Does anybody else not know what they are?

[Richie12345]

I had to take a test for high school and had to write what my race was... I wasn't too sure what to put. My mother was born in south america but her grandmother is from italy, and before that came from the middle east (I think). And my dad's family is canadian, native american, british, and I'm sure a load of other stuff...

I just put that I was latino. I'm curious about what I'm suppose to put in as race though, how far am I suppose to go? where do I mark the line? lol

 

[Aussie Red]

I do know my background Richie but I really wish they would just quit asking that question. Who really cares ? America is America and I am going to start answering American. They can glean from that what they will lol

 

[mrose_s]

I'm australia, born here, therefore I am.

Though I know my ancenstors are english, irish, scottish, german and spanish and probably some other things. I was told my last name was scottish but it sounds Spanish to me. Either way, its a cool name eventhough no-one can spell it.
They only race questiosn we get here are "are you aboriginal or torres straight islander?"

 

[puppydog]

If I was asked what race I am I would just put Human Race.
It is not consitutionally correct to ask that in my country though.

 

[HoundedByHounds]

I am bi-racial...my father was black and my mother is hispanic. I always mark two but if I can only pick one I pick hispanic.

 

[Renee750il]

Well, a couple of times I was in a strange mood and on the line where it said other, I wrote in "to the other end of the hall and back"

No one ever said a word to me about that one, lol!

I think they're just trying to figure out which sport to make you play

 

[HoundedByHounds]

Tho my kiddos are half white and 1/4 each "me"...we put Hispanic on all Lily's school things because quite honestly...you get more chances at scholarships that way...I know that's a sore spot for many folks but my kid needs to go to college and we plan to have the $$$ but if she qualifies for a scholarship....I'm fine with that, too!

 

[Xerxes]

I've checked "other" and listed French, Irish, English, German American before. Keep 'em guessing!

 

[Gempress]

I've always had problems with those darned race things. My mother is Filipino and my father is hispanic. Drives me nuts how they want to make you pick one or the other. What bothers me is that even if there's a multi-racial option, they usually still want you to name your "primary" race, followed by "additional" races. If you're 50/50, how in the heck can you even have a "primary" race??

LOL, my husband is German. Our kids are going to have a heck of a time.

 

[AndrewF]

I remember a friend I used to work with years ago. The nicest guy you could ever hope to speak with. He was about 70 at the time and had stories from back when he lived in India.

One of the stories that he passed along was he had to take his son into the hospital for some reason. On the admittance form it asked for the race.

Apparently, Stan's answer caused a bit of confusion. He wrote "Human".

 

[Dreeza]

Richie...if you have native american in you, i would def put that down!!! huge on scholarships and stuff like that!!! I think you have to be at least 1/8th though.

European usually doesnt count for anything cause most people *are* european. My parents both were born and raised in Czechoslovakia, and that doesn't make me special at all...just makes me "Caucasian"

 

[Jules]

Thanks, Dreeza... being French, German... whatever is not a "race". If you're born here... you're born here. Why is it so hard for people to announce that they are "Americans"? If you're so proud of your country. I know this has nothing to do with "race"... still.. it ticks me off.

I still don't get why people insist of being 10% this and 10% that. I meet people who tell me they are "Germans" on a daily basis. I get enlightened and start talking German with them and they look at me like a deer in headlights. Actually speak it? Ever been there? No anything about it? Noooooo.... but we're German.

Just like my MIL, whose Grandfather was German... she's the specialist. Tells me that Germans eat cake for breakfast everyday and hang Christmas Pickles in their Christmas tree! Ridiculous!

 

[HoundedByHounds]

I am proud of both being American and being a person of color. Both. One need not give up one to celebrate the other.

My children's paternal great grandpa, now deceased immigrated here from Germany, and my DH has family there still, whom we've met when they visited. He is an American of German heritage.

On a lighter note...I lost my virginity (he planted a flag and everything...KIDDING) to a German, and that in addition to my husband's roots of course, means I've got a little German in me as well. LMAO.

 

[Richie12345]

Tho my kiddos are half white and 1/4 each "me"...we put Hispanic on all Lily's school things because quite honestly...you get more chances at scholarships that way...I know that's a sore spot for many folks but my kid needs to go to college and we plan to have the $$$ but if she qualifies for a scholarship....I'm fine with that, too!

Yup, that's exactly why I put hispanic, or latino or whatever.

I used to get really mad that there would be those stupid race questions. I just hope one day people of different races will be treated EQUALLY rather than being divided into groups and giving one or two breaks for their skin color.

 

[squirtsmom]

Human, i think.

 

[Dreeza]

Thanks, Dreeza... being French, German... whatever is not a "race". If you're born here... you're born here. Why is it so hard for people to announce that they are "Americans"? If you're so proud of your country. I know this has nothing to do with "race"... still.. it ticks me off.

I still don't get why people insist of being 10% this and 10% that. I meet people who tell me they are "Germans" on a daily basis. I get enlightened and start talking German with them and they look at me like a deer in headlights. Actually speak it? Ever been there? No anything about it? Noooooo.... but we're German.

Just like my MIL, whose Grandfather was German... she's the specialist. Tells me that Germans eat cake for breakfast everyday and hang Christmas Pickles in their Christmas tree! Ridiculous!

ahh well said.

In spain, my roomie would do that...we were living with italians, and she told them that she was italian...when they started inquiring further about it, it turned out that it was like her great, great, great, great grandma. They looked at her like she was so stupid...when she complained about it to me (i was htere when it happened), she got real mad when i offered her zero sympathy. She just couldnt understand why people don't care that her great great great relative just happened to be from a different country (this happened on MORE than one occasion, and she never got it...)

 

[ToscasMom]

I think they do it for statistics. Like if it's a survey they can say that such and such percent of White People think this way but such and such percent of African Americans think this way..blah blah blah. Next time, just check "Other" and write "What's it to ya?" in there. Or write in "Illegal Alien".

 

[Laurelin]

I have about every European country possible in me plus a bit of this and that for flavor, I suppose. I'm a sixteenth native American, but that doesn't count for much. And my great grandfather was half (?) Mexican... supposedly. My grandma was an orphan so it's hard to trace.

But I look about as white as you get. I just mark white as I suppose that's fair.

But, I'm a ninth generation Texan on my dad's side, so can I put 'Texan'as my race? lol (I have a lot more pride for my state than my country or race)

side note,this keyboard's space bar is annoying...itkeepsgettingstuck and i have to pound it repeatedly or i'll typelike this.