. It was because of these artists and writers of the time that Europeans viewed “the Orient” in this way, but how could they know any better? Today, we are lucky enough to have the tools to make some of these conclusions ourselves. For example, we can buy an airplane ticket and travel to the places that make up “the Orient” (China, the Middle East, the Far East, ect.) and decide for ourselves what the differences and similarities are… but many people still choose to let other people do the work for them. In the TIMES 2009 pictures, you can tell they made an effort to show all parts of the world. We see the oppression of the people in Darfur, Sudan, the political strife in Iran, and of course the inauguration of our first black President. I think that all of this diversity is wonderful, but it makes me think. These pictures could very well be the only photos that people see about a certain country or culture. Does that mean that every time that country is mentioned, this one picture will be the only image that will pop into their heads? If so, will people form biased conclusions when talking about that culture based on these pictures? I do not really know where I am going with this, except for the fact that I am not sure if this a good thing or a bad thing. I don't know… but it really shows that no matter how much we may be culturally "evolving" the way people judge unconsciously is never going to change.
With regards to the Census issue, I agree with the people who think that it should be kept on there. If there are 56,000 people who would like to refer to themselves as "Negro," then so be it. That is what the Census is for; to get an idea of the American population and how they live. Maybe eventually this option will filter out of the Census, maybe not. But if it will help the Census Bureau for the time being, then they might as well use it.
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After reading meleevans25's comments, I wanted to add to this discussion an important aspect that he brought up. He asked the question “why do we make such a big deal over race anyway?” This is a fantastic point because while race may be what defines each of us in it’s own way, it is also what is separating us as a culture. It shouldn’t matter that the number of African Americans with three children are higher or lower than white people, it should just say that the number of people with three children is, “blank.” But it’s not like that and we continue to raise disputes about superiority or racism because as individuals we classify ourselves as different to start, and lets face it, it’s human nature to be better than the guy next to you, so why not say our race is better than yours too.
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Throughout the years our culture has changed tremendously. However, the one thing in our culture that hasn’t changed is how we as people look at race. There are some of us who would say that some races are better than the other. On the other hand, there people who would strongly disagree and say that all races are completely equal. Last, but certainly not least, there are those who believe that there is has been one group of people since the beginning of time that has dominated everything—white people.
History dictates that not only have white people been the dominate group within our culture, they have been determining the pieces that will make up our culture as well. White people first imposed their imperialistic ways centuries ago with the Native Americans. They set sailed here, befriended the Native Americans, and then stole their land right from under their noses. The White people then placed the Native Americans on reservations to live and so called “be happy”. Next, White people began taking Africans away from their homeland and placing them into slavery. Then White people began taking other races enslaving, beating, transforming, and humiliating them into something that they were not. Now I find it amazing that some of these races had and have no problem with conforming to the culture that they have been given. But, my question is…when we decide to conform with the culture that White people have set, are we really being saved or misled?
The one person who seems to think they we as a people may have been misled all these years is David Brooks. He feels as though the White man or White people in general try to be a saving factor in the rest of our lives. He calls them “White Messiah”. Brooks came to this amazing conclusion after watching the movie “Avatar”. From the movie, he says that he saw how White people are always trying to save us or at least that is white they think. But what are they saving us from? Who said that any of us needed saving? Do they think that they saving us from ourselves? Are they trying to save us other races from the happiness of each of our cultures? Or could it be that White people are scared of being dominated themselves? Maybe they do not want to experience anything different.
Taking people away from their cultures and customs is not what I call saving people. Trying to get people to conform to what they want them to be is not what I call saving people at all. However, last I checked, it was not their choice to step in and save those who don’t need to be saved. Last time I checked, America was built off this so called melting pot of different cultures. But we must not put all of the blame on White people. People will only do you to as you will let them do to you! Last time I checked, it was the job of all people to save themselves, stand up for themselves, make choices for themselves, and most importantly, it is time to be ourselves!
