Census options

**Rainraven** · 04-27-2009, 01:44 AM

NZers' views sought on question of ethnicity
New 11:52AM Monday Apr 27, 2009

After much debate during the 2006 Census about how New Zealanders should express their ethnicity, Statistics New Zealand is asking the public for feedback.

Official ethnicity statistics count the number of people in different ethnic groups in New Zealand, such as Maori, Pacific peoples, Chinese and Indian.

The figures are used by government, service providers and communities to plan and deliver programmes, particularly in the health and social services sectors.

In 2006, there was considerable public debate about ethnicity, including a high-profile campaign for the inclusion of a "New Zealander" tick-box in the census ethnicity question.

Statistics New Zealand today released a discussion paper which recommends no changes to the ethnicity question for the 2011 Census.

Initial consultation suggested that including a "New Zealander" tick-box would alter the meaning of the question so it was more about nationality and less about ethnicity.

This could affect the accuracy and usefulness of the data collected, SNZ said.

Source

I'd be interested to know what other colonials consider their ethnicity as on Census forms and what options you are given.
Here in New Zealand the current option is New Zealand/European which is something I strongly identify with. As I am only a second generation New Zealander on my paternal side I do not know if I would feel comfortable just ticking New Zealander as I don't believe it means much

Thoughts everyone?

**Brynhild** · 04-27-2009, 01:58 AM

I think our option is AngloAustralian. Australian isn't my ethnicity, but it is my nationality and that's the way it should be viewed, given that the census is statistical data about a particular country and its population.

**Loyalist** · 04-27-2009, 02:07 AM

The Canadian census has always had an option for "ethnicity". Previously, only one ethnic group could be given, and people generally identified with their direct paternal descent. This could be interpreted as inaccurate if, for example, an individual was 7/8 Scottish and only 1/8 German, but identified solely as German based on patrilineality. With the growing immigrant population, the census was changed and now gives the option to select up to four ethnic groups. Unlike the previous century, however, most of old stock descent simply respond "Canadian" today, but I believe that's born more out of a lack of knowledge about their ancestry and proper ethnic origin than a belief in any common Canadian ethnic group.

Personally, I respond with the four most significant ethnic groups in my ancestry in respective order. I don't like the idea of responding with European-Canadian, Anglo-Canadian, or any other type of "Canadian", as given the present ethnic and racial climate in this nation, the term remains far too ambiguous, and is contrary to any type of preservationism.

**Electronic God-Man** · 04-27-2009, 02:25 AM

I've never had to fill a census out myself and I have been wondering what my parents and grandparents have put down in the past as their ethnicity. 1930 and earlier there was not much of an option as we have now. If you were born in the States, they put American or native-born or more likely nothing since they usually only marked something down if you were born elsewhere.

I think I would put down American.

I've also been wondering about "American" as an ethnic identification on the census, because I have been looking at some of these Wikipedia articles about towns and other places in PA and seeing that "American" comprises a fairly large percentage of the total in many places. Aemeric has always said that he thinks that these people are Scots-Irish, and I agree, but I also think that they are mainly of English descent in many places. Also, the idea that the numbers of English people in America has dropped to third place behind German and Irish...I'm starting to believe that may not be the case.

Here are the demographics of Bradford County, PA as taken from census records.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradfor...,_Pennsylvania

As of the census of 2000, there were 62,761 people, 24,453 households, and 17,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 28,664 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile (10/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.94% White, 0.40% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.0% were of German, 16.3% English, 16.1% American, 12.6% Irish and 6.4% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.

It's about 98% White. Having been there many times I can tell you that even that number seems low. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wasn't White. 19% are German and 16.3% are English but if "American" = English descent then the number of people of English descent in this county outnumbers the German by far. That would be 32.4%. Now some of this American grouping may be Scots-Irish but I would put my money on them being mostly English, this definitely isn't the South and I don't think there is a very large number of Scots-Irish in the area.

Also, where is the other 28% of White people that is not shown? Adding the numbers shown you get roughly 70%, so 70% plus the 2% non-White...where is the rest? Can you decline to put down an ethnicity? I think you can and this reminds me of another thing. Most colonial stock Anglo-Americans don't think of themselves as "ethnic". So when they see "Check the ethnicity box that applies" they either put down American or simply put nothing.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

**~~SwordoftheVistula~~** · 04-28-2009, 04:30 AM

As I remember it from the last census here in 2000, we were given the option to check one of:

White (Caucasian)
Black
Asian or Pacific Islander
Native American
Other

Then a box to check whether 'hispanic' or not

After this, there were either more options for specific ancestry (Irish, German, etc) and/or a write in spot, don't remember exactly.

Also, 'Asian' here applies mainly to orientals; Afghans and eastwards are considered 'caucasian'.