Ones 'primary' Race

[Hyper Real]

Another tidbit from our lunatic world.

My son applies for school and among all the forms we have these race/ethnicity identification forms.

First ethnicity options:

Hispanic/Latino: Yes or No.

And that is it as if any other ethnicity does not count.

Why does Hispanic has to be checked as a special category?

And 'of course' all the forms are in Spanish as well.

We live in an English speaking country but every single Federal, State or local government entity has forms in Spanish, no other languages.

Then the race option:

There are many options

Apparently Indian, Middle Eastern, Russian or European are all considered white while Chinese, Japanese and Korean are all distinct categories.

Then the form tells you if you have more than one race more circle the primary race.

Huh?

How much more insulting can it get?

Both of my sons are bi-racial and certainly I find it an insult to suggest one race is primary.

Now I am simply not going to fill in those forms.

Edited March 5, 2012 by hyperreal

[Songster]

The question seems to be asked any time that federal funds are used, and is asked in order to qualify for addition funds. Most will even state that the information is "optional". I used to just leave that question blank, but since I noticed that a processor had answered it for me, I started crossing out the question or answer with "Not appropriate nor relevant."

[Hyper Real]

Actually if the person in question declines to self-identify it is a federal rule that the staff will identify for them.

Edited March 5, 2012 by hyperreal

[Dorian Gray]

I know federally "Latino/Hispanic" is not an independent "race". It is an "ethnicity" of Caucasian. Wikipedia has a decent article on the Census with regard to race and ethnicity.

WRT primary race, that is prob. more geared towards a Tiger Woods then someone who is strictly biracial.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_ethnicity_in_the_United_States_Census

[Hyper Real]

I know federally "Latino/Hispanic" is not an independent "race". It is an "ethnicity" of Caucasian. Wikipedia has a decent article on the Census with regard to race and ethnicity.

Looks more like a language to me.

For instance according to the federal government a person from Spain is Latino/Hispanic and a person from say Peru as well. So what else does a person from Spain and Peru have in common except that they speak the same language?

If you say well they all have Spanish ancestors than why would we not call Portuguese or Italian an ethnicity as well? Last time I checked there are a lot of Brazilians who speak Portuguese and the USA has a lot of Italian-Americans.

To me it does not make any sense.

[Dorian Gray]

I really don't know. I seem to recall something about Hispanics being pissed that they weren't listed as a race and this was some kind of compromise. Can't really cite a source, just remember a briefing about it when it was added to the military record system.

[grateful]

I've been known to write in "human" when asked for my race for over thirty years

[simplicitys-brother]

When I can't enter N/A, I write "lost". I have never been contacted for a follow-up.

[Qryos]

~ Federal funding is granted in odd & unusual ways... & there is no wizard behind the curtain

[panpareil]

I think 'of African decent' would be appropriate for all.