We can’t move forward until you send it back. Step up and be counted. Filling it out puts money and resources in your community. I know you know I’m talking about the census form. Right? By now, you’ve either seen a commercial or heard one on the radio telling you about the importance of completing your form and mailing it back.
This past week has been quite interesting. Just about every day I have been in some discussion about the census form, whether online with Facebook friends or at work. Why you ask? It’s just a form with 10 questions right. Well one of those questions hit a nerve with some people. The question of race has been the focus of discussion in my office and a few people’s status for the week.
It started when 2 white co-workers came and asked me if the word Negro was derogatory. I don’t remember if they asked in general or if they asked if I thought it were. In any event I said yes because I, personally, believe it is. So they asked why. They furthered the question by saying if it were derogatory, why was it on the census form? Having not received my form at the time they asked I had no idea if this were a trick question or what. I pretty much laughed it off saying “that’s not on the form”. Mostly because I didn’t believe it would be. But one of the girls pulled it up online and sure enough, it was there; much to my surprise and disbelief.
So for the next 3 or 4 days it was a debate with them on why I thought it was wrong. Isn’t that what you are? Isn’t that what Africans were called? Well I don’t know because I’m not African. Then we went into weren’t my ancestors from Africa? I told her no. They’re from Virginia. Then I was told not all my family was from Virginia; that some of my people came here from Africa on boats cause there were no black people here in America. Well tell me my own history why don’t you. I even must have white in me according to this person cause my skin is a lighter shade of brown. I actually found this comment to be hilarious. So I tried explaining to her, yes I am a lighter B LACK person but not because of white slave masters. I told her there was Indian, or shall I say Native American, in my family (on my dad’s side) and began to explain to her how I knew this. See we have a family historian who has traced our lineage and presents it and new findings each year at a family reunion in the form of a really long scroll. But still I’m told there were no black people here in America until we were brought here. Well if that were true for my family, I’m so far removed from the Africans that I’m not African so to call me such, yes I find that offensive too.
But back to the word Negro. I told her it was black in Spanish but it wasn’t me. So out comes a dictionary. Are you serious? We’re going this deep into something put on a form by the government. Now for the government to say some older Americans might still relate to this term is unbelievable too. As some of my facebook friends put it…that’s a crock of ….well you know the word that goes here !!! I can’t think of one old American that still call themselves Negro. Even my mom’s birth certificate or marriage license reads “colored” (I forgot which one she showed me) but she wouldn’t call herself “colored” in 2010. So why on earth would the government think she wanted to be called Negro today. Even my dad was born colored and some 72 years after his birth strangely he died black; at least that’s what’s on his death certificate. Instead of a dictionary, perhaps she should have just gone online to Wikepedia. It would have told her the word was archaic and considered offensive.
Am I offended by the word Negro on the census form? Yes. Can I do anything about it? Well, I circled it. Some of my friends crossed it off. Maybe we’ll outnumber the handful of “older” Americans that probably don’t know what century we’re in to know we’ve been set free. I mean even the 90 something year old woman I saw on the news being wheeled into the election booth to place her vote for the first BLACK President didn’t say she was happy to be voting for the first Negro president. If being the “older American” that she was and related to and referring to herself as Negro, wouldn’t she have said she was voting for a Negro? I my opinion, “older” Americans have progressed enough to now think of themselves as Black or African American or simply American.
The only problem I have with this whole situation is if you came to ME and asked MY opinion on if I thought something was offensive, why debate me day after day about my response. It is my opinion of why I think it’s wrong. And yeah I did ask them if they would be offended if a few less attractive names whites have been called were on the form. And even the one or two offensive names I know Spanish be to be called.
All in all, it’s a form. If you don’t agree with the options, cross them off and write what you are. As one of my Facebook friends wrote, HUMAN would be a good choice. Thanks Mariska for seeing the bright side of this race issue. In 2010, we still don’t know what to call each other. And all this debate, no one even mentioned what the census form actually does for the country. Wow.
8 comments:
great article, Char. You touched on so many good points but the most important, I think, was what the real purpose of the census. And for those folks on your job who are putting so much emphasis on the word Negro, how much time are they putting into doing their job???
Barbara
That was a good one Charlisa. My brother and I were just talking about this yesterday, I couldn't believe it was on the form either but I just ignored it. I like the comment that you made about why debate me about my opinion, there is no debate in that.
Jacci
Wonderful Blog as always!! I feel like to Each's Own basicly. If You have a problem about it write something different. If you don't, leave it be. Sometimes we as PEOPLE make things so complicated. No judgements are needed. Personally I think opinions start a bunch of crap. Learn to know that you are entitled to your opinion and so is the next person. Anyway, loved the blog and can't wait for the next one.
Markeia
Wow, very interesting. I guess at least they left a place to write in your own race.
I kind of wonder how these people felt it appropriate to walk up to you, shove it in your face, and then ask if you were offended. I agree with the other commenters, don't then have better things to do with their time?
people are so ridiculous. i'm personally planning on crossing it off because i also don't identify as negro or african american. i repect their reasoning, but i still think it's a poor choice to make... the census bureau should just let people write in how they personally identify, and then condense the data to fit the census categories. it's what they will do anyway
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.
Wow, anonymous I my heart goes out to you. I do know a couple of adopted persons. One is a cousin. And even now I have a great niece and great nephew in the foster care system and on track to be adopted instead of kept with our family...another situation I truly can not understand what family judge would think this makes sense
in my cousins situation, as with my niece and nephew they are not infants so they know they have a family but I think this too creates a level of pain and suffering just as much as not knowing your family.
Openness goes both ways. My cousin was met with no support when she sought to find the rest of her birth family that she clearly remembered having. I fear the same fate for my great nephew who call his white foster parent "daddy". My niece still knows and remembers us so I pray each day that they first are safe and second the same sex couple they are with keeps allowing us to be a part of their life.
Again, anonymous, I pray for the doors to be opened for you.
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