
The race question used on the previous 2010 United States Census should be altered to a more open, fill-in-the-blank response based on self-identity. The race question on the last census, which is question 6, asks "What is this persons race?". Even though it seems like a response to that question should have a straightforward response, it is far from the case especially since the United States has a population that has a varied background. Instead, there options in response of the question include predefined check options of race with the option to write in an "enrolled or principle tribe" or under the American Indian or Alaskan Native checkbox, another option to write-in under the other Asian or other Pacific Islander checkbox, and another option to write-in some other race as a last checkbox of the question. As one can see, that is an example of one of the flaws of the 2010 United States Census because it only allows options for write-in under some specific checkboxes. Some may criticize this set up because under the white and black, African American, or Negro checkbox there are not any option to specify or list principle race or tribe like under the American Indian or Alaskan Native checkbox. Thus, this hints at some races don't have any specificity other than black or white from the eyes of the United States Census Bureau. This is not the only controversy caused by the current question either. Question 6 on the census causes other controversies like the complexity of those from multiethnic backgrounds identifying on the census, outdated wording of some of the terms for description of races, and some American demographics feel like they are not represented on the census. In this argument, I will prove that the question will needed to be change to one based on self-identity for the next census. Many, including myself, see that there ae issues regarding the wording of the question concerning race on the census and the representation of all people and their races in equal manner. Throughout this argument, I will argue that the census bureau should change the question to an open-ended question based on self-identity, rather than the archaic racial naming used now that have beginnings on US censuses dates in the 19th century. 

The history and the purpose of the census must be examined before the census's positing in defining race in the current of the United States. The original purpose of the United States Census was to take an accurate account of the population. U.S. Constitution. Article 1, Section 2 states: 

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. (US Const. article I, section III)

From the above quote, one can see that the original goal of the census was given from the US Constitution was to have an accurate measurement, or "actual Enumeration,"  of the population every ten years, so that representatives and taxes should be equally apportioned throughout the states. In the present, the census is not just a measurement of the population, but an analysis as well. This is in part of because of Congress giving the census more jurisdiction to inquire about the population's personal and economic standing. Once this started to occur, one can recognize a shift in the census from just inquiring about population from the stance of being able to delegate representatives and taxes to being a symbol of the fluidity of racial qualifications in the United States, which still occurs today. This set the stage for modern-day race checkboxes in response to question 6.

Throughout history of the census, one can easily see the snowball effect of race on the census through the changings of what the census defined the demographic of individuals descended from African slaves. Ever since the 1790s, African Americans have been central in being an example of how the census is fluid in the changing of its idea of what defines one to be a part of each race. At the start of the census African Americans were divided into slaves and all other persons other than white. Then the previously stated shift as discussed previously started to happen in the 1850 census. From the 1850 census to the 2010 census, African Americans have been called black, mulatto, quadroon, octoroon, or negro. As may one infer, all of this constant name changing of a large demographic of Americans can cause controversy because it represents how the census has never really had a grip on being able to define race throughout the past and the present.

There is also more controversy concerning African Americans on the census. The current checkbox option on the census for this demographic is "Black, African Am., or Negro". The first problem many have with this option is that it groups many different peoples from different backgrounds together just because of skin color. In other words, there are many backgrounds not being accurately represented from this checkbox. For example, someone with a Kenyan background has an entirely different background that someone of African American background. Both of these people will come from two different cultures and have different histories, as well. That is one of the biggest problems with the US census because it doesn't have a place for Americans to show how diverse the country really is and just places them in archaic 18th century terms like black, white, and so on. In this example, it doesn't allow any room to show how diverse the population or African diaspora really is. In addition, one would think that the census would facilitate this response like American Indian and Native checkbox option that has a write-in description box to further describe your identity. But, the response to question 6 lacks this. Another issue that many have with this checkbox is the including of the word Negro. Many observe the word Negro as a word surrounded by negative connotation that comes from the relation of that word and the Civil Rights Era in the 1960s. Some others may argue that they see no harm in the word, especially those who grew up in this pre-civil rights era and it is what America at that time taught them to identify as. African Americans are not the only demographic that has a general issue with the wording and possible responses provided by the census bureau.

