Ethnic makeup of DU

[cally]

I'm curious about the ethnic makeup of DU. Do we reflect the average voting population?

[billyskank]

1. I assume that

since you said "african american" rather than "african," that you are only interested in American du-ers, correct?

[cally]

OOOOps...sorry

No, I'm not. I just wasn't thinking. I have three categories left. Suggestions?

[billyskank]

13. OK, so for "african-american," we read "of african origin."

Make it more general. Suggestion: "asian" is a very large category. That to me means everything from indians to chinese. Might want to split that up, say "asian" means orientals - chinese, korean, etc., and have a new group, "asian subcontinent" which could include indians, pakistanis, bangladeshis etc.

Do you reckon there are any aboriginal australians on DU?

[ButterflyBlood]

15. Does that include Afrikaners though?

I've always wondered if they classify as white.

[billyskank]

21. Aren't Afrikaners descended from the Dutch?

If so, then "caucasian" should cover it. But I may be wrong!

[TAH6988]

35. The problem

is that the pollster asked for "ethnic background," then used a geographical term (African) to describe a "race." You can't do that.

[Cheswick2.0]

58. I thought we call came to the realization long ago

that there are no seperate races, only separate ethnicities? We are all the human race right?

[TAH6988]

59. Scientists

still use the word race. Sorry, but I tend to go along with that if the poll uses Caucasian which is a race, not an ethnic group.

[Snow]

68. Actually, I'm a population scientist, epidemiologist to be precise,

and we don't use 'race' any more. SOme of my journals even say that if ethnicity is a part of a research article, there has to be a damn good explanation why.....

[TAH6988]

75. Is that a

a political decision or a sudden realization that there are no "races?"

[Snow]

94. The general consensus runs like this....

"race is not a biologic construct". Also, in countries of mixed people like the US, there's as much variation within 'races' as there is between 'races'.

Further, the general feeling is that it really doesn't help you to say something about race for two principle reasons...
1) as public health practitioners, the idea is that when you find a causal association you're supposed to do something about it, and often finding an association with 'race' leads people to sort of throw up their hands in resignation. Witness the association of being black & male with attention-deficit disorder.

2) 'race' is most often a proxy - a substitute - measure of something else. If you want to be an effective public health practitioner, get at the root cause, not something like race or SES.

[Cheswick2.0]

79. really, so is latino a race too?

Or Asian, Non Hispanic white, pacific islander?

I think I am correct when I say that scientists now agree and socialogists concur that we are all the same race.

[TAH6988]

88. No, and that's my point!

Race and ethnic groups are not the same thing. I'd like to stop using them altogether!

[lapislzi]

82. Afrikaners are of European origins

Mostly Dutch and French Huguenots

[cally]

18. I agree with your suggestions and I should have done it your way

However, to change it now seems biased. Maybe in a few days or weeks I will try again with your categories. They are much better.

[billyskank]

22. Never mind! n/t

[TAH6988]

24. Perfect demonstration

of how silly it is to lump people into categories.

[billyskank]

27. If you wanted to fully and accurately categorize people.

you'd need about six billion boxes, I reckon.

[TAH6988]

31. Precisely N/T

[Snow]

36. Reminds me of the operatic voice category, "Dramatic Coloratura Soprano"

has one inhabitant - Dame Joan Sutherland!

by the way, you said nothing about mixed ethnicity people - includes my kids and several of my siblings.

[rasputin1952]

64. Not to sound faecious...

but most of us around today have learned that race and ethnicity are interchangeable.

This may indeed change in the future, but for now, I think your poll is just fine. What I find disturbing, is that far fewer categories are answering than caucasian; hopefully this is not a trend; after all, we arte party af all people.

:hi:

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

90. don't kid yourself, DU is almost all white

That's pretty representative of the candidates that are popular here as well.

[TAH6988]

16. Maybe you should

have used Black instead of African American. "Other nationality/ Not US, any ethnic background" as a category kinda defeats the purpose of your poll. For example if I were a Black Englishman, I would have to choose "other nationality," but that tells you nothing about my ethnic background.

[bunk76]

2. I have been told,im pretty fly ........

for a white guy,so I have that going for me.

:evilgrin:

[StopTheMorans]

3. kick

n/t

[Nazgul35]

4. how's about human....

for a category....no? OK than...

[sexybomber]

7. yeah, jeez

that was my initial reaction too!

[Romulus]

5. you need an "other" category

or at least an ability to choose more than one.

Or else I can't vote. :shrug:

[Bandit]

72. There is an "other" catagory

I voted in this catagory. It says please explain so I am a Mongrel, A human, no identifiable race other than human.

[TAH6988]

77. There wasn't one

when she first started the poll...

