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.
Words: 490
Hi Phong,
ReplyDeleteYour example of Indian Americans after 9-11-2001 brings up a good point- classifying people by race ignores any kind of shift or change they may have happened in the Ethnicity- and how they see themselves. To clarify your last point: are you saying that Asian is a 'race', however under that they list a variety of Asian nationalities and ethnicites, yet still consider those races? Let me know.
--eas