yeah it’s a fucking mess really pero I just sealed my envelope and feel ok about it.

Latinos who do not consider themselves racially “white,” or racially “black,” or racially “Asian,” are encouraged check “American Indian.” In the tribe section write “unknown” and then indicate country (countries) of family origin–Mexico, El Salvador, etc.–in parentheses. Also, please note that each individual is allowed to identify him/herself as belonging to more than one racial group. We are free to write “Latino” or “Chicano” or whatever we like on the Census in the race section without checking the “American Indian” racial identity box. However, after quite a number of years advocating that ethnicity, culture, and race are in fact different things, it makes most sense to identify one’s self using as many identifiers as possible. Further, from an objective standpoint, the “brown” most people of Latin American heritage wear on the outside, or can point to in their family line, comes from, in whole, or part, the indigenous peoples of the Americas that were living and flourishing here long before people from the continents of the Eastern Hemisphere arrived. Just because the explicit text of the current Census form ignores this fact, does not mean we should. At the end of the day, the borders of current nation-states (Canada, the USA, Mexico, Guatemala, etc.) are not the borders that nomadic or agrarian indigenous peoples adhered to. From a “racial” standpoint, all of the peoples of the Americas, whether Mapuches in Chile, Inuits in Canada, Navajos in Arizona, or mestizos in Mexico are related. We share a genetic ancestry, and a history of sudden and forced, as well as gradual and peripheral assimilation into the countries (El Salvador, Argentina, Nicaragua, etc.) we now call home. Again, it is important to check all of the boxes we know apply to making us who we are in terms of racial and ethnic identity. If I had an Asian great-grandparent, for example, I would most certainly indicate that fact, even if that person died before I was born. There are rumors that my father’s family includes an individual of African descent, but I have no real proof of this, and therefore I did not include this when filling out my Census form. I did, however, make note of the fact that my Mexican identity includes “American Indian” and “white” racial components. No matter what, it is critical that we complete and return the Census so that political representation and material resources can be appropriately apportioned. So make sure everyone fills out and mails in their household forms!!!!!!!!!!

I know I have Celtic roots because I have a blood disease that’s unique to Celts. I’m also Saxon and perhaps Frankish. It really makes no difference, and I look forward to the day when your complex racial heritage won’t make a difference to you either. It will make your life much easier to live.

Unai,

The point that you make is exactly why I check off three boxes.

@LA Macha- exactly! what a fuckin circus.
@UNAI- maybe this is just paranoid, but I get ansias at the thought of all Latinos chekcin off the Native American box. I mean identify as Indigenous, that’s not the issue. I just don;t like when people ID as “Native American” when they don’t have clear ties to any Northamerican ‘tribes’ or groups, even in customs or culture. As a student I was part of a national organization and I remember white dudes (and others) who checked off the Native box so they could be included in the People of Color caucuses. This usually ended up in a small group of these dudes hijacking the whole agenda. I know this is not the same situation, but ther’s still something freaky about the idea of losing sight of the fact that Indigenous people in this country are a small, struggling, distinct group of people with their own distinct struggle. it’s kinda like ‘Mexican-Americans’ declaring their aztec heritage when they don’t even ask their grandparents if they might be Yakis, or Mayas, or Mixtecos, or Purepechas, etc.

Does that seem crazy? It was a straightup bar brawl whenever we used to talk about it at MEChA meetings in college. Another huge fukin circus.

HMM, maybe this is taking the census too seriously LOL but the conversation is inetresting anyways.

We can all agree on that the Census will acquire inaccurate information.

The simple fact that MESTIZO is missing is a horrible mistake. I too saw Mayor Villaraigosa state that he is White. I was shocked and disappointed. He, along with the men that sell naranjas on the corner, are not white men. This should have been a simple inclusions escpecially since Mexico finally OFFICIALLY acknowledged their third root culture/ethnicity as being African, after Spanish and Indian.

I don’t want to live in a world where we see no color, I want to live in a world where we appreciate our differences and are inclusive.

Los Afro-Latinos I know have no confusion over stating they are Lation and Black. It’s my brown hermanos that seem very confused….I wonder why?

At least the census is sparking good conversations, if nothing else.

The census form gives you the option of cheking any race, and as many races as you want. It even lets you write them in. I don’t see how it can be any easier than that.

As for race, we self identify in this country. You cannot force your idea of race on somebody else. I see a lot of that here.

