I know we've got a few threads running on the census - but these comments seemed closest to what I was wondering about regarding the race questions.
I am hopeful that providing the requested information will allow the government to have accurate data regarding the characteristics of our population so they can make rational decisions on matters of public policy.
Or we could skip getting the information and just pretend that we don't have issues our country needs to face.
Yes, there are issues our country needs to face - But when I look at the questions, I'm having trouble understanding what rational decisions would be made from this. They have check boxes for such specific categories - Mexican, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Filipino, Vietnamese, Samoan, and about a dozen others. What exactly do they do with that?
And, why no breakdown of 'white'? A Serb is the same as a Croatian as a German as a Ukrainian?
I'm all for helping people who need it. But are the needs of a disadvantaged kid somehow less important because his grandparents lived in Hamburg instead of Guatemala?
Conversely, in the workplace I've had to compete for raises and promotions with some people who could check some of those boxes, and sometimes they 'beat me', fair and square. They don't need help. But it doesn't ask if you are a successful minority, just a minority. That just strikes me as very condescending.
What is acceptable about asking your race? Why does the government need to know? Aren't we supposed to be living in a race blind society?
Exactly - so why aren't we identifying
needs regardless of race?
Now, I can imagine that a school could need to tailor its language programs to the needs of the student population. But race doesn't tell you that, as there are plenty of people of race X in some parts of the country speaking English at (or beyond) their grade level. You need to identify the number of students who need help with a background in languages A, B , C, etc. A census doesn't tell you that.
So are there good uses for this info?
-ERD50