S/O Race Poll

[bluestarfish18]

When filling out the census yesterday, I found myself a little stuck. I'm 1/2 Chinese and 1/2 Caucasian, no problem filling that part out. But then what do I check for my kids? DH is caucasian....so does that still make my kids Caucasian & Chinese on a census, or should just check Caucasian because that's their dominant race?

I'm curious to see what you would have done if you were in my pickle.

[momof2girls]

Hey, I'm the same make-up as you!

My DH is all caucasian but I still usually check off that my kids are white and Asian on whatever forms I need to fill out. Maybe it's just b/c my "new" last name is so not like my Asian maiden name so I like to make sure that part is still represented.

[hellokitty]

I'm taiwanese, my DH is korean. I wrote in my kids as taiwanese-korean.

[elektra]

If I were you I might have checked both white and Chinese for my kids. Or maybe just white since they are 3/4 white.
I was also wondering how much of something you had to be before you would consider checking a box. My kids are mostly white (3/4 as well) so I just put white for them. I didn't check Hispanic either, although I did for DH, but maybe I shouldn't have.

[ellies mom]

It is easier for me because my kids are half white and half black so I'll be checking both. I look at it as how much you/they identify with the different groups. Because you are half Chinese, that probably makes up a good chunk of your self-identity and therefore a good part of your children's identity because of what you share of yourself.

[JustMe]

If I were you, I would check both for your kids..but I think what I have heard is to answer the way you (or possibly in this case, your kids) identify yourself....so, how do you think of your kids (in terms of their race that is).

[egoldber]

Yes, they are interested in how you would describe your children or how they would describe themselves.

The 2010 Census, as much as anything else, in an exploratory exercise in how Americans today think about themselves and think about race/ethnicity.

[smiles33]

What a fascinating question that is like a real life extension of what I've learned in school! 16 years ago, back in my college studies, I actually took a seminar on multiracial identity and learned about theories like the one that multiracial/biracial people have the "best of both worlds" (i.e., superior to those of us of "one race"), as well as the more commonly known one about the worst of both/all worlds or somehow being "unnatural" (i.e., how all the anti-interracial marriage people would protest about it being "wrong" to mix blood).

In the books we read, some biracial/multiracial people proudly claim every contributing racial identity %, no matter how small, while others are almost forced to identify with only one or identify with the one that they "look like." Historically in the US, there's the "One Drop rule" applied to African Americans. Legally (but now just socially), if ANYONE in your ancestry was African American, you were deemed that, too, even if all subsequent ancestors were white. There were instances of someone who had 1/16 African American ancestry and the laws still forced her to check the African American box. I'm guessing the history of racism in America against African Americans has strongly influenced this theory, so I don't know if that's how it is in other parts of the world.

Anyhow, bringing it back to your family, I think racial identity can be BOTH 1) a choice in how you personally identify (and your kids are bit young, so I'm guessing you and your DH will influence how they identify) and 2) a response to how others perceive you. I have biracial friends who insisted on claiming their "non-white" heritage despite "looking white" and would argue with people who said offensive things like, "But you look white!" Not sure if you had that experience, since you mention being biracial, but if it's important to you to identify as biracial, it's likely your kids will pick up on that and want to identify as multiracial/biracial instead of just one race.

[bluestarfish18]

These are all really good answers! I ended up checking both boxes, as eventually I will raise them with Chinese and Swedish/Scottish/French/German traditions.

Thanks everyone!

[buddyleebaby]

My children are white but half hispanic. I couldn't decide whether to check yes or no for the "of hispanic origin" box.
I finally checked "no" for them. I decided their origin was my uterus, which is non-hispanic. :ROTFLMAO:They don't speak Spanish and they were born here.
I talked to my husband about it and he understood the dilemma but said I was thinking about it too much and to just pick a box.

[smiles33]

I decided their origin was my uterus, which is non-hispanic. :ROTFLMAO:They don't speak Spanish and they were born here.
I talked to my husband about it and he understood the dilemma but said I was thinking about it too much and to just pick a box.
:hysterical: I love it! Your DH sounds JUST like mine, as I tend to over-analyze things.

Anyhow, the interesting point is that some cultures/ethnicities do base your identity on your mother (e.g., you're only "really" Jewish if your mother is).

Sorry, I keep turning this academic but it's such an interesting sociological issue!

[bluestarfish18]

Sorry, I keep turning this academic but it's such an interesting sociological issue!

Don't be sorry! These are some really awesome responses. IMO, I think racial diversity can't be discussed enough.