As for the Mayor, isn’t the census supposed to be private? I guess the government was lying about that? If he marked white, so what. He is part white. When he marked “Mexican,” that identified the Indian side.

Furthermore, his birth certificate says white/Caucasian, as it does for every Mexican-American person born at least until 1970. After that, I’m not sure.

In any case, worry about yourselves.

This caused all kinds of confusion at my house as well. I filled mine out a week ago and held onto it until today, hoping I would feel some sort of certainty about what I had chosen for each of my family members, but as I stuck it into the mailbox, I didn’t feel any more sure than I did a week ago.

How can it be complicated when you can check any box you want, as many boxes as you want, or write in anything you want? I don’t see what else the government can do to accommodate people.

The real issue is that you have some anxiety about who you are, and you are projecting that anxiety onto all Latinos, as if we all share your confusion. We don’t.

It’s not the census form–it’s you.

@ rawfoodguy – Okay, you want to know what’s complicated? Here’s what’s complicated.

My husband is from El Salvador. He self identifies as “Latino” – regardless of it being an ethnicity and not a race, he considers himself Latino first and foremost. As for race, he has no fucking idea. We assume that he is part White/Spanish and Indigenous, but it isn’t like his family kept any records. When indigenous people in your country are looked down upon as inferior, and massacred, one tends to distance themselves from their roots.

So, his indigenous blood, just because of the region his family is from, is probably Lenca or Pipil – or it could be both, or something else entirely.

Now, he and I have two children together. They are whatever he is, plus Non-Latino Caucasian. While I’m put into the gringa box, white people are just as diverse and mixed as Latinos. Just on my side of the family I have Irish, Russian-Jewish, Austrian-Jewish, German, Native American (unknown tribe), and, (as discovered by my sister only a few months ago while doing genealogy research), Polish. Who knows what else.

It seems rather ridiculous that I check off the “Caucasian/white” box, while someone who is Italian, French, or Spanish, also checks off the very same box though we have no blood in common.

Here’s something else to think about. The Census Bureau was originally encouraging Latinos to check off the “Caucasian/white” box … Well, my husband has less Caucasian/white blood than our President Barack Obama, and many people who self identify as being “black”, due to the racist “one drop rule”. Why does a “one drop rule” apply to black people, (even though most have some white blood), but not to Latinos? … By that logic, Latinos should be checking off “Native American” or “Indigenous”. It just isn’t consistent at all.

This isn’t about anxiety over identity – it’s an observation of how ridiculous the man-made construct of race truly is.

I guess I’m censored now. OK I get it. So long nutcases.

I filled this out and it was not a problem. I was born in Veracruz, MEXICO!! (LoL), and like many Jarochos our African roots are undeniable and are proudly celebrated. And if you’ve ever attended Carnaval you’d see this!! For me, this census is easy: Question 8 – I check the 2nd box (Mexican Am.). Question 9 – I check the top 3 boxes (White, Black and American Indian). Done!

haaaahahahah. thanks for making me laugh “Taclan”! I assume you ment that as a joke? cause it sure sounded like a joke..

I have given up on trying to explain how I use Latino on this site, including what viviendo Latino means.

it’s funny how absolutly certain all the commenters are about what “latino” “race” and “ethnicity” are–so that they feel entitled to be total dick heads about their views–and yet nobody can actually state with any sort of consistancy what each of these things are.

if it’s so obvious what each of these things are, why are so many (male) people telling us such differing ideas? And why do all the (*MALE) people feel the need to be such dicks when explaining their views? Do the (MALE) people think that if they beat their chests and stomp their feet, maybe drag a few of us around by our hair, we’ll be impressed and accept their view as The View?

For those of you complaining abut not having Mestizo on the form, there is a box for “Other” and spaces to fill in. Jusy check the box and write in Mestizo. Problem solved.

As for me, this is the first census that I will be claiming Hispanic. My grandmother’s ancestors came from Menorca and settled in St. Augustine in the 1700s. They married within the Spanish community. So I am one quarter Spanish and never thought to put down Hispanic before. Guess I can anticipate a visit from the census taker.

I say DO NOT fill out the Census 2010 beyond the box that asks how many.

Screw the Feds,,,I do not trust them and especially I DO NOT TRUST MARXIST OBAMA and MARXIST DEMOCRATS as they are LIARS and their ONLY goal is to take over ALL American liberties.

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