On Sun, 14 Jan 2001 23:53:11 -0500 (EST), Steve <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> On Mon, 15 Jan 2001, Samuel W. Heywood wrote:
>> MOST aboriginal Americans in my state of Virginia (There are many here, and
>> I know a few of them)
> Well, what do I know since I only live on an Indian Reservation...
> or maybe it's a "Native American Reservation" now.
>> IMNSHO, the term Native American is more appropriate than the term Indian
>> because "Indian" may be taken to refer to a person from India.
> I was speaking of peoples' preferences, not what seems more