I know what you're thinking, "Not Another Blog About Racism!" I thought that too. But this is too good to pass up.
If I was 90% white and 10% Native American, I would put "Native American" (or whatever the equivalent is) on the standard "Ethnicity" question on most surveys and applications. Similarly, if I had any black ancestors, I would check the "African American" box, and if I was Samoan I would select "Asian/Pacific Islander" or something of the sort.
But I am none of those things.
I am German, I am Italian, I am Irish, and I am Scottish. So I pick ... (drumroll)...
White.
If that tells you anything about my culture or heritage, then good for you, you can see (obviously) clearer than I can. I've always been okay with selecting "white" on those tests and applications, but I've always had a problem with how bland the answer is. I am thrown into a majority, my culture is disregarded, and I am white.
Yesterday I was filling out yet another application [this time to the School of Education at PLU] and after entering all of my basic information, I came to the "Ethnic Origin" section. I skimmed through the answers, looking for "White" so I could fill in my bubble and move on. After a through sweeps through the selections, I still had not seen "white."
I can't even get into what was running through my mind... after I couldn't find "white," I started looking for a bit of fine print that said "majorities need not apply." [Well, maybe it didn't go that far, but I can tell you... I was confused.]
I then started reading through the selections again. So, if not white people, who did PLU want applying to be teachers?
My eyes passed African American; they passed Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American; they passed Hispanic. And finally, my eyes grazed over an unfamiliar phrase, one I don't think I've ever seen or heard before:
European American.
"What the hell is a European American?!" I thought. Then I realized... Germany is in Europe. Italy is in Europe; so is Ireland and Scotland [well, technically]! THAT'S ME!
I almost jumped for joy... a little dorky, but I felt as if I had deduced something on my own. It was something unfamiliar to pretty much everyone who has grown up in the United States. I was also excited because this statement meant more than my race.
PLU is acknowledging that I have a culture. I have a heritage. I am white, but I am from somewhere. Whoever wrote this application realizes that though I am a white American, my family is not American, they are from somewhere and have a past and a history.
I can't say I feel empowered in any way, I have no need nor reason to feel that way. But I do have a sense of belonging. Now, I don't stand out from others just because of my skin color. I am brought together with all the other American people as an American.
Maybe this is one step closer to our togetherness. We don't all share the same culture, ethnicity, or race, but we all have our pasts and have come together for the future.
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Hey cool! I'm Swiss (among other things) so that's a neat box for me too!
So... question for the masses... if you are from Russia do you mark "Asian American" or are you are considered "Caucasian"?
I was wondering that too!! But I didn't want to put it into my entry because I'd go off on some tangent about it.
I'm also confused about people from Jamaica and some South American countries who are black... but not African. They are not "African American"... what do they mark??!
But I figured that would totally invalidate (is that a word?) my argument here, so I'll save that for another time
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http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
is considered Europe.
....
I'm fairly certain most of Russia is considered Asia.
On basis of square footage you are correct.
Historical or ethnic Russia is ALL European. The current Russia is more populous on the European side, and physicaly larger on the Asian side.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia
This is a country with a lot of history. :-)
Good point... so if I was of Russian heritage, I would answer European American on my Affirmative Action form?
or even just lie as civil disobedience to the racism the government insists upon.
First, Wikipedia is an incredibly unreliable source. And Russians are Asian.
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--The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return--
I would be happy to accept a superior source, but you aren't one with no references. If you read a little you will see that it is not so simple as you think.
http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/as.htm
Notice the label on Russia west of the Ural mountains?
Wikipedea is also only as good as the sources they cite.
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.
-William Blake
I'm a 12 foot tall, pregnant Alaskan Native. Male, too.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
Impressive.
What do YOU select on those things?
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http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
Other. I'm not white, or any of the other descriptions. I'm more of a medium-rare / medium (in terms of steak color) when it comes to my skin color.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
I'd like a good steak right now.
Only I'd like it well done.
And there are no innuendos intended in this response.
Really.
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http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
I enjoyed this blog. I was jumping for joy with you
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/speakonitsista
Thank you
Hopefully it's a step closer to everyone "just getting along"
Although if everyone got along we'd be living in a really boring world...
Anyway, hopefully it's a step closer to universal toleration. Yeah
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http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
lol European Americans. I had the urge to put that down once when they ask me about my ethics background. Since I'm Thai, I just choose Asian. It's so easy. Funny though, people always ask me where I come from. But they hardly ask my Caucasian friend about HER nationality. I wonder why...maybe just because she's white they assume she's an American or a European?
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I wish all forms were like that, or better yet, I wish people could just write whatever they felt their ethnicity was. When I was in high school and middle school, all the students would check a different ethnicity every test just to show that we can't be reduced to one all-encompassing ethnicity. We were what is considered African American, but almost all of us were also Irish, German, and French, except for the Vietnamese kids. We realized how inaccurate the categories were and decided that we could check anything since we all had ancestors from everywhere.
Maybe one day that section won't even be on forms.
I'm armed and I'm equal - M.I.A.
It's really cool that you guys did that.
I live in a neighborhood where minorities are the majority, but unfortunately, it's not the best neighborhood, and no one [of any race, creed, or gender] has any sort of brain or courage to stand up for themselves.
They are content putting "African American" even if their Jamaican; they don't mind putting "White" when their skin is pale.
I don't understand why we need to base anything on race... why do we care who the minorities are? Other than chance/circumstance of poll results, I don't really feel that your race has any bearing on how you will perform or how deserving you are of anything.
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this is war. every line is about who i don't wanna write about anymore. [Brand New]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
Affirmative Action is the most outdated, stupidest idea ever. It only continues racism and encourages those who harbor resentment.
I agree.
But I'm also one of those people who thinks Race and Racism don't exist anywhere but in our minds.... so I might be a little biased.
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this is war. every line is about who i don't wanna write about anymore. [Brand New]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
I agree halfway. Race doesn't have to exist for racism to flourish.
Santa Claus is a black man
Well I happy for you. Congrats on your find! You will be surprised at the number of people in your situtation. I usually mark Black or African American because both of my parents have are mixed with Black. My mother is German and Black and my father is Cuban, White, and Black. They definetly do not have a ethnictiy choice for me.
~*~*Shonda Marie*~*~
Okay. I really do not want to offend anyone, but, most white Americans are simply white Americans. Everyone says they're Dutch, Italian, German, Irish, whatever. But are you really? I can say that I'm black/Italian because my dad is a black American and my mom is Italian. Anyway, I hate those questions because they rarely have "biracial" on them, and I am neither white nor African American. Okay...my dad's family might have come from Africa 200 years ago, but as far as we're concerned, today, we are just black Americans. As far as we know, we could have come from Jamaica, or some Pacific/Asian island. So, maybe your family, somewhere a long time ago, came from Switzerland, but you're probably just white. However, I do agree that those questions should have more options, because many Europeans don't consider themselves to be "White" persay, and I'm definitely not white or African American.
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--The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return--
That's pretty much what I'm trying to get it.
Yeah, I'm white. I'm mixed with all kinds of crap, but so are most black people. And Asian-sorts. And everyone else.
Like you said, not all black people came from Africa. Not all white people came from Scandanavia. What the heck is the point?
We're all American. A better question for surveys like that would be if you're "native" (i.e. born in US or not)... if they really, really want their statistics. Otherwise, we're all technically from America.
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
I'm starting to think, reading these posts, that those questions are pointless. Because, you know, we're too mixed to belong to one group. Americans don't really have an ethnicity or culture. You're right. They should ask if we're native (born here) or not.
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--The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return--