The federal government, in its quest to be its oxymoronic best (here to help) has decided to make something as easy as reporting race into something so ultra-complex that the mind boggles. On the surface it seems like its easy–just adding a new category ‘Middle Eastern or Northern African’. But then there’s these paragraphs:
Requiring the collection of additional detail beyond the minimum required race and ethnicity categories for most situations, to ensure further disaggregation in the collection, tabulation, and presentation of data when useful and appropriate.
The updated standards also include several additional updates to definitions, terminology, and guidance to agencies on the collection and presentation of data.
Please to note the descriptors under the Hispanic or Latino category. Which includes ‘Spaniard’. However, under the White category we have Italians and French. I’m sure that if anyone in the OMB owned a globe, they might realize that Spain is found on the European map and so Spaniards would be White. I can’t imagine their surprise…
They also want people to put in their various details. According to Ancestry’s DNA, most Americans would have a whole bunch of details. Which will have to be kept in a database, which means all databases, including those for every college and university will have to be updated to allow for the collection of this clusterfuck.
For no real gain unless they are trying to figure out how to race-bait on a micro level.
Midwest Chick's Place 
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