What Kind of White are White People in America. The Census Wants to Know

[Katie]

https://www.npr.org/2018/02/01/58233...-about-origins


So.......the box is tiny and I bet lots of white people have family from multiple countries. Tons probably don’t even know their ancestral history.

And then, the article says the same question will be there for “black/African American”. How the frick are the ancestors of slaves going to know which country their unfortunate ancestors came from? I think if I was in that category I’d just write “slave” in the box.

It’s already bad enough when you are mixed.

What a....intersting change

[IndigoErth]

I'm sure a lot of whites would be glad to state their actual heritage, if known, but if they want to know, they're really going to need to provide a whole lot more space for it than that. They seem to think there should just be one in this day and age. lol

[TurtleWA]

It will not be accurate at all. At least from my perspective. Depending what family member I ask I’ll get a different country of origin answer. After a few generations everything has been lost. All that remains are maybe true or maybe not true stories. For better results blood samples or mouth swabs would work I think.

[Jester]

My last name is Irish, but I'm totally Heinz 57 or good ole American Mutt, with some Native American, Pennsylvania Dutch, and lord knows what else.

I'd probably just check Irish, though.

[Utrommaniac]

Yeah, good luck asking the people that are basically just a...hodgepodge of white.

Sure, my father's side of the family came to Ohio from France before the Civil War (not Germany like we thought, but they were pretty much right on the border). But HIS mother's side has been around long enough that a member of the family got caught up in the goddamn Salem Witch Trials and I don't even know what they hell is going on with my mother's side. Except for mostly Welsh.

I can't give a definitive answer because basically, I'm a "white mutt" as far as I'm concerned.

And yeah, thanks to that Ohio family, I do have at least one Native American grandmother. I think Great x4 Grandmother...

I know where parts of my family came from, but I don't consider myself "French" or "Welsh".

[CyberCubed]

I'm a white boy and all my parents and grandparents are all white. Go further back than that and my great Grand parents are from Russia and Spain.

So uh...I just consider myself white. I'm so far removed (3 generations) from my ancient ancestors (me great grandparents) that I don't feel like I am part of their race.

[Papenbrook]

Originally Posted by Katie

https://www.npr.org/2018/02/01/58233...-about-origins

And then, the article says the same question will be there for “black/African American”. How the frick are the ancestors of slaves going to know which country their unfortunate ancestors came from? I think if I was in that category I’d just write “slave” in the box.

It’s already bad enough when you are mixed.

A vast majority of African Americans/ "blacks" have a diverse ancestry.

[Katie]

Well yes, I know that. My point is, if you only know that your ancestors were slaves, that’s not like knowing the various countries those slaves were from. Most black people that I know have no clue what their ancestral origin countries are. And, if you do happen to know The countries of origin, it’s just like white people on the form with a tiny box to cram in all their diverse origins.

The whole thing is silly.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I'm so far removed (3 generations) from my ancient ancestors

Huh?

Three generations was basically the people who were inventing the telephone, the typewriter, motion pictures, radio, vacuum cleaners etc... not the wheel.

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

So uh...I just consider myself white. I'm so far removed (3 generations) from my ancient ancestors (me great grandparents) that I don't feel like I am part of their race.

I don't think 3 generations can be considered "ancient".

In general, the idea is good, but I don't think it will be much of a use. Not many people keep track of their ancestors, beyond grandparents.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Huh?

Three generations was basically the people who were inventing the telephone, the typewriter, motion pictures, radio, vacuum cleaners etc... not the wheel.

My great grandparents were born in the late 1800's, I consider that "ancient."

My grandparents were born in the 1920's-early 1930's. They were all born in America. So all 4 of my grandparents were born in America, so that's 3 generations ago for me.

[IndigoErth]

Late 1800s as ancient... You're lucky they don't haunt you for that remark.

[CyberCubed]

It's kind of surreal to think the 1800's is only about 3-4 generations back for some people. I think of the 1800's as the old wild west that you see in movies or the history books, not as recent as it seems.

Even stuff like World War II isn't really that old, I was only born 40 years after WWII ended. Shocking.

[Andrew NDB]

Pretty crystal clear where I came from. A legal immigrant and a dad who's a citizen. Got a mother that 100% legally immigrated from Colombia, and a dad whose parents both 100% legally immigrated from Sweden and Norway.

[oldmanwinters]

Seems like I filled out "unknown" in one of those check boxes on the census last year. My preference would have been, "why does that matter and why is it any of your business?"

[Katie]

See, I think it’s all just a round about way of “counting” Middle Eastern folks and North Africans. They’re considered white, but the census decided not to break them into their own racial category for 2020. They don’t care about if you identify as scots irish. They do care if you are Egyptian, Iranian, etc.

[Sumac]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

It's kind of surreal to think the 1800's is only about 3-4 generations back for some people. I think of the 1800's as the old wild west that you see in movies or the history books, not as recent as it seems.

Same thing here, when I think that my grandfather actually lived during Tsarist Russia...it really feels like it was long long time ago.

[CyberCubed]

Both my grandfathers fought in World War II. It's pretty crazy to think about, my two grandfathers in one of the most historic wars of all time. World War II feels like "ancient history" to me, yet my grandfathers were in when they were young.

[Candy Kappa]

Seems a bit unnecessary and can easily be turned into "you're not white enough" by certain people.

[Utrommaniac]

It was less than 80 years ago, Cubed, that's not that long. If there are still people around from that time, it's not "ancient". My own grandmother was just a tiny child when WWII was happening.

"Ancient" is writing being invented to me.