national
Multicultureal identity
may be future recourse
in the national Census
■ AMCESTRY: Supporters
of government change to
the Census will march
July 20 in Washington
IM RHAM. N C (API - When
her fifth grade teacher asked «tu
ttenls to rats# tlnnr hands to iden
tity themselves by race. Mltti
Carter raised her hand twice
ont o for black and one for Asian
'She stopped and said. 'Mitxi.
von r an t raise your hand for
l»oth,‘" malls Carter, whose
father is black and whose moth
er is Japanese
The class laughed
”1 felt like an idtot.” Carter
says. "It shaped how 1 identified
myself through middle school
and high school “
The identity she assumed
white grow ing up in Houston was
black. Mom recently, tile 22 v«ir
old senior at Duke t mvetsity ha*
identified herself as both black
and Japanese.
That idea — that people with
more than one rar e in their antes
try an identify themselves that
way — sounds simple enough.
But those who prefer a multira
cial identification have problem*
when it comes to filling out some
government forms, particularly
the Census,
Many plan to iom a Julv 20
march In Washington to support
a change in Census forms
The government is at least con
stdenng a change from the cur
rent choices ol white, black,
American Indian, Asian or Pacif
ic island or other
The Office of Management ami
Budget i* in charge of deciding
what racial choice* am listed on
government forms, and air»-»dv
has sought comment on trial
forms for the 2000 cennulthat
include a multiracial choice
One problem with devising
new C ensus forms is that exist
ing laws setting up benefits
require certain rai tai data
“The definition of multiracial
would blur torn* of Bums enforce
ment issues,” OMB spoke*
woman Sally Rat ran said Sun
day.
"W* have learned, not sur
prisingly. that is much more
complicated than a simple yes
or no," she said,
OMB hope* to make a dec s
sion on whether to use the new
forms by early too?. Katran
said
Jennifer Calloway, the moth
er of three racially nosed cbil
dren in Raleigh, said she's
received copies of some of the
test forms and was asked which
ones she prefers
She adamantly supports the
idea of« new choice on ( onset*
form* because she fuels tt
would help mutter* ia) children
"iA multiracial identification!
is a step toward doing away
with the w hole conc ept of rata.”
says march organiser Charles
Michael ffvrd of New York City
the 43-year-old son of a black
woman and a white man.
Response to the march plan
has been good but not over
whelming. Byrd says
Some people say a multiracial
checkoff cm Census forms could
cause problems
For esatuple, if fewer people
identify t hem cel v •>« as bid* k, the
fnveminent could use those
uwer numbers to cut back on
programs that help minorities
Stephanie Ma*on shares those
fears The daughter of a white
mother ami a black father, she
considers Herself black
"I'm a little afraid there are
people that could use a shift in
thow number* t© make them
selves look very gracious and
egalitarian and also to diminish
the voice of black America,
said Mason, 24 of Chape! HiU
“It look' at rac« not as a bio
logical concept, hut more as a
social, political culture) con
t opi Mason said
bethf
Emerald
Tfw Ortgtr Omfy fmrakt m independent student newspaper
at Sw UnwerSty of Oregon « tccepfmg ipfwcafsons for t*w
posffion of Kdeor tor r* 1996-9? academe year
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An undMUMe mN W IMKW Oy W Ap ••■
19-year-old tourist shot in pay phone
■ SLAYING 300 garnered
for the memorial Of Mark
Fyke, who was murdered
while talking to h»s mom
~7)Arrt>NA BKAUI Ha (API
— A t*Mt~ag*r vni i tmrywl with
murder Sunday In the fatal
shooting of a Canadian student
on spring break, as hundreds of
other student* flocked to a
memorial service for the victim
Donald Shoup. Id. of Ormond
beach is being held without
bond in Davtone Beach lie lives
In a public Iwuttng com plot
about 10 mi lu* away from iho
urimn wane, according io pollen
wp»ti»
Fyk«* w«* *hoi onc« in ih*
Hoad Friday nighl whil«» talking
lo hi* nun birr from a pay phono
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ii rv
-v iir.A Oil
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