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Including the term Negro on the American Census is not a smart idea in my personal opinion. Regardless if a person of color refers to themselves as a “negro”, I’m sure they do not want someone from another race calling them that. Yes, 56,000 people said they would rather be called Negro, but in my opinion, I believe that they were speaking amongst their self and own race. If a Caucasian person was to call a person of color a Negro, I sure there would be some type of emotions that many people may express. When it comes to Caucasians referring to them as Negros, it often brings back thoughts of historical events such as slavery, that many so called ‘African-Americans’ ancestral history traces back to. Many may try to argue that the Census Bureau is trying to be respectful of peoples preference when it comes to race, but they may not acknowledged that many people may be highly offended as well.
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I think it is critical that the Census Bureau take the necessary actions to accurately measure the correct racial, ethnic, and socio-economic demographics of an ever-changing U.S. population. The trick here, if you will, is for the Census Bureau to find the ideal balance between being perceived as politically correct but still maintaining language that allows the most number of Americans to correctly identify their racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.
This leads to the minor controversy surrounding the use of the word “negro” in the surveys that the Census Bureau will be distributing this year. Personally, I have not heard the word often throughout the course of my life and have for the most part, regarded its use as politically incorrect. However, this word has not come to be regarded as a “taboo” in modern American society and is still somewhat prevalent as compared to some other references that were previously used for people of African-American origin. Its use, however, in the upcoming Census illustrates the necessity for understanding one’s audience, in this case, the mostly elderly black Americans that have lived through extraordinary milestones during their lifetimes.
The justification for its use is quite clear. Over 56,000 Americans filled in the word “negro” in identifying their racial backgrounds in the 2000 Census even though it was included as part of the option “Negro or Black.” This fact most definitely suggests that, at the very least, those respondents had very strong and particular feelings toward the use of that term.
More important than the specific application of the word negro in helping people of African-American origins to identify themselves, are the broader changes that are being evaluated for their effectiveness in procuring more accurate data. One of these significant proposed modifications is the combination of queries regarding Hispanic origin and race into one single question. However, not only will these modifications help in collecting better data, it will also help shape how Americans perceive race and ethnicity just as the Census Bureau has been influenced by the changing dynamics and racial understandings of our modern society.
Although the Census Bureau has dedicated quite a lot of effort, they still undoubtedly have one of the most difficult statistical collection procedures in the world. This is mainly true simply due to the nature of America. We are the most diverse country in the world, and part of the reason we are a global economic and political powerhouse. However, with such a wide range of possibilities of race, not to mention the prevalence of mixed races, this is a daunting task for the Census Bureau. For example, in America, and on the Census forms, race and ethnicity are separate queries. This is not the case in most other countries in the world where most often race is the only differing factor.
I have hope and confidence that with these new measures, and the effectiveness of the new administration, the Census Bureau will be able to take a more accurate measure of the U.S. population and will continue to shift the way Americans perceive race just as the public has influenced the Bureau in how it should look at race and ethnic identification.
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After being in this course, I never realized the ‘different’ meanings to the terms: black, African American and Negro. I consider myself to be African American because at a young age, that is what I was informed as being politically correct. I must say that my opinion are my own, but after reading some peoples responses, it boggles me that some people have the nerve to say ‘why do people get offended to black, African American and negro? ‘. It just seems to intrigue me because if a Caucasian person saw, white, Caucasian and wasichu, I’m sure someone would be highly offended. After having a conversation with a few young African Americans, the term Negro is the same as Nigger. In the south, it is assumed that it all means the same. In ‘white’ terms, the word wasichu means white people. I’m sure if Caucasians were called that in person, by a person of Native American decent, they would take offense as well.
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Personally, I believe that whatever the Census Bureau refers to people, it will be a lose, lose situation. I know that there is a importance to social society when it comes to races and their specific demographics, but all the references may not be considered politically correct in one’s eyes. Some ‘African Americans’ may see the term Negro as a offensive term, but then to my surprise, there are those who would rather be called Negro than anything else. It may be all a joke. It may be that many people feel the need to be smart and sarcastic, especially in regards to the Census Bureau, because they may feel like that is the term they will use for people of color regardless of their preference.
