Comments on: Civil Disobedience and Race Questions on the Census Form

By: ktmaginn

ktmaginn — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:20:40 +0000

I completed 2 questions on my form: 1) how many folks reside in my home, 2) race = ‘other’ AMERICAN. Come to my home, knock on my door.

By: Dr. Feelgood

Dr. Feelgood — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:23:00 +0000

Interestingly, the Census website says, “Responses in the write-in spaces on the race question are converted to the appropriate checkboxes during data processing.” I wonder which is the appropriate checkbox for ‘American.’ Is some Census worker going to decide whether I meant ‘white’ or ‘Japanese’ and by what method? Should I expect a household visit? Is the federal government going to tell me that my race is other than that with which I’ve self-identified?

Inquiring minds want to know.

By: Bill Harris

Bill Harris — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 02:34:48 +0000

I simply refuse to answer racial questions as an act of civil disobedience. In 2002-3, Arab-Americans had their “private” and “confidential” census data handed over to Homeland Security. Also, I don’t believe America’s message of equality is best served by providing information to help polarize our society.

No matter -what- your race, it can be used by the government one day for nearly anything.

Bill Harris

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:31:23 +0000

trekker,

The government, which is run primarily by left-wing bureacrats, uses that information to reconfigure congressional districts to further diversity.

Not everyone thinks that’s a constititutional use of government resources.

By: trekker

trekker — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 20:48:46 +0000

“Why does the Census need to know about race?” Absolutely nothing. For those who care READ Article I, Section 2 of that pesky document. Count me. That is it. Any other question is unconstitutional and I will not answer.

By: Peter

Peter — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 14:23:41 +0000

Rick, If American isn't a race how can African American be a race? Just by adding a continent, huh? I did use Rosa Parks because she was black. Most of the best examples of civil disobedience in this country have involved black people.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 22:46:19 +0000

This is absurd. The race question is nothing new, and, by the way, “American” isn’t a race.

And you clearly used the Rosa Parks example because Rosa Parks was black. You can’t say something and then say you’re not saying it.

By: Keith T

Keith T — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:43:42 +0000

I would like to know why there isn’t a classification for CAUCASIAN AMERICAN??? Why should there be a difference. If you’re AMERICAN then damned well be proud of it and don’t blur it race!

By: Mara

Mara — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:02:19 +0000

Recently, I found the 2010 Census form hanging on my door. As I began filling it out, I came across a dilemma. The U.S. government wants to know if my children are adopted or not and it wants to know what our races are. Being adopted myself, I had to put “Other” and “Don’t Know Adopted” for my race and “Other” and “Don’t Know” for my kids’ races.

Can you imagine not knowing your ethnicity, your race? Now imagine walking into a vital records office and asking the clerk for your original birth certificate only to be told “No, you can’t have it, it’s sealed.”

How about being presented with a “family history form” to fill out at every single doctor’s office visit and having to put “N/A Adopted” where life saving information should be?

Imagine being asked what your nationality is and having to respond with “I don’t know”.

It is time that the archaic practice of sealing and altering birth certificates of adopted persons stops.

Adoption is a 5 billion dollar, unregulated industry that profits from the sale and redistribution of children. It turns children into chattel who are re-labeled and sold as “blank slates”.

Genealogy, a modern-day fascination, cannot be enjoyed by adopted persons with sealed identities. Family trees are exclusive to the non-adopted persons in our society.

If adoption is truly to return to what is best for a child, then the rights of children to their biological identities should NEVER be violated. Every single judge that finalizes an adoption and orders a child’s birth certificate to be sealed should be ashamed of him/herself.

I challenge all readers: Ask the adopted persons that you know if their original birth certificates are sealed.

By: W. Anthony Marsh

W. Anthony Marsh — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:40:59 +0000

I also wrote to the Director’s blog to object to the cultural bias of their form only allowing full first name, middle initial and full last name.
For example, my original Social Security card listed me as W. Anthony Marsh. When I applied for Retirement the clerk told me that I would have to go to court to change my name from William A. Marsh to W. Anthony Marsh.
Many people of different cultures have names which are too complicated to fit into their little spaces. Hyphenated names, Spanish mother’s family name, etc. Many Sihks in my apartment complex are named Singh, but that is not the surname, that is a title like Mr.
Various foreign derivatives use heritage identifiers such as von. But you don’t walk up to someone and say, “Hello von.”
Their census form is racist, sexist, Fascist, and discriminatory.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:45:32 +0000

Thanks for the thoughts. Last census I entered “Polyglot (including Latin) caucasoid of African descent” but this time there isn’t enough room. “Human” or “homo sapiens” gets the fundamental ontological status right, whereas “American” communicates obliquely the principles upon which the civil disobedience in not answering in racial terms relies. Your post gets it very right that this is an issue of conscience and a moral question for those of us who do not think of others or ourselves in such terms, but want to comply with the law and see the sense of conducting an “actual enumeration” for reasons of fairness in representation.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:05:18 +0000

TG,

That’s my favorite race next to the 440 relay.

By: TG McHoff

TG McHoff — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:40:55 +0000

I didn’t know American was a race. I just answer Human Race.

By: Peter

Peter — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:55:05 +0000

Dennis,

I got your back.

By: dennis

dennis — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:22:24 +0000

Webster says that census is the official counting of people, things. anymore items I find intusive, I’m afraid as an older person, they may come and take me to some gas chamber someday