Comments on: About the race questions on that census form

By: how will you answer the “race” question on the u.s. census? « dreaming iris

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:56:36 +0000

[...] person I found online arguing that you shouldn’t fill out your race on the census, or fill it out with [...]

By: Will you enter your race on the U.S. census?

Will you enter your race on the U.S. census? — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:51:51 +0000

[...] person I found online arguing that you shouldn’t fill out your race on the census, or fill it out with [...]

By: Earl

Earl — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:10:07 +0000

I check “Other” and write in “Human” whenever asked this question on a form of any kind. I did it in the last census, too.

I wrote Krikorian to that effect, and he said it would be taken as “cutesy” (like “100-yard dash”, or one presumes “Nascar”) which hardly convinced me not to do it. There is something a bit “creepy” to me about identifying myself as of the “American race” – isn’t that kind of a non-sequitur?

But then I read his next post on The Corner, in which it turns out that “Human” isn’t counted, just ignored, while “American” *IS* counted – so my protest will actually do some good.

I immediately forwarded a copy of the Corner Post (you could use this Bookworm post) to every single person in my e-mail file and URGED them to check “Other” and write in “American”. Let them know we aren’t going to take it anymore!!

P.S. Then, all you Californians — get hold of that petition to insist on picture ID at the polls, sign it, fill out the “circulator” section, and send it in!

P.P.S. Then call your Congress-critter and tell it that a vote for Obamacare means you’re working for any opponent that shows up to run against him/her.

We’ve got to get busy or we’re going to get run over and plowed under! It’s getting very late in the game and NO ONE can afford to sit on the bench! I signed up for the local Tea Party, and I wrote my Congressman today. Let’s roll…..!

By: Classfactotum

Classfactotum — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:17:07 +0000

I answered “human” on the census survey they sent out last fall and the census people called me to get a better answer. I told them I was refusing to answer the question.

I tried to put “human” on my marriage license application but the clerk refused to accept it.

I don’t know why my race is anybody’s business.

By: benning

benning — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:51:40 +0000

During the 1980 Census, when I lived in CA, I used the ‘Other’ option and wrote in, “Teutonic-Celt”, since my ethnic background is German/Irish/ English, etc. My own early protest, as it were. A few weeks after sending in the Census report I was visited by two – count ‘em! Two! – census workers to have me sign my Census sheet.

I knew damn well I had signed it, and why would it take two men to ask me to sign it? So I knew they’d been ordered to see what ‘race’ I was and that my details would be added from that. It was a coercive thing then, and the same will probably happen this time, too.

But ‘American’ is good for me! That’s what I’ll use!

By: SADIE

SADIE — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:40:05 +0000

Well…in that case, I’d go with NASCAR or Indy 500 – they’re races or maybe since you have a French family name, you could go with Grand Prix and call it bi-racial (strike) bi-racing : )

By: Mike Devx

Mike Devx — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:23:47 +0000

Sadie asked,
> Why not just answer …HUMAN?

I thought of that too, and people do answer that way.

In the end, I decided that answering “Human” does not deliver a protest message about all the race-based questions (among others that don’t belong on a census form). Answering “human” is perfectly fine, don’t get me wrong! It just seemed too nice and potentially “one-world internationalisty” to me. To be misconstrued into: By answering “human race”, I indicate that I want no more government borders, no countries, I love the U.N, I want the U.N., I don’t like countries or borders. (Dang liberals own the one-world theme…)

Which leads me to: Answering “American” has the additional benefit of expressing patriotism for this our beloved country. When someone knows you’ve written “American race”, it removes all doubt; they know you love this country.

So I decided based on those reasons that “American race” was the better, clearer answer for what I want to express.

By: SADIE

SADIE — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:27 +0000

That’s $48 per person counted, compared with $16 in 2000 (about $20 adjusted for inflation) and about a penny in 1790 (or 24 cents after 220 years of inflation).
http://www.kansas.com/2010/03/07/1213559/cost-of-2010-census-attracting.html

I could not find a breakdown of the waste of $ for each level of incompetence.

By: rockdalian

rockdalian — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:43:51 +0000

Privileged being that I am, I received the pre notice of my census questionnaire in today’s mail. I immediately deposited said notice in the trash can as I walked past it.
I have been having an internal debate as to how to answer these questions. I will follow the advice.
I wonder what the total expense is in mailing the notices that the census is coming. Paul Revere did it cheaper.
It’s only taxpayer money, no big deal.

By: SADIE

SADIE — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:09:05 +0000

Why not just answer …HUMAN?