"Negro" on Census Form Called Offensive

(CBS)  The use of the term "negro" on the government's 2010 census form has offended some members of the black community in the New York metropolitan area, CBS News station WCBS-TV in New York reported Thursday.

The form - created by the U.S. Census Bureau and approved by Congress more than a year ago - allows people to identify themselves as "negro" during the government's decennial population count for the United States, WCBS-TV reports.

Respondents for the form can check a box identifying themselves as "negro," "African American" and "black." All three terms appear next to the same box.

"The fact that it's 2010 and they're still putting 'negro,' I am a little offended," Secaucus, N.J., resident Dawud Ingram told WCBS-TV. "African Americans haven't been going by the term 'negro' for decades now. It's really confusing."

Census officials told WCBS-TV that the term was added to this decade's form after some respondents - primarily older blacks - wrote "negro" on the form in 2000.

But Chanou Wilshire told WCBS-TV she found the inability to choose one term over another to be "highly offensive."

The bureau, which operates under the Commerce Department, is considering whether to remove the term for the next census in 2020.

Local Video from CBS 2 HD in New York

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[biger-e]

So is Charlize Theron an Afican American? She was born in Africa and became a US citizen in 2007. Funny, she doesn't look like an African American.

[Onmyjobke]

In Africa she is white and in America she is white. If you want to be specific, maybe European African American.

[970975]

forget about race when are we going to start defining people more on there other physical characteristics? I want to known as a bald-headed american!

[Chandelere]

as many have already stated. an african american is someone who was born in africa and is now a citizen of the usa. By no means am i offended by the word negro. in fact i believe that is the proper term for us. black which is a verb not even a color and most of the time used in the negative sense (black sheep, black ball, black cat, black male, etc)if you want to be politically correct. i am a person not a verb. i don't think it should matter the generation i am in my twenty's and the last time i checked i was born in america. i love where i came from and very proud of ancestors and culture. we just need to except who we are and stop dwelling on the past...

[MPHgrad]

black is an adjective (i.e. describes a noun) a verb shows action.

[justus2020]

Not to offend you, but I think you being in your 20's has a lot to do with your comment. We have been Black, Colored, Negro, The N word, African American and whatever else THEY want to classify us as.
Also,you are absolutely right you were born in America, but by no means are you just an AMERICAN.

[Chandelere]

as many have already stated. an african american is someone who was born in africa and is now a citizen of the usa. By no means am i offended by the word negro. in fact i believe that is the proper term for us. black which is a verb not even a color and most of the time used in the negative sense (black sheep, black ball, black cat, black male, etc)if you want to be politically correct. i am a person not a verb. i don't think it should matter the generation i am in my twenty's and the last time i checked i was born in america. i love where i came from and very proud of ancestors and culture. we just need to except who we are and stop dwelling on the past...

[Berkeley-SkirtLifter]

by heavynne January 7, 2010 1:30 PM EST
""I am a black woman, born in America. ...I was somewhat offended by African American because I don't know of anyone in my family tree who actually came from there""
__________

ok ... here's an idea ... and it's all bad.

Let's divide Americans into two groups.

If you believe in Creationism, you are an Eden-American (Because ALL of your ancestors came from Eden)

If you believe in Evolution, you are an African-American. Because all of you descended from "Lucy", your oldest relative, and she lived in Africa.

Caveat #1: Eden-Americans might also be referred to as Turkish-Americans because this dude Noah was the last man on earth. He wound up in Turkey after a few rainy weeks, and procreated with his daughters to produce all Turkish-Americans, or Eden-Americans.

Caveat #2: African-Americans Have to include some hominids in there family tree. Sorry 'bout that. But this Lucy was kinda ape-ish. Lucy's offspring evolved into humans and some apes. Don't take it personally.

***

If you don't believe in Creationism or Evolution, consider yourself Un-American, or maybe even Canadian!! ;)

[MPHgrad]

LOL!

[jckbrn-2009]

I am offended that they are offended - - anybody care to make me feel better? ! ?
What silliness ! !
Facts are facts - - and offense is ridiculous ! !
Get a life and celebrate the wonder of it ! !

[heavynne]

I am a black woman, born in America. I am not offended by the word Negro, but I wish whoever makes these decisions would make up their minds. I was somewhat offended by African American because I don't know of anyone in my family tree who actually came from there, I know somewhere down the line we did, but I also have another whole family down in Louisiana who is Caucasian. I would just love to see the day when we are all just Americans.

[cidaia]

slownewsday, you use accusations of bigotry to hide the fact that your arguments can't stand up to scrutiny. That's why the Democratic party's ideas are still stuck in 1971...Democrats can't handle feedback.

[consciousnes]

Get over it people, "Negro" is Spanish for "Black", an educated Black person would know that. Also in these times with so many Spanish speaking people "FLOODING" the United States, everyone taking the censes has to know what the questions are and there will be a lot of Spanish speaking people helping to take the censes..
Wake up, this is the 21st century and we don't have slaves working on plantations any more.
If your not proud to be "Negro" or "Black" then move to somewhere where you feel comfortable.

[Onmyjobke]

That's far reaching. I don't remember any other words being interpreted into Spanish. Some spanish speaking people consider themselves white, but where was "Blanco" on the census form. Yeah...

[lawyertom1]

Lots of silliness. The only individuals with whom I am acquainted who still use the term Negro to describe themselves are usually elderly. Most young and middle aged individuals I deal with, socially and professionally, use the term black; a very few, African-American. I personally do not like the term "white", because I am not; my skin tone (as though that matters in terms of anything) is pinkish. I usually use the term Caucasian just to tweak questioners. Some of the younger individuals with whom I deal professionally whose parents or grandparents are from the PRC or Japan use the term Asian, especially those that are third generation-plus, rather than Chinese, Japanese, or that old racist favorite, Yellow. [I have never seen anyone who is yellow, unless they have jaundice.] Since skin tone is dictated by variations in one gene, and since it makes no difference at all in terms of who we are, the whole thing is rather ridiculous. Why hold on to concepts that are so primitive? A few facts just to liven things up. The current "Japanese" (the majority living in Japan) are ethnically from Korea and migrated to the islands long ago, displacing the true Japanese natives (who migrated there several thousand years before that). Most "Native Americans" are immigrants from parts of Siberia, depending on whose genetic testing you believe; that is still a fascinating debate to watch. [Actually, it is likely the "original inhabitants" of Japan were here in North America before the so-called Native Americans, but not in any great number.] We are all literally out of Africa. We are all one people.