Post-Reading Questions for Week Three

Race and ethnicity are not the same thing; race is based on physical appearance and cannot be changed, while ethnicity is based on culture and is changeable. "I think we should remove the formal distinction between race and ethnicity from the federal classification system, but we must also remain alert to, and seek to change, the complex ways in which ethnic privilege has long been secured by defining ethnicity against race" (Hattam, 81). I believe that Hattam is trying to say that the federal classification system’s distinction between race and ethnicity causes us to see that we are equal in a way, but in reality there is a divided line between ethnic and racial groups. I agree with Hattam because not everyone is treated equally. For example after 9/11, a lot of Indian Americans were treated differently because of what someone from their same race had done. Although their race might be Indian, they can claim to be American as their ethnicity because they have assimilated themselves into that culture.

According to the Census worksheet handed out in class, in 1790 there was no distinction between race and ethnicity; it was either you were a slave or you were white. In 1930, the Census switched to a more self evaluation rather than checking the box that is closest to what you think your race is. In 2000, the Census broke down the race categories and added sub categories, making it easier to distinguish the different races. Out through the years the Census has changed because they are recognizing that there more than just one race due to immigration and mixed marriages. Even with the sub categories to help distinguish our race, it is still confusing because race and ethnicity are compared as the same. For example, on questions 8 and 9 in the Census, there are about 6 different categories for Asians and 1 box for other Asian; while Hispanic is its own group with its own sub categories of different types of Hispanic. If one of my Hispanic/Latino friends were to ask me to help them fill out the Census, I would ask them some under the surface questions trying to find out where their parents or grandparents are from, and whether they see themselves as American or not. It makes it easier to examine what race you are if you break down the facts.

The Census confuses us by including race and ethnicity into the same categories, but clearly there is a big difference. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese can all fall into one category, and that is Asian. The difference between the Asian races would be their ethnicity, which is Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese. With some many different and mixed races in today’s society it makes it hard to distinguish one from another. The Census helps us to do that, but in order for it to be more effective the Census Bureau should make some adjustment.

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