New Jersey student suspended for calling himself white, African, American

[Saddle Bronc 124]

On forms, when they ask for your ethnicity, that is different from your nationality, correct? And when it comes to those questions, they are trying to differentiate between ethnic minorities.

Which should be illegal. I don't think they ask that in Canada. Ask for ethnicity has no real purpose other than to segregate people.

Actually, Employment Centres do ask this--as perhaps some application forms (can't remember now, 16 years since I last filled one there).

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The reasoning behind the schools thing likely has to do with the idea that X many places need to be reserved to ensure adequate representation. Its an artificial measure, but the implicit reasoning behind it is not to keep other people out.

A private business choosing to not do business with a group of people is being implicitly exclusitory.

That said - all of these things happen to some degree.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Private Pike

[rclouse 0]

I should have my wife (naturalized US citizen) say she's African-American on the next survey. She's more African than any black person born here, after all.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

I think I'm going to start putting "German-Irish American" on surveys.

What?

[DeadPoolX 9]

On forms, when they ask for your ethnicity, that is different from your nationality, correct? And when it comes to those questions, they are trying to differentiate between ethnic minorities.

Which should be illegal. I don't think they ask that in Canada. Ask for ethnicity has no real purpose other than to segregate people.

Actually, Employment Centres do ask this--as perhaps some application forms (can't remember now, 16 years since I last filled one there).

Really? My wife's said she's never had to write down ethnicity. Maybe there are a few exceptions?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

On forms, when they ask for your ethnicity, that is different from your nationality, correct? And when it comes to those questions, they are trying to differentiate between ethnic minorities.

Which should be illegal. I don't think they ask that in Canada. Ask for ethnicity has no real purpose other than to segregate people.

Actually, Employment Centres do ask this--as perhaps some application forms (can't remember now, 16 years since I last filled one there).

Really? My wife's said she's never had to write down ethnicity. Maybe there are a few exceptions?

Nope. I worked in Canada for 6 years and not once was I asked for anything of the sort.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

When I was contracting with a government agency a few years back, I didn't put my ethnicity on their forms. Several HR people called in demanding I do so, but I refused. Then, the department head called me to her office and demanded that I not only fill in the form, but that I put myself down as White, which I am not. But, she believed I was, so that was what I was going to be. I held out until I left, but that was an interesting experience in how flummoxed bureaucrats become when you don't conform to their vision of how things are done.

"African-American" isn't patented or copyrighted to be used only by one group. Besides, a lot of Black people aren't African and don't relate to Africa at all. Even North Africans distinguish themselves from southern Africans. Its racist to insist that some people MUSt be race X and other people cannot be race X. This is just more liberal identity politics, anyway.

Edited May 12, 2009 by Barza Woman

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Here's a sample questionnaire for ethnicity:

[DeadPoolX 9]

Here's a sample questionnaire for ethnicity:

What if I answer "Half-Elf"?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Here's a sample questionnaire for ethnicity:

What if I answer "Half-Elf"?

There's no African American on there, nor is there just an African category. Maybe some questionnaires are poorly written, but I don't see how anyone would be confused as to what each category means.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Col. 'Bat' Guano

[Niels Bohr 72]

I highly doubt that he was harassed. They talk about different cultures and races all the time. In one classroom, you'll see an India, Chinese, Black, Latino, person...etc...It's not uncommon to encounter diversity in college or graduate college. Heck, there's more diversity on campus versus in high school.

Something went wrong with this kid. This is what I'm speculating.

[Peikko 1,575]

Here's a sample questionnaire for ethnicity:

What if I answer "Half-Elf"?

There's no African American on there, nor is there just an African category. Maybe some questionnaires are poorly written, but I don't see how anyone would be confused as to what each category means.

Why are there so many references to Britain and it's constituency in this Colonel? Did you nick it from some UK site?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I highly doubt that he was harassed. They talk about different cultures and races all the time. In one classroom, you'll see an India, Chinese, Black, Latino, person...etc...It's not uncommon to encounter diversity in college or graduate college. Heck, there's more diversity on campus versus in high school.

Something went wrong with this kid. This is what I'm speculating.

What's really weird about this story is that the school in question is a graduate school that specialises in medicine and dentistry courses.

Having your car vandalised and having insulting flyers distributed about you on campus is a bit high school.

Definitely sounds like a fishy story.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Private Pike

[DeadPoolX 9]

I highly doubt that he was harassed. They talk about different cultures and races all the time. In one classroom, you'll see an India, Chinese, Black, Latino, person...etc...It's not uncommon to encounter diversity in college or graduate college. Heck, there's more diversity on campus versus in high school.

Something went wrong with this kid. This is what I'm speculating.

What's really weird about this story is that the school in question is a graduate school that specialises in medicine and dentistry courses.

Having your car vandalised and having insulting flyers distributed about you on campus is a bit high school.

Definitely sounds like a fishy story.

To be fair, some people never leave the mindset of high school. Just because someone's a graduate student, that doesn't mean they can't -- and won't -- act immature.

[Peikko 1,575]

It does. It's pretty lame if a story adds to the tensions that already exist rather than simply commenting on them - which seems to be the aim of this. Still who knows?