To the Editor:
Re “Racial Projection by the Census Is Making Demographers Uneasy” (front page, Nov. 23):
It is past time for the Census Bureau, demographers and all Americans to use the words “origin” or “ancestry” in place of “race.”
In the 2010 Census, Asians and Pacific Islanders had nine national origins and two “others” to choose from. Hispanic/Latino/Spanish respondents to the ethnicity question also had nine countries of origin plus write-ins to consider. These population groups could bypass the confusion caused by the word “race” once they saw their origin or ancestry options.
The next logical step for the Census is to replace “white” with the word “European” under “origin or ancestry.” People “having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe” would have multiple choices of countries of origin or ancestry.
People who identify as “black” should be offered a category entitled “African.” All people “having origins in any of the original peoples of sub-Saharan Africa” would check this box.
“Some other race” should be replaced with “some other origin or ancestry.” People who previously had to identify as “multiracial,” “mixed” or “interracial” would indicate the origins or ancestries that best describe them.
“Race” confounds everyone and defines nothing but a sordid history.
Leroy G. Stoddard
Jamaica Plain, Mass.
The writer was a census taker in 2010.
Source: Read Full Article
Home » Analysis & Comment » Opinion | New Categories for the Census
Opinion | New Categories for the Census
To the Editor:
Re “Racial Projection by the Census Is Making Demographers Uneasy” (front page, Nov. 23):
It is past time for the Census Bureau, demographers and all Americans to use the words “origin” or “ancestry” in place of “race.”
In the 2010 Census, Asians and Pacific Islanders had nine national origins and two “others” to choose from. Hispanic/Latino/Spanish respondents to the ethnicity question also had nine countries of origin plus write-ins to consider. These population groups could bypass the confusion caused by the word “race” once they saw their origin or ancestry options.
The next logical step for the Census is to replace “white” with the word “European” under “origin or ancestry.” People “having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe” would have multiple choices of countries of origin or ancestry.
People who identify as “black” should be offered a category entitled “African.” All people “having origins in any of the original peoples of sub-Saharan Africa” would check this box.
“Some other race” should be replaced with “some other origin or ancestry.” People who previously had to identify as “multiracial,” “mixed” or “interracial” would indicate the origins or ancestries that best describe them.
“Race” confounds everyone and defines nothing but a sordid history.
Leroy G. Stoddard
Jamaica Plain, Mass.
The writer was a census taker in 2010.
Source: Read Full Article