Okay, the census pisses me off!

[Trueblue Texan]

This question:
Select one or more boxes AND enter origins. For this census, Hispanic origins are not races.

The origins box is not optional. I'm offended and disgusted. What difference does it make my origin? Is that going to qualify my community for more or less federal dollars if I am black, brown, white? WTAF?

I put human.

[Walleye]

1. I always put human. Where the hell is Caucasia anyway?

[ProfessorGAC]

15. It's South Of Antarctica

Oh, wait! That's impossible, isn't it?

[Igel]

19. Caucasus.

The idea was that since Indo-European languages had moved into Europe from somewhere *and* had a common word for salmon, where could that salmon-containing somewhere be? Turns out the Caucasus was a good fit for that.

Nobody buys that conclusion anymore, but the terminology stuck.

[jimfields33]

2. I haven't even done it yet.

I’m not doing any of that type of thing until we’re back to normal.

[gay texan]

3. I think I'll put down

Nunya

[demmiblue]

4. Why we ask about race:

We ask a question about a person's race to create statistics about race and to present other estimates by race groups.

Local, state, tribal, and federal programs use these data, and they are critical factors in the basic research behind numerous policies, particularly for civil rights. Race data are used in planning and funding government programs that provide funds or services for specific groups.

These data are also used to evaluate government programs and policies to ensure that they fairly and equitably serve the needs of all racial groups and to monitor compliance with antidiscrimination laws, regulations, and policies.

The U.S. Census Bureau collects racial data in accordance with the 1997 Office of Management and Budget standards on race and ethnicity. The data on race are based on self-identification and the categories on the form generally reflect a social definition of race. The categories are not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically. Respondents can mark more than one race on the form to indicate their racial mixture.

https://www.census.gov/acs/www/about/why-we-ask-each-question/race/

C'mon, now. Use some critical thinking before you put "human".

[doc03]

10. If I am white, black or purple WTF does country of

origin have to do with anything? I could be black from England or any place else in the world. I could white and come from Africa. I put England, Ireland, Germany, France, Netherlands and Latvia.

[RussBLib]

23. if it is for statistical purposes, I could see it

but I don't trust the Trump administration further than I can spit, and I suspect they would use the data for some nefarious purpose. Oh, how low trust has sunk in govt.

[doc03]

28. I really don't see what my country origin would

be of any interest to them. I think they are more interested in where people of color come from
Like you say if Trump is involved something nefarious is behind it
I should have said the planet Volcan.

[Trueblue Texan]

30. with the monster in the Oval Office, I was using plenty of critical thinking

It already asked me about my race. Then it wanted to know about my origin. How would I even know, except what my parents told me? For all I know, my origins are from the entire globe. Therefore: human.

[GemDigger]

5. I put "14th generation American" and I printed it small enough that it would fit in the box.

I did not put what my race was.

It was because of that question that it sat here for 2 weeks before I touched it.

[Mariana]

6. The Censuses have been asking about race since 1790.

They've asked about origins, in one way or another, since 1850. It's reasonable for the government to collect demographic information. FTR, I answered American.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. I do not understand why this is such a big problem. The Census has always, in one way...

or another, counted race-- largely because we tend to make a big deal of it.

"We", as in this country. Since its origin.

Your personal origin is not important, but the racial and sociological makeup of the country is.

[Trueblue Texan]

31. It was the origin part that pissed me off.

[Dem4Life1102]

8. Actually ethnicity and race is important

It used as a guide for drawing congressional districts as well as state legislatures, city councils, etc. If you can you should revise your census form before sending it in.

[kimbutgar]

9. Mine asked what is the country of origin of your white ancestry

I refused to answer that question only put don’t know.

[Maeve]

11. I listed half of Europe

Starting with Ireland, of course. England, Wales, France, Germany...let 'em sort all that out.

[KPN]

12. None of the questions on the census would be

bothersome if we had a government that didn’t involve Republicans.

[RKP5637]

14. K&R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Trueblue Texan]

32. Exactly! how are they going to use this info against us?

[KPN]

39. They already are. For the uninformed, filling out and sending in the Census Survey is

the lowest priority on their list. At the same time, their rabid base has been pumped to the nth degree and it’s the last thing they’ll ignore. It’s already working to their ends.

[sarcasmo]

13. Looked like junk mail, originally put it in the shred pile.

Looked like junk mail on purpose.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

16. I gather that all the people who are complaining about that question never filled out a

census form before.