[ComerPerro]

6. Add one more white guy to the tally

Its early

[TAH6988]

8. What?

No catagory for "other" or for those who are "mixed-race?"

[ButterflyBlood]

9. interesting

it appears DU is more white than Democratic voters on a whole.

[VermontDem2004]

11. Only 40 people weighed in

there are over 27,000 Members at DU.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

10. so.... when's the gender poll?

yawn.....

[cally]

12. Interesting question

I'll post one.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. Don't forget...

Male, female, Trans.....???? :)

[theboss]

14. We're like a Dean campaign rally

Pass the mayo, dudes.

(Sorry. I'm sorry. But, come on, you laughed. A little.)

[VermontDem2004]

19. I know what you mean

[ComerPerro]

20. I did laugh, I admidt

That is the only thing he needs work on.

[VermontDem2004]

26. I was watching "On the Road With Howard Dean"

on C-span and they just basically showed him and the sleepless summer tour or whatever the title of it was and there were people all over the ethnic backgrounds, plus there were alot of senior citizens there. This whole thing about only white people showing up to his rallys is either a lie or just a myth.

[ComerPerro]

32. Well, I know its not only white people

I have seen many minorities at meetups and at rallies. But when the camera pans, the crowd seems noticably white.

The main thing Dean needs to work on is the image that his supports are on average mostly white. A lot of this has to do with getting the word out that minorities support his run.

He just has to be careful that he does so tastefully.

[theboss]

46. Of course it's an exaggeration

But it is based partly on truth (which Dean himself has acknowledged). Dean is obviously the choice of the white, internet-savvy liberal at the moment. I assume his demographics will change eventually.

I was just making a funny.

[KoKo]

91. Keep this poll kicked for a few days....we have many non Caucasions here..

and not everyone is here everyday all the time. Need to keep this one going to try to get more replies.

I refuse to believe that there is such a big imbalance as the first numbers suggest!

[radwriter0555]

23. I'm flesh colored....

you figure it out.

[patdem]

56. HEY....MEE TOO! we are of the same background...both flesh colored

and my cats are hair colored...my beloved dog was also hair colored...I loved her more than any flesh color I have ever met...but alas she has gone. :(

[TahitiNut]

61. Gee, that's my favorite people colo(u)r!

Go figure! :thumbsup:

[bpilgrim]

25. not suprising... we're a bunch of 'rich' white folk.

well, till everyone else knocks off... but we will still have the lead.

peace

[messiah]

28. I'm I the only African American???

:wtf:

[Mari333]

29. ACCORDING TO our mitochondrial dna

we are all related to a group of women from AFRICA.
Human Genome Project.
I like the idea we are all related.

[TahitiNut]

62. Ubetcha, cousin!

That's my kind of "family values". :loveya:

[Robin Hood]

30. What race does Romanian fall under?

I don't know.

[ComerPerro]

33. Probably white

But whatever you want it to be.

I don't spend too much time obsessing over it.

[ButterflyBlood]

34. Caucasian I'm sure

n/t

[WoodrowFan]

37. Aren't they desended from Vulcans?

oh, wait, that's Romulian! Never mind.

[Robin Hood]

89. lol..

I'll take Romulian.

[sangh0]

38. What, no ARABS??????

.

[WoodrowFan]

39. 85 white, 22 not white

That's about 20 more non-Whites than the Freepers have...

[Catherine Vincent]

40. My birth certificate says Colored, what category does that fall under?

Just kidding...:)

[TAH6988]

41. Are you from Louisiana?

Curious

[Catherine Vincent]

53. Why yes I am. Born in Lafayette.

[TAH6988]

57. Born in New Orleans

and my birth certificate says the same thing...

[blazinjason]

42. Thanks for including the Native Americans in the poll.

The numbers here are quite interesting.

BJ

[wuushew]

43. Not to start a flame war but what is the correct term for Native American?

I got into a big argument with one of stupid and slightly conservative friends with the definition of that word.

My contention is that anyone born on the continent of North or South America is a "Native American". When referring to what most people call "Native American" or "American Indian" would not a more correct term be to call them a member of ____ (fill in the blank) tribe or nation. Since this would be an appropriate term for both tribal affiliation and most likely ethnicity/genetic makeup as well?

[sangh0]

44. Native American

My contention is that anyone born on the continent of North or South America is a "Native American".

So you would deny that the black people who were born in this country are black? You would say they are, like many whites, etc "Native Americans"?

Your definition is one of "place of birth" and not "ethnicity". This poll is about ethnicity, not place of birth.

[TAH6988]

49. Again, this debate

shows what happens when you try to label people. By strict definition, "Native American" means one who is a native to America (i.e., born in America). It's just that a few decades back, somone decided to use it to mean an entire ethnic group. No wonder I hate labels.

