Image borrowed from hwnt.org

So, I get a phone call last week from the lovely people of the United States Census… I think it took like 30-45 minutes of my time. (Like I have anything else to be doing, right?)

They said they wanted to follow-up with me regarding the answers that I put on my Census form. Honestly, I feel bad for that poor woman that had to call people and ask them the most ridiculous and inappropriate questions- ever!

She asked me to verify things like how many people live in my household, our ages, race and everything else that I already answered on the doggone Census in the first place.

Then I was told that she wanted to ask me more questions about only my daughter and myself… I guess my husband wasn’t good enough to get asked the in-depth questions ’cause he’s just “Caucasian” and apparently that race is self-explanatory in this country.

So here are the type of questions I was asked:

• Am I Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Asian (and a bunch of other races that I can’t remember)
  No
• When people look at me do they ever think that I am: Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander (and on & on)
  Laugh OUT LOUD- No
• What race do I consider myself to be? Black, African-American (are they different?)
  Black
  Then she started asking me stuff about being Haitian or African and I said you guys really confuse me regarding what kind of information you are trying to collect. Do you want to know my race or my ethnic background because to me- those two things are different.If, in fact, you want to know my ethnic background, then I am 100% Jamaican. If you are looking for my race, I call myself black.
  
• You say you are Jamaican- where was your mother born?
  Jamaica
  
  And your father?
  EnglandSo he’s British?
  (Super frustrated that I have to give family history- what is this? School?)
  Not really, my grandmother was there for school. He is Jamaican as well.
  
• So you consider yourself Jamaican?
  **Sigh** I am Jamaican- ethnically- that is the culture that I was raised in. That is where a great deal of my family still lives. But I am an American, I was born here. I live here. Blah, blah, blah
• And your daughter, you said she is multi-racial?
  She is bi-racial, yes.
• What race is her father?
  He is white, Caucasian- whatever
• She asked me something about his ethnic background
  I don’t know. He’s got all kinds of stuff in his family. Italian, Swiss, Austrian, but he more identifies with his Italian side, so he’s Italian? I guess… (WTF?!)
• I know you said your daughter is only one, but when she is older, what race do you think she will identify with?
  Uhh, I haven’t thought that far in the future to be honest with you. I really don’t think my daughter should have to explain to anyone what race she is- it’s no one’s business. She will be raised knowing that she is bi-racial and I guess when she gets older, maybe she will form her own opinion regarding what race she wants to “identify” with. She will be raised knowing that she is to embrace both races.
• For the purposes of the Census, though, I need to write an answer
  So you can write down exactly what I just said to you.
  
• When people look at your daughter, what race do you think they think she is?
  Laugh Out Loud (more out of frustration) Are you serious?!?!

I mean, I could go on. We were on the phone for a while and I know she was just doing her job, but really United States Government, really?

I wonder if Barack Obama had to answer these invasive questions- he is, after all, multi-racial as well.

This is absolute bullshit and can be added to the list of “dumb ass shit that our government does.”  What does it matter? Are we trying to figure out where all of the black folks are so we can keep them in check? Are they trying to keep track of how many multi-racial/interracial/bi-racial children are being born so that they can keep tabs on them?

And why ask about what people think my child is when they look at her? Are they curious as to whether or not my child will “pass”?

What next?

Are they gonna start asking about our job status and how people treat us?

Now, I know I am saying most of this out of frustration and so some of my thoughts may seem ignorant. I guess, I just don’t. understand. Why they think they can ask you these things and why they didn’t ask me the same questions about my white husband?

Do people ever think your husband is Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Black when they look at him?

I think if they asked that question about my white husband they would see a. how ridiculous of a question it is and b. they’d be surprised to know that almost the entire time we lived in Florida, people would come up to him and start speaking Spanish- a lot of people think he’s Mexican or somethin’. I think it’s the awesome tan he develops from being an outdoor worker!

Okay, I’m done with my rant. Carry on.

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