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I think it is critical that the Census Bureau take the necessary actions to accurately measure the correct racial, ethnic, and socio-economic demographics of an ever-changing U.S. population. The trick here, if you will, is for the Census Bureau to find the ideal balance between being perceived as politically correct but still maintaining language that allows the most number of Americans to correctly identify their racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.
This leads to the minor controversy surrounding the use of the word “negro” in the surveys that the Census Bureau will be distributing this year. Personally, I have not heard the word often throughout the course of my life and have for the most part, regarded its use as politically incorrect. However, this word has not come to be regarded as a “taboo” in modern American society and is still somewhat prevalent as compared to some other references that were previously used for people of African-American origin. Its use, however, in the upcoming Census illustrates the necessity for understanding one’s audience, in this case, the mostly elderly black Americans that have lived through extraordinary milestones during their lifetimes.
The justification for its use is quite clear. Over 56,000 Americans filled in the word “negro” in identifying their racial backgrounds in the 2000 Census even though it was included as part of the option “Negro or Black.” This fact most definitely suggests that, at the very least, those respondents had very strong and particular feelings toward the use of that term.
More important than the specific application of the word negro in helping people of African-American origins to identify themselves, are the broader changes that are being evaluated for their effectiveness in procuring more accurate data. One of these significant proposed modifications is the combination of queries regarding Hispanic origin and race into one single question. However, not only will these modifications help in collecting better data, it will also help shape how Americans perceive race and ethnicity just as the Census Bureau has been influenced by the changing dynamics and racial understandings of our modern society.
Although the Census Bureau has dedicated quite a lot of effort, they still undoubtedly have one of the most difficult statistical collection procedures in the world. This is mainly true simply due to the nature of America. We are the most diverse country in the world, and part of the reason we are a global economic and political powerhouse. However, with such a wide range of possibilities of race, not to mention the prevalence of mixed races, this is a daunting task for the Census Bureau. For example, in America, and on the Census forms, race and ethnicity are separate queries. This is not the case in most other countries in the world where most often race is the only differing factor.
However, I have hope and confidence that with these new measures, and the effectiveness of the new administration, the Census Bureau will be able to take a more accurate measure of the U.S. population and will continue to shift the way Americans perceive race just as the public has influenced the Bureau in how it should look at race and ethnic identification.
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I personally don’t really care about “negro” being on the census. I’m not trying to be disrespectful to anybody but does it really offend or bother that many people? Before taking this class I have never really thought about the term “negro” being on the census. I mean, it’s a term that was used for many years and African Americans who used it are still around today. I’m seriously not trying to get people angry but I’m just wondering. People should be able to be referred to as whatever they want and if people still refer to themselves as Negroes, I think that those people should have that right. I’ve looked at some of these comments and people are talking about how this is racism. But I don’t see how that can be when there are still people marking that as their race without any second thoughts. Even more comments are saying that ultimately race doesn’t matter which it clearly does in our society right now. The first thing you notice about a person is the color of their skin. Professor Richards even said that in class the other day. Race is always going to be a huge factor whether we want it to be or not. That is why the census chooses to separate races. I understand that in the future it will eventually be taken off the census and that’s fine by me, seeing as the people that mostly refer to themselves as Negroes are mostly of an older generation. But if there is such a problem with people writing that in as their race, I feel like it would just be smarter to keep it on the census until the term dies off or at least until people begin using it less. On another note, however, I think the idea for people who check “black” or “white” to expand on that is a good idea. That way, you don’t get such a basic idea of who everyone is based solely on their color, but you can actually find out where these people are from. Even so, however, although I think it’s a cool idea to do this, does it really matter? If the purpose of the U.S. Census is just to get a number on how many people reside in the United States who cares where you are from. Who cares what color you are for that matter? I guess what I’m trying to say is that I feel “negro” being on the census isn’t a bad thing, but what’s the point in having to choose a race anyways? As I said before, in this country race still does matter, but for the sole purpose of counting the population of the United States, is it really that necessary to find out what race a person is?