[Maple]

55. We had the same problem

in Canada when we moved from 'Indians' to 'Native Canadians'..or 'Natives'

'Aboriginal' was then popular for a time, but seems to have died out.

Currently it's evolved to 'First Nations people... or person'

So far, everyone seems cool with that...and it's not confusing like 'native' was.

[sangh0]

69. By "strict definition"

"jumbo shrimp" means "large tiny"

[TAH6988]

73. Only if you use the correct

definition of "shrimp" to start with -- you are not. :-)

[sangh0]

81. AHA! So you do know about

"common usage"

But that doesn't stop you from using the "strict definition" ploy, much as fundamentalists cherish their "literal interpretation" of the Bible.

[TAH6988]

85. No that isn't "common usage"

Shrimp has disparte "strict definitions." He chose to use the wrong one. He chose to use the definition relating to size, not the definition relating to the animal.

[sangh0]

86. AHA! So you do know about

"common usage"

But that doesn't stop you from using the "strict definition" ploy, much as fundamentalists cherish their "literal interpretation" of the Bible.

[TAH6988]

87. Your record stuck?

[sangh0]

96. The strict definition of "record"

makes me wonder how my "record" can be "stuck"

[Q]

45. Why do you 'need' to know?

- Frankly...it's none of your business and is irrelevant to discussing politics.

[blazinjason]

51. ?

irrelevant to discussing politics???

What world are you in? It's a very good question, and one that Zogby polls on all the time. This is about diversity and inclusion of ALL voters including many groups.


BJ

[maveric]

47. I'm Sicilian/Irish. Is that considered white? Not according to my ...

WASP aquaintances.
:shrug:

[Monte Carlo]

52. Well, the Irish are the blacks of Europe, and the Sicilians...

... have never been lily white, I'd say no. I agree, this poll is WASP biased. There needs to be a Catholic vote. Bias, bias I say! :)

[muriel_volestrangler]

63. The Irish are the blacks of Europe

... and the Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland, and the North Siders are the blacks of Dublin ... so say it loud -- I'm black and I'm proud

[ComerPerro]

48. Imagine if this were a Poll of Free Republic

"Freep this poll. I know we are all white, but we need some of you to say you are black, some of you to be hispanic, and we need some asians too."

They would have their memebership end up as 3% white.

[sujan]

50. move to lounge

[leftofthedial]

54. voted caucasian

15/16 Euromutt, 1/16 Native American

[gemini_liberal]

60. oops

I didn't read it all the way through. I voted caucasian, and realised there was one for "non-US" I actually am non-American, so please discount one of the caucasian votes. Damn, my brain is taking a holiday today! ;)

[creativelcro]

65. ?

No Pacific Islenders... Then why does the bar even show up?? -CV

[Samaka 3ajiba]

66. Please Explain?

It always perplexed me why US government forms (and therefore the poll which seems modeled after them) don't consider "Arab" to be an ethnicity. It is. And while many "Arabs" can be of other ethnicities, the same applies for Latinos which the US government gives a category of their own.

???

[TAH6988]

67. Good Point

Which goes to show there are/can be 100s of ethnicities, and trying to lump everyone into one simply ethnic group is foolish at best. It's time to do away with labeling people in this manner. IMHO.

[sangh0]

70. Confusing race with ethnicity

seems to be problem for some people.

[SmileyBoy]

71. I'm half Turkish and half Finnish.

Don't know if that makes me white or not.

[Terwilliger]

74. bunch o white people!

:P

[GoGo1]

76. Diversity/ethnic makeup of DU.

The results are startling.

[Catherine Vincent]

78. I don't think it's startling.

Whites are still the majority in this country.

[GoGo1]

80. Yes, your correct.

And it's sad.

[TSElliott]

83. Why's it sad?

n/t

[GoGo1]

95. Well, I would like to have seen a higher number for

some of the different groups mentioned. Internet activism is an important component of the election process of today.

[bearfan454]

84. My ancestors come from Spain

[Plaid Adder]

92. Not surprising.

I always kinda suspected we were mighty white. Something about the way threads dealing with racial issues seem to drop like rocks around here, unless they are deliberately inflammatory.

Personally, I blame the internet; still too pale and too male after all these years.

Alas,

The Plaid Adder

[ulysses]

97. yup

(he said, adding another pale male to the pile...)

[Hand]

93. Mixed...

Dad was Jewish, Mom was Nisei (Japanese-American). Interesting mix, neh? They met in Berkeley in the mid 1930's, but couldn't get married there because of the anti-misgenation laws that Wm. Randolph Hearst and the Loyal Sons of the Golden State pushed into existence. They were designed to prevent people like me.

Consequently, I like to think that every breath I take fans the flames burning the bastards in hell.

:evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: :evilgrin: