I posted this to my Facebook profile last night in an effort to get feedback...

Something to ponder:

I was updating my voter registration, (not sure why since the country is irrevocably fucked already, but I voted last year for the first time, and I just might do it again this year) and I am asked to select my RACE and my choices are: African American/Black, Asian, White, American Indian/Alaska Native, Multiracial, and Other. Next there is a box to select one's ETHNICITY and my choices are: Hispanic/Latino or Not Hispanic/Latino. 

First of all in "Race" I had the urge to select OTHER and write HUMAN RACE because even though I understand the definition of "race" and "ethnicity" the people who made this form may not. It seems to me that American Indian/Alaska Native and even African American are "ethnicity" rather than "race." According to sources (yes I had to look this up because I became immediately confused and doubted myself) race is determined by skin color/biology, but ethnicity is determined by culture. Yet the form only gives me two choices in Ethnicity.

In one of the most diverse countries of the world, I'm only given two choices for ethnicity. I don't think these categories are necessary at all because as long as I'm an American citizen and at least 18 I can vote. So what is the point of these questions if I'm not even given accurate choices?

update: since posting this I've received comments that perhaps these categories are for Census Bureau use, to which I replied that how can the CB possibly have accurate demographics information for the country when the questions are inaccurate to begin with. Also I've begun researching voter registration forms for other countries. So far in France and the United Kingdom neither of the forms ask the citizen for their race or ethnicity. The French are automatically registered to vote at the age of 18, and in the UK citizens are asked for their nationality since there is Scotland and Ireland to account for.


Oh America, the time is drawing near to when I must renounce my citizenship and leave the country for good. I love you, but I can't do it much longer. You ask so much, and give so little.