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What is your race? (US Forms)

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I was thinking listening to comedy, and thought about this.

In America, in most forms they ask you your race: white, black (or african american), Asian, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other (or variations of).

What if a dark skin (not black) person born and raised in a part of Europe that's predominately white. He goes to sign this US form and puts white/European per his birth and nationality rather than Africa American or black (Many dark skin people aren't from Africa).

Just a scenario, but how or would the person giving the form correct the one signing it?

That would be interesting because if all people are from Africa originally, then no one would put white.

Kinda interesting. If there is a flaw, talk on...
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
If it's unconstitutional for them to know my citizenship status,
then it's certainly wrong for them to know my race or gender.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Sooner or later but coming sooner to the US is the time when the only answer will be that someone is a member of the human race.

PST_2017.05.15.intermarriage-01-12.png
 

Stanyon

WWMRD?
Sooner or later but coming sooner to the US is the time when the only answer will be that someone is a member of the human race.

PST_2017.05.15.intermarriage-01-12.png
That will get us white folks out of ever having to pay reparations.
Hooray!
 
Last edited:

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
If it's unconstitutional for them to know my citizenship status,
then it's certainly wrong for them to know my race or gender.
You are not going to believe this, but I was once investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for providing "false information on the long-form Census." My offense? I recorded my ancestral ethnicity as "Canadian." As an orphan, with no parental records at all, and with no particular obvious "markers," what else could I say?

See, the problem is, there were a lot of boxes you could check on the census, but "Canadian" was not one of them. You actually had to write that in.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
I was thinking listening to comedy, and thought about this.

In America, in most forms they ask you your race: white, black (or african american), Asian, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other (or variations of).

What if a dark skin (not black) person born and raised in a part of Europe that's predominately white. He goes to sign this US form and puts white/European per his birth and nationality rather than Africa American or black (Many dark skin people aren't from Africa).

Just a scenario, but how or would the person giving the form correct the one signing it?

That would be interesting because if all people are from Africa originally, then no one would put white.

Kinda interesting. If there is a flaw, talk on...

Wonder if they'll add an option for race fluid?

Americans changed racial or ethnic identities between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, even though their choices may have contradicted what their skin color appeared to be, or who their parents said they are.
Choosing your own: Definition of race becoming fluid
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Probably the same in the US, in the UK many forms have the question

Sex ________

I usually respond "yes" to that one.

For the Race question i leave it blank

I've never had any comeback from doing that
 

The Hammer

[REDACTED]
Premium Member
I was thinking listening to comedy, and thought about this.

In America, in most forms they ask you your race: white, black (or african american), Asian, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other (or variations of).

What if a dark skin (not black) person born and raised in a part of Europe that's predominately white. He goes to sign this US form and puts white/European per his birth and nationality rather than Africa American or black (Many dark skin people aren't from Africa).

Just a scenario, but how or would the person giving the form correct the one signing it?

That would be interesting because if all people are from Africa originally, then no one would put white.

Kinda interesting. If there is a flaw, talk on...

I wouldn't correct this person, because race is a social and cultural construct, and does not actually exist, or even remotely explain human variation (which isn't very wide).

Edit: Understanding Race
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
What is the penalty for that?
It was actually "fine or imprisonment," but they finally decided I had a legitimate case for what I wrote, having nothing else to go on.

Since then, of course, I have actually discovered my ancestry (mostly British) -- and I think I'd probably do the same anyway! ;)
 

dianaiad

Well-Known Member
Probably the same in the US, in the UK many forms have the question

Sex ________

I usually respond "yes" to that one.

For the Race question i leave it blank

I've never had any comeback from doing that

I've never seen a form that didn't have 'Prefer not to say" or something similar there.

In fact, as far as I'm concerned, the only time when it would be appropriate even to ask is on medical forms, where people of different 'races' are more prone to certain diseases than others. For instance, if one is looking for sickle cell anemia, being 'black" makes the chances higher.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
You are not going to believe this, but I was once investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for providing "false information on the long-form Census." My offense? I recorded my ancestral ethnicity as "Canadian." As an orphan, with no parental records at all, and with no particular obvious "markers," what else could I say?

See, the problem is, there were a lot of boxes you could check on the census, but "Canadian" was not one of them. You actually had to write that in.
You vile fiend!

I once got in trouble with your constabulary at the border.
I was cutting thru Canuckistan (from Detroit) to get to NY.
I had no stops in between...I was just passing thru your
country. When they asked me where I was going, it didn't
occur to me to say NY, cuz that's not even in Canuckistan.
So I said "Canada".
He got really angry,
I guess cuz he thought it was a joke. Fortunately it
wasn't....you guys have no sense of humor. You can
try to deny it....but I've seen Red Green.

I'm convinced that all governments hire only dumb angry
bullying arschloch failures in life for border & airplane security.
(I think it's even on their application forms.)
 

Evangelicalhumanist

"Truth" isn't a thing...
Premium Member
You vile fiend!

I once got in trouble with your constabulary at the border.
I was cutting thru Canuckistan (from Detroit) to get to NY.
I had no stops in between...I was just passing thru your
country. When they asked me where I was going, it didn't
occur to me to say NY, cuz that's not even in Canuckistan.
So I said "Canada".
He got really angry,
I guess cuz he thought it was a joke. Fortunately it
wasn't....you guys have no sense of humor. You can
try to deny it....but I've seen Red Green.

I'm convinced that all governments hire only dumb angry
bullying arschloch failures in life for border & airplane security.
(I think it's even on their application forms.)
Okay, you got me with Red Green. You win! We have no sense of humour (though we do know how to spell it).
 

Kangaroo Feathers

Yea, it is written in the Book of Cyril...
I was thinking listening to comedy, and thought about this.

In America, in most forms they ask you your race: white, black (or african american), Asian, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other (or variations of).

What if a dark skin (not black) person born and raised in a part of Europe that's predominately white. He goes to sign this US form and puts white/European per his birth and nationality rather than Africa American or black (Many dark skin people aren't from Africa).

Just a scenario, but how or would the person giving the form correct the one signing it?

That would be interesting because if all people are from Africa originally, then no one would put white.

Kinda interesting. If there is a flaw, talk on...
There was a story on Reddit once about a white African immigrant who put "African American" on a university form, believing it was the most accurate description of his etnicity, and was almost expelled for it.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
Probably the same in the US, in the UK many forms have the question

Sex ________

I usually respond "yes" to that one.

For the Race question i leave it blank

I've never had any comeback from doing that
I always had a fondness for the Indianapolis 500. You might like a more European formula one race.
 
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