Haley faces flak over “white” listing

[malaise]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2306099.ece
<snip>
Democrats have accused South Carolina's Indian-American Governor Nikki Haley of listing her race as “white” in her voter registration form in 2001 and playing on it for political convenience.

The 39-year-old Ms. Haley is also the first Indian-American woman Governor and, after Bobby Jindal from Louisiana, is only the second from the community to occupy this post.

The local Post and Courier newspapers reported that the State Democratic Party, which obtained the public record in this regard, is asking whether her inconsistency on the card made her ineligible to vote under a new law.

State Democratic Party chairman Dick Harpootlian said whether Ms. Haley listed her race as white or not did not really matter to him but the issue was that the Governor had shown a pattern of such actions. “Haley has been appearing on television interviews where she calls herself a minority — when it suits her,” Mr. Harpootlian was quoted as saying.

[Enrique]

1. im not consistent in how i answer that question

democrats are making a mistake and appearing out of touch. a lot of people out here arent sure which box to check and if democrats make this an issue they look like they dont know this.

[atreides1]

3. I've always been sure of which box to check

I was always an "other" in the Army, until they discovered that Pacific Islanders and those who identify as multiracial existed.

She's white when it was convenient, and she's a minority when it works in her favor...just like Jindal, another person ashamed of their ethnic heritage.

[Enrique]

5. but the box is just for statistical purposes

this doesnt even make sense as an issue. What exactly are they accusing her of? What advantage could she get from lying about her race on a voter registration card? This just looks like the democrats reminding people in South Carolina that a politician is not white.

[izquierdista]

10. Very important information

Just like whether you grandparents were Jewish. Only kept for statistical purposes.

[surrealAmerican]

2. They have you list your race on voter registration forms?

Why? Is this standard practice in other states too?

[atreides1]

4. It's South Carolina!

[marshall]

6. It's more accurate to use the term Caucasian

The majority of Indians are Caucasian, regardless of the coloring of their skin.

[baldguy]

7. I guess "human" isn't an option?

[sammytko]

8. not a follower of Haley, but there could be other reasons

The League of United Latin Amercan Citizens did this in 1936. They didn't want latinos to face instant discrimination just looking at a checked box. There might not be another box to check wherever she registerd.

1936
Pressured the U.S. Census Bureau to reclassify persons of Mexican descent from the designation of "Mexican" to "White". The 1940 census count reflected the change.

[dgibby]

9. She is not popular with either Dems or Repubs in SC,

so I think both groups will use whatever they can to discredit her. Big case of buyers remorse. I'm so glad I moved out of their this year. Sanford was more than I could possibly enjoy, and I predict she'll be even worse.