Dos Lives

Does this look familiar?

√ American Indian or Alaska native

√ Asian or Pacific Islander

√ Hispanic

√ non-Hispanic black

√ non-Hispanic white

These five classifications were standardized in 1977 to promote affirmative action and keep an eye on discrimination, but, how can you limit your identity to just one box? This has been a topic on the weekly podcast and we’ll be discussing it again this Friday.

Starting in 2010, under Education Department rules approved two years ago, parents of children in school will be able to check all boxes that apply in a two-step questionnaire with reshaped categories.

This means you can be Black and Asian or White and American Indian, etc. Finally, we aren’t limited to just the one box.

Schools use this demographic data for all sorts of things from deciding budgets to setting-up programs for students. The number of Hispanic students is expected to grow under the new policy while the non-Hispanic black and white counts fall. Some people say this will make it harder to monitor progress of groups that have trailed in school, including black and Hispanic students, according to an article in the Washington Post.

What do you think?

Related posts:

1. ¿Who am I? U.S. Census Provides Solution to the Check Box Challenge
2. Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians added to “Melting Pot,” but it’s not being Stirred
3. Fast and Furous Wins at Box Office Gracias a los Latinos
4. ESL Classes: A Contemporary form of Segregation?
5. West Indian Pride Parade