People with a Hispanic or a middle-eastern background also have trouble with responding to the current census question. Even though Hispanic isn't a race, many self-identify as that or something similar like Latino or Latina. Many Hispanics are not sure of should how they identify, especially since many have come from mixed backgrounds consisting of American Native, European, and African. On the current 2010 census, the census didn't include a checkbox option for this demographic. Some controversy is caused in result because how would of a Hispanic background identify especially if they don't have an option to record the location from Latin America where themselves or their ancestors came from. In addition, will the list themselves as mixed race and check the boxes American native, white, and/or black. As one can see there is much confusion dealing with this response to this question from the second largest minority by population in the United States. In addition, people of middle-eastern descent are having a similar issue as identifying to the census as well. The U.S. Census Bureau defines that they should list themselves as white, even though they have a cultural background that is substantially different than White American backgrounds. Also, many people that are of descent from the Middle-East have backgrounds of neighboring Asian and African areas as well. Should they identify as mixed race or just mark the checkbox for white, ignoring some of their background? Thus, many Arab Americans feel like they should have their own checkbox option because the United States can differentiate how many Arab Americans in the United States from White Americans. One would think there would be another checkbox for Arab Americans, especially since the main goal of the census is to accurately account population. Arab-Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics are not the only demographics that have overall issues and controversies from the current census.

The difficulty of people with a biracial or multi-racial backgrounds of the race to identify on the census is present as well. From the 2000 census to the present, the census allows that one can select multiple checkbox options from the provided responses. One would think this would solve this issue of biracial and multi-racial backgrounds identifying on the census, but it just makes the situation more complicated. First, if all of the identities people identify aren't listed like Hispanic and Arab-American aren't listed, how is the census going to be an accurate representation of the population. In addition, how can the census separate people with biracial and multi-racial backgrounds if Hispanics or Arab Americans are logically using these same checkbox options? This is another example of the flaw of the response to the sixth question of the census. 

There are many different solutions that one may see to fix the problems and controversies caused by the 2010 census. Some may just argue to remove the question from census because those think that we are simply Americans and that is the only thing that counts. Opposition to solution would state that this wouldn't show the diversity of the country. I think that we should have a question dealing with race or ethnicity because it is important to keep some sort of record of this for analytical purposes and to look back on from the future, like we do to older census records today. Another solution to the race question debacle is to make a response based on fraction boxes. Some argue to list races to estimate your racial background composition. I think this solution has a good motive of representing people of mixed backgrounds, but only in theory would this solution work. For example, this will cause many issues including how to respond to this type of question for many demographics including African Americans and Hispanics. A typical African-American has around 88 percent of African DNA and 12 percent of European DNA. Since this is the average, many African Americans will have more or less admixture. In addition, one wouldn't know it his or her make-up accurately unless they take a series of DNA tests, which still have a margin of error. Even though the fraction box estimate will make it easier for people of recent multi-racial backgrounds, this will cause issues for populations like African Americans and Hispanics who have a multi-racial background that stems backs hundreds of years. Others may see that there should be a rewording of the question. I think that is a must. "What is this person's race?" seems very archaic and it hints that the person feeling out this inquiry is of one race and doesn't represents that many come from multiracial questions. To fix this issue with this question, I think the question should be based into self-identity. Some other people may argue to keep the question the same, but change the solutions to either include more checkbox options or to allow a write-in. The flaws with adding more checkbox options is that it is not feasible to list all of the different backgrounds of people across the globe on a supposed to be quick inquiry. Basically, I think the sixth question of the census should be changed to a question about self-identity with a less structure type of response. 

