Anybody filled out the Census2000 form yet? I received it today and filled it out. One of the items in the form is about race. Instead of common listing of 5 or 6 races, the list was pretty narrowed down with enteries like Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, Japanese etc. They even had few ‘odd balls’ like Guamanian or Chamorro and Samoan.
For other Asian races, there were only two entries: Asian Indian and Other Asian. If you check Other Asian then there is space to print that Other Asian race. I entered Pakistani.
I looked at the race part and thought for a moment. My first reaction was that from pure ethnic perspective, I fall into Asian Indian category since I was born in Pakistan (let’s not get into Arab/Persian invaders here). But then I thought about it a little and came to the conclusion that in the context of the form, my race is not Asian Indian. If the form enlists China and Vietnam as two separate racial entities then what’s wrong with justifiably narrowing down other counteries like Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan etc into different ethnic categories as well?
Another thing I noticed was that there wasn’t any entry for Arabic race. It seems to me that they compiled the document with different perspectives in mind and one of them was probably the major existing ethnically representative groups in US. But then races like Guamanian/Chamorro and Samoan does not make much sense. I personally think that they should have given geographical division more weight in enlisting the races along with some of the specific country-wise representation like China. For example, Sub-continental, Middle eastern, South American etc.
For other Asian races, there were only two entries: Asian Indian and Other Asian. If you check Other Asian then there is space to print that Other Asian race. I entered Pakistani.
I looked at the race part and thought for a moment. My first reaction was that from pure ethnic perspective, I fall into Asian Indian category since I was born in Pakistan (let’s not get into Arab/Persian invaders here). But then I thought about it a little and came to the conclusion that in the context of the form, my race is not Asian Indian. If the form enlists China and Vietnam as two separate racial entities then what’s wrong with justifiably narrowing down other counteries like Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan etc into different ethnic categories as well?
Another thing I noticed was that there wasn’t any entry for Arabic race. It seems to me that they compiled the document with different perspectives in mind and one of them was probably the major existing ethnically representative groups in US. But then races like Guamanian/Chamorro and Samoan does not make much sense. I personally think that they should have given geographical division more weight in enlisting the races along with some of the specific country-wise representation like China. For example, Sub-continental, Middle eastern, South American etc.
Comment