View Poll Results: How do you describe yourself?

Voters
50. You may not vote on this poll
  • American Indian

    0 0%
  • Asian

    4 8.00%
  • African American

    1 2.00%
  • Hispanic or Latino

    0 0%
  • White

    31 62.00%
  • Other

    14 28.00%
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Results 1 to 25 of 32
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Global
    Posts
    273

    Question for "Americans"

    Hello,

    Whenever this question comes up, be it on a survey or what, I always answer "other", and then pencil in "American". Just wondered what others think about this.

    Thanks
    Brian
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  2. #2
    I would probably do the same, but you negelected to put American. lol

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Global
    Posts
    273
    I neglected to put American because any survey I have ever taken neglects to put American. That is the point of putting "Other" and then writng in "American".

    I would like to see "American" as an option.

    Brian
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Melbourne Downunder
    Posts
    2,292
    golly I never get questions like this
    probably because I'm in Australia

    the ones that get me are

    what religion are you
    and
    what is your cultural background

    OK you want my bankcard number and my PIN ? my password ? what else ?

    drop dead !

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    Global
    Posts
    273
    I here ya' susannad...
    OK you want my bankcard number and my PIN ? my password ? what else ?
    Her in America we are always being taught that you should ignore a persons race... but then when you are being surveyed...be it a census, college applicatiion, survey, etc., we are always asked what race we are.

    Brian
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  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Brooklyn, NY
    Posts
    41
    I just check the "I prefer not to answer" box!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    North America
    Posts
    1,229
    Things I've pencilled in in the past:

    * mammal
    * enlightened
    * kind of champagne-beige

  8. #8
    lol reminds me of signing up for uni again, the number of options i could have ticked,
    white
    white english
    white british
    british english
    british irish
    white irish
    im seriously not kidding. i could have ticked about 5 or 6 options. its daft. i respect that for equal oppertunities purposes they have to collect the data, just wonder what they made of me ticking other and writing yorkshireish
    --
    Rich

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    New York
    Posts
    1,700
    I am purely Italian,however, I live in America and was born here. But I think the point of not putting in the "American" box is that, if you are taking a survey in america then chances are your american. So thats a given. Eventually we will be called Americans instead of Italian-American or w/e people are.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    The West
    Posts
    685
    You also have to consider that Canadians, Mexicans, etc. are also Americans. When you use a term this loosely who cares if you are referred to as white? I am only uncomfortable when such terms are used to ascertain qualification for scholarships, hiring quotas and such.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Edmonton, Canada
    Posts
    978
    I'm not American, eh?

    Rather than remove those census questions most countries have taken the opposite approach and started racially classifying everyone instead of no-one. I can understand cultural background - if you grew up muslim and maintain strong beliefs you probably wouldn't want to work in a bacon factory - but shouldn't you be allowed to take pride in your country?

    -Matt
    Last edited by RackNine; 10-21-2002 at 04:28 PM.
    Matt Meier, RackNine Inc.
    email: mmeier@racknine.com
    web: http://www.racknine.com

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Chandler, Arizona
    Posts
    2,564
    American indian (navajo) by birth (1/2) and darn well proud of it..
    -Robert Norton
    www.SophMedia.com

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Chandler, Arizona
    Posts
    2,564
    Originally posted by Neo3Net
    I am purely Italian,however, I live in America and was born here. But I think the point of not putting in the "American" box is that, if you are taking a survey in america then chances are your american. So thats a given. Eventually we will be called Americans instead of Italian-American or w/e people are.
    this is why america is called "the melting pot"
    -Robert Norton
    www.SophMedia.com

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    754
    Originally posted by RackNine
    I'm not American, eh?
    Well 'America' (and American) is also used in context of North America, as in, the other site of the ocean from UK/France/Spain etc.

    The 'Americas' are between the pacific and atlantic oceans. America is just the name of the continent

    ie even in name they say United States of America

    -Dunno why i typed all that @()$&)
    -Chris
    "There are 10 kinds of people; those who understand binary, and those who don't."

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Silver Spring, Maryland
    Posts
    256
    *looks in the mirror*

    I'm one of them crazy white folk.

  16. #16
    Originally posted by mina_babe
    I just check the "I prefer not to answer" box!
    Meaning "I don't feel like it, let's just get on with this survey/test/questionairre/application/etc."
    Get your web design questions answered: Web Design Forums at http://www.turtletips.com/forums/ ; vBulletin Board of the Month.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    Cheltenham
    Posts
    2,618
    there are currently 27 different 'diversities' on the local council employer surveys. what ever happened to just being British?
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  18. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2001
    Posts
    857
    I think most of us just have to put in other and write, "Hienz 57", "mutt", or something else referring to a mix of 5 or more things...
    <?
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  19. #19
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Edmonton, Canada
    Posts
    978
    Originally posted by Mester
    Well 'America' (and American) is also used in context of North America, as in, the other site of the ocean from UK/France/Spain etc.
    Well, you'll always be American to me

    I'm proud to be Canadian. Colder winters, better beer, and chesterfields. If it weren't for the fact we pay 10x for fiber it'd be perfect! Americans are also awesome, but there is a distinctly unique awesome defining us far northerners (which may include Alaska!).

    -Matt
    Matt Meier, RackNine Inc.
    email: mmeier@racknine.com
    web: http://www.racknine.com

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Kelowna B.C.
    Posts
    1,686
    Oh Canada!
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  21. #21
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    93
    American Indian? African American?
    how'bout.. "I'm American American"
    WYSIWYG

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jun 2001
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    896
    How about human? Of course there are a few exceptions I'm sure. But, honestly, doesn't that make more sense? I think the point of this thread is that there are too many generalizations and for this I agree. People like to be specific with who they are and where they are from. Governments also like to break down population percentages. I just prefer to be considered one in the same as others.
    - Mark

  23. #23
    Originally posted by Rotifer
    I am only uncomfortable when such terms are used to ascertain qualification for scholarships, hiring quotas and such.
    Affirmative Action does not define quotas. For a while I went around all "anti-AA" because it was decreasing my chances for getting a job. But then I realized that my chances of getting a job were inflated because I'm white.

    Originally posted by iceishot.com
    Her in America we are always being taught that you should ignore a persons race... but then when you are being surveyed...be it a census, [...] we are always asked what race we are.
    That's because it's a census (i.e. a look at the population, how many toilets you have and what color your skin is).

    Race is here as a definining characteristic just like gender, age, location, education level, etc.
    Colin

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Sweden
    Posts
    2,059
    I've been playing around with Earthling or Tellusian... but then I don't live in the US.
    "Stop flame-wars - Report a post"
    The original Kitty Lizard

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Arizona, USA
    Posts
    544
    On the last census I put human. I don't see people as any thing else.

    Dogma, Affirmative Action does define quotas. I'm in the construction industry and whenever we do a government funded project the Davis/Bacon Act kicks in. With that our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policy must state that we do not discriminate in our hiring practices yet, somehow, we are supposed to achieve predefined percentages of minorities or we are in violation of the Act and could lose the contract. It's absurd.
    Feelings are not tools for rational thought.

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