Didn't think we had that many very young people here.

But yeah, they've always asked about race. And the census is in the Constitution. At least no one here is screaming about it being Unconstitutional.

In 2010 I had one of those part time jobs with the census, looking over filled out forms and it was incredible how many people seemed to think that there had never been a census before.

Plus, if you're happy with your state being undercounted and maybe losing a seat in Congress, then heck, don't fill it out. Don't bother to vote either.

Otherwise, grow up and behave like a citizen.

[dawg]

18. No. You're missing the point. We expect to indicate our race on the census. That's normal.

I selected White, Non-Hispanic.

Then it wants to know what *kind* of white person you are. English? French? German?

Who the fuck knows? We're all a blend.

My surname is English, but I doubt I'm anymore English than French or German.

I just put "Northern European".

I guess "Aryan" is what they were fishing for.

[Mad cow]

20. I put Northern European

As well, but I probably should have said "Heinz 57" like we used to say when I was a kid.

[shanti]

38. LOL

My dad used to say he was Heinz 57 when I asked him that long ago. He would be amazed to hear what I found after taking a DNA test.

[rusty fender]

22. Who the fuck knows?

Anyone who has ever had an ancestry test done ✅

See: ancestry.com, 23andme, etc.

[dawg]

24. Yeah. I had one of those.

I have English, Irish, Western Europe, Iberian Peninsula, Scandinavia, and traces of N. Africa and S. Asia.

That wouldn't all fit into the block.

[krispos42]

26. If you don't know, then don't worry about it

I'm half Italian and then some other stuff, so I put down "Italian". Or maybe Italian and German; it was a couple of weeks ago, which feels like forever in this environment, and I don't remember exactly.

Anyway, that's the majority of my ethnic heritage. They don't expect you to put down a particular clan of a long-lost duchy of what is now Estonia.

Trump's an asshole. But this information will live as long as the country does, however long or short that is.

[Trueblue Texan]

33. I used to work for the Census.

I've filled out plenty. I've no recollection about questions about origin. Race, yes. What difference does my origin make? If I said Iran or Mexico, I'd be extremely nervous.

[snowybirdie]

17. Feel what you want

but there's a lot more to be pissed about than checking a dumb box.

[Trueblue Texan]

34. Good Lord.

[forest4qt]

21. origins not required to submit census

The origins question is not required. Census can be submitted without answering that question.

[dawg]

25. Wouldn't let me submit without answering.

I submitted online and I was forced to put something in that block.

[JonAndKatePlusABird]

40. It's a fakeout

I thought the exact same thing you did, that it was a required field, because I got the error and had the same experience as you.

Turns out, if you scroll back down and click NEXT one more time, it works, even if the field is blank.

So it IS possible to submit without further explanation. That said, that’s no excuse, since the way the form is currently set up is absolutely misleading. There are ways to create the form so that certain fields are indicated as optional.

[Trueblue Texan]

35. apparently they are.

YOu can't submit it with an empty field.

[msongs]

27. census is massively invasive and goes way beyond a count of the populace nt

[Staph]

29. I've recently done both Ancestry and 23 and Me.

It has helped me building a family tree, to trace all of those Heinz 57 ancestors of mine. And looking at the census data for those ancestors has been fascinating. I have tons of questions, about the great uncle who lived with his grandparents in West Virginia instead of his parents in upper New York state, and the distant cousin who lived with her aunt and uncle rather than her parents on the other side of the mountain.

Fill out the census and answer the silly questions to the best of your ability! Your descendants are counting on you!

[Trueblue Texan]

36. I know what you mean...

But I don't think this Census will answer any of those types of questions. It's basically name, address, do you rent or own and what's your race and origin. Nothing to trace for the next generations. And if you get your origin question wrong, it's really not helpful to future generations.

[Staph]

37. The origin info is just a guess for most people.

But to look at my grandparents' entries, to see that Pappy was laborer in a sawmill in Arkansas, then an oil well driller in Wyoming and then in California, and in Montana, and finally a restaurant owner in Montana.

Pappy died in 1952, before I was born, and none of his wives or children are still here. So to see that information gives me a sense of who he was.

[Trueblue Texan]

41. you will not find that kind of info on the 2020 Census

[mvd]

42. Like the other DUer, I could submit it online without..

answering origins. You have to go back and submit again. I didn’t feel like listing all those countries of origin even though it appears England and Italy make up the majority.