Census Bureau Didn't Think This All the Way Through

The issue of race on question 9 in the 2010 Census causes a great deal of discussion and anger among many Americans. See http://beta.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2010/mar/25/census-race-and-ethnicity/ at the web site of New York radio talk show Brian Lehrer for polite and intelligent discussion from people who have, as they say, skin in the game.

This issue is complicated further when reporting the race of minor children. The U.S. Census Bureau explains race as a matter of self-identification. Instructions [.pdf file at http://2010.census.gov/partners/pdf/ConstituentFAQ.pdf] state specifically that it is not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically or genetically.

What is the parent of a minor child to do? Ask the child himself how he self-identifies? A supervisor at the Census Bureaus Telephone Questionnaire Assistance (1-866-872-6868) says that the parent should answer the question for the child. Sensible as that advice may be, it specifically contradicts the concept of self-identification that the Census Bureau has adopted as the concept of race for the purpose of answering question 9.

It also muddies the water for the childs future thinking on self-identification because it forces the parent to go on the record on the issue. Imagine the future conversation on the day the child starts thinking seriously about self-identification. Hey Dad. What did you put on the census for me? Any answer you give him will strongly affect his thinking.

The U.S. Census Bureau has simply not thought this all the way through when it comes to minor children. If they are going to adopt self-identification as their criteria then they must exempt children from this question. Because they have not done that, they have created yet one more example of how the good intentions of the government result in its inserting itself into something that should only involve the family.

At http://BulletPeople.com is my blog.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• race
• census
• self identification

[UtherPendragan]

How about putting down: None of your damm bussiness.

[bulletpeople]

@UtherPendragan Bravo.

It's humorous that in their effort to be PC about race and biology, they didn't notice that this dubious self-identification idea falls apart when minor children are involved.

Here's a vignette I'd like to see:

Bureaucrat: "What race are you?"

American: "Do I look sick?"

Bureaucrat: "No, why do you ask?"

American: "Because unless you're trying to diagnose a disease or write me a prescription, WHAT BUSINESS IS IT OF YOURS WHAT RACE I AM?"

[bulletpeople]

Comments from removed version:

wattclan6:

There is only one race... human.

trime1851:

American is wonderful!

77300d:

Race = Human

marklross2: Excellent!

[Watcher3223]

race: 1st place at Le Mans

[PaperbackWizard]

Here's something: what if someone with a white father and a black mother "self-identifies" as black one census and then changes to white the next? Is he gonna get charged with fraud, or something?

[blt40]

@communismkills1 cool.

[communismkills1]

@blt40 well then they would not be wanting you on the census

[amberview30]

I'd say ask the kids unless they are too young to ask and in that case choose what you'd like to put.

[billyjoejimbob75]

Human race? Woot. I'm just part of the RAT RACE!! WOOHOO!

[billyjoejimbob75]

Human race. Woot.

[Zwartekaka]

@UtherPendragan BTW I don't think that your race effects what medication you shoudl take.

[LLGoldstein]

How about : Human.

[momtat92]

@bulletpeople : Good one!! It is a nun'ya question. We are all Americans here. Not individuals from different countries. The PC crowd cannot see that they are the ones that are continuing the Racism that runs rampant through our country. And sadly, I hear it out of our (ahem) President's mouth most of all!