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As a whole I think that there is too much emphasis on race and ethnic makeup. I understand that It will never be a nonissue well at least not in my lifetime. I understand why the government wants that data, as it said in the article for things like loans and home owners. As far as the terminology goes no matter what term is used there will always be someone that is offended or if you head to the other extreme of political correctness people are going to feel left out and one way or another there will always be a measure of some error. I don’t think that there can or will be any perfect answer for this problem but with any luck sometime in the future there will be a solution to this.
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Alright clearly the times are changing, and people are taking into consideration that people do not like being called specific things. This is why the U.S. Census bureau are doing these things to figure stuff out for the nation. BUT clearly our nation has so much crap going on that it cannot make a simple decision on what is politically correct or whats not. I feel like this is the same for every other nation not just the U.S. Everyone makes such a huge deal on categorizing and making retarded findings that they completely miss the big picture of what they are doing. I agree that every race needs to be classified do not get me wrong, but really people do we have to constantly politically correct people for it.
Alright so lets talk about taking Negro out of this stuff. Well to be politically correct or whatever that means, because clearly we can not make a decision on this matter. I would say by taking this out we would piss off a lot of the that personal nationality and would ultimately cause a wonder issue in the world of race. I find this to be annoying and very aggravating. and to be honest i cannot believe i have to sit here and type about it. Personally, life would be easier if we were just a little bit more organized. Taking every body, and asking where they are from…to get an idea of where their ancestry are from and then we can go ahead and classify them according to the governments standards. Seriously people just need to be a little bit more open minded.
Seriously if i was more power i would not waste my time adding or removing all these names. I would classify them accordingly and if they do not agree with it, well then that's just too bad. and to be honest 2.4% of the world is checking more than two? that's crap. If the U.S census bureau wants to get it right then they need to put there foot down and start telling people what they will be known as since there was no one nationality for the United States. seriously i would be glad to say i am a United Statesian, as our professor put it, when it comes to Race, I would say whatever was closest to my nationality. Make up your minds my friends and everyone will be happy.
I hope you all will get a little insight to my thinking. Hopefully not offensive if you read some of the other blogs. A lot of them have some what of a nice way of putting it that they feel it is necessary, i feel completely different, and feel it is not necessary and that the government should not waste there time with petty stuff like this.
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While I do feel that the term “negro” is extremely outdated, I understand why it has not been removed from the census. Some people are perfectly content using the word to describe their race, so why remove it from the form. The way I look at it is that the race that you choose on the census is up to you. If you are not content with any of the choices given, write in whatever makes you feel content. I don’t think it is necessary for people to read into it too much. I do understand that for some the term has a very negative connotation. However, being referred to as black is offensive to others. It is simply not possible to please everyone who touches the census.
The article also makes the point that the majority of people who still refer to themselves as “Negros” re older individual. This makes sense because during their lifetime being called black was offensive. The image of public bathrooms with the words “whites only” or blacks only” pained on the wall comes to mind. Maybe for reasons like this some of those older individuals may prefer being called a negro over being identified as black. Also, many of theses people have made it through the civil rights movement and have seen the changes that have occurred because of strong people of their skin color. So maybe it is a pride thing that some individuals prefer this term as opposed to others. Either way, I feel the article is correct in saying that eventually the word phase out with that generation of individuals or shortly after.
I think the idea of having “white” and black” options and allowing individuals to further explain their background is a great option. It allows individuals who would like to further explain the chance to. I feel it is a good thing for people to be proud of their background. Many people jump at the chance to explain their heritage. This option allows for a general count as having a more in depth perspective of the people that make up the United States. In addition to allowing explanation for the white or black option, other races should have the option as well. I think it would be beneficial for people of Hispanic or Asian backgrounds.
I do feel that the census is an important document. I also feel that it is a document whose success is in the hands of the people who decide to fill it out. Not everyone fills the census out with truthful information. With that being said the results need to be taken with a grain of salt.
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The Census Bureau is arguably one of the most objective agencies in our country today. Therefore, the inclusion of the word “Negro” on the survey is not indicative of a dated survey or a racist government, but rather evident of an organization attempting to give a voice to everyone. For a significant portion of its history, the Census Bureau has shown respect and consideration toward all people. This is evident through the addition of new choices as well as the option to choose more than one.
