Negros in the Census
 

so, whilst trolling around on the internet, I "stumbled" upon a site that shows the census Race section since the 1700s. I didn't realize that, in 2010, we still describe black people as "negros." My first response is WTF. Is this an acceptable label for anyone these days? If so I was unaware...

Racebox.org - The Census since 1790

http://www.racebox.org/images/2010.jpg

As you can see, it lists Black, African American, and Negro. They're covering the bases just in case there are old-fashioned people out there I guess.

Yeah, the word is quite archaic and even insulting to some. Think of the words Negroid, Negress, and Jewess, etc.---all quite archaic and probably offensive.

You get the same issue with the indigenous peoples in North America. It isn't clear what they prefer to use to identify them, and many don't care. However, you get Native American, First Nations, etc. And within certain peoples, you get issues. For example, the Inuit are no longer called Eskimos, and the various peoples of Asia are no longer considered Oriental.

Negro College Fund
National Association the Advancement of Colored People

My friend in college was taught by his mother to identify himself as Negro and never African American. Negro is simply an older term for Blacks (latin origin), and was actually the PC term for a long time.

There's a reason there are multiple lines for the same race. It's a complex historical and political history, for which self identification is important. I'm sure my friends mother would have been angry if it wasn't on the list.

That is there because in the 2000 census so many people identified as "other - negro" that it was more efficient to add it back despite the current political incorrectness. Like it or not, it helps to make sure people are represented properly.

That's the government for you. Personally, I felt proud to stand up and be counted amongst my coreligionist Hebrews and Israelitish-Americans.

As a child in Alabama I had friends who referred to themselves as "negro". As I got older they began to refer to themselves as "African American". Suddenly, at some point that changed to "black". I usually asked my friends what they preferred and went with that. I looked at the US Census website and this is the official statement on the term "negro" being used on the census form.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/about/whole.php

I wonder why "White" has no qualifiers?

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My wife read an article that said the reason it's still on there is because last time it was left off and some blacks complained because it was their preferred term. Now it's included, and of course people are complaining on the other side as well.

It is only racist when a honky says it.

Meh. My only beef with the census was that it lists "Colombian, Salvadorian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese" as if nationality and "race" are somehow the same thing.

FWIW, I described myself simply as "American".

They should just ask for your pantone reference

Why don't we go by blood type? This race/ethnicity shit is a bunch of Dr. Seuss nonsense.

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This reminds me of the bang-someone-of-a-different-skin-color thread I was supposed to start.

I was going to say that it was very star belly sneeches.

I pick american too but my cousins put filipino american.

Drawing lines is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!

(as long as we do it)

:crazy:

you know that being White doesn't really count as having a race. it seems like it's more often considered to be a non-race. You are either one of a dozen darker-skinned nationalities, or you are "white."

hey now, we have "Caucasian"

Check out this page. Sure surprised me. It's as if it was written 100 years ago.

A trucker carrying a load of bowling balls - A nigger couple in heaven

Cracker

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agree, Gattaca everybody