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Re: Identifying Race
J Cook (0002019573@MCIMAIL.COM)
Wed, 31 Jul 1996 07:49:00 EST
-- [ From: Jesse S. Cook III * EMC.Ver #2.3 ] --
-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------
Date: Tuesday, 30-Jul-96 11:08 AM
From: Chuck Coker \ Internet: (cjcoker@cris.com)
From: Chuck Coker \ Internet: (cjcoker@cris.com)
To: Multiple recipients of list ANTHRO-L \ Internet:
(anthro-l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu)
Subject: Identifying Race
The "Any thoughts?" thread made me think of this. When I registered my
daughter to start Kindergarten in September, the school papers kept asking for
her race, but each time said it was optional to check a box. I asked the school
secretary about this and she said that if I don't check a box, they will check
"White".
So far as I know, my daughters only race is Human, but that wasn't a choice.
Looking at her ancestry, I see (using stereotypical labels) Cherokee, Apache,
Zapotec, Mexican, Black, and White. Now which box should be checked? (I ruled
out Asian, BTW.) I am quite sure that she is not the only kid with parents,
grandparents, etc. that have different shades of skin and/or come from
different countries.
In the end, I decided, "Well, she was born in America, and has never been out
of the country; that must make her 'Native American'."
------- REPLY, End of original message --------
You shouldn't have "ruled out Asian". The so-called "Native americans" came
over from Asia sometime before 12,000 years ago. And that includes all the
"stereotypical labels" you listed except "Black and White". They, of course,
came over some time later.
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