A census is specifically defined as “an official enumeration of the population”. This means that the basic goal of the census is to catalog every single citizen in a nation. By this basic definition, the census should include words like “Negro”, especially if a significant number of people refer to themselves as such. Though the term may be old fashioned, it will likely phase out over time. This happened with other terms such as “mulatto” and “quadroon”. Perhaps the 2020 census will include the category of “Nigga” or “Guido”, since these terms are often used in specific niches of their respective communities.
All jokes aside, this is the problem with labeling people by race. There is no single specific way to define who or what a person is. A label that might be considered polite by some could be offensive to others. As America struggles to remove race from the big picture and bring all its citizens together, maybe so should the Census Bureau. For the sake of data collection and gaining a view of the population, perhaps it might be more beneficial to categorize people by cultural background. These categories might be labeled “Christian background”, “Islamic background”, “Cuban background”, “American background”, etc. Though these categories seem vague at first glance, the option to choose multiple components to describe people ultimately paints a better picture of who they actually are and where they come from. The downside to this particular labeling system is determining what the actual components should be. If every country, religion, or culture were to be included this would cause the census to be arduous and intimidating to many citizens.
Personally, I believe that the Census should take a more active role in diminishing the dividing lines of race and ethnicity. The linguistic relativity principle roughly states that people view their world as a product of the definitions and words that they have learned throughout life. If the Census and government were to gradually remove race from surveys and paperwork, perhaps people would no longer define their world with color lines. If there were no more blacks, whites, Asians, or American Indians then “race” would have no definition, and without meaning, something doesn’t exist. People would not see different races, just other people. If you think this is impossible, think it over. After all, race is only a word and sometimes words disappear over time.
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I thought this article about the terminology used in the U.S. Census questionnaire was very interesting and insightful. It was interesting to hear about the history of the use of the word “negro” in the census. I did not realize that something as modern as an updated government questionnaire would use vocabulary that I previously thought was considered very outdated. Being a white person myself, I have never had a very good understanding of the connotations that go with the word and whether or not black people consider it to be acceptable or offensive. Therefore, it has been a word that I have avoided because I felt it could be construed as a racist term. I was surprised to learn that a decent chunk of the black population in our country still viewed itself as “negro”. My view on the word is that it is usually associated with the times of slavery, and that most black people would not like to be referred to in terms that slave masters often used in such a derogatory way. However, I guess it is understandable that some older black citizens are able to identify with the term since its connotations were not purely negative in the mid 1900s prior to the post-Civil Rights era. Although I am certainly not the one to determine whether or not the word is acceptable for use in the current times, I believe that the word should remain on the census as long as there are people out there who truly identify themselves through it.
Having said that, I truly believe that we have reached a point in our existence as a nation that we no longer need to be accounting for the race of each individual in our country. Frankly, I think this means of “racial research” does not deter from racial stereotyping/profiling, but actually promotes it. Is there really any need to statistically calculate all the different races present in our country and the percentage of the total population that accounts for each race? The whole idea of concrete distinctions between races and affirmative action only highlight the differences between us instead of the similarities we share. In my mind, America isn’t really living up to its title of the “cultural melting pot” of the world with such a strong focus being placed on race by its government. As discussed in the article, America is among the mere fifteen percent of countries with reporting censuses that use the term “race” in regard to one’s heritage. Race really is such an imaginary concept. If our nation wants to stay aware of people’s national origins in order to determine where we get our greatest influx of immigrants from, that is understandable. However, the time has come to remove race from the census. If we emphasize it less in the census, hopefully this will carry over into everyday life and the issue of race will become less prevalent in our country.
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As sam talked in class people of old age still consider their race to be “negro” I personally don’t see a problem with this terminology, provide more information about what the population looks like is the main idea for the census. As long as people will identify with this term I see no problem with keeping the term. In my opinion the census it self deals with many obstacles when it come to checking a box for your race because people will always identify their self to more then one and there is no way to have a race that everyone will identify with. People will never be happy and they always have something to complain about, or at least that’s how it appears to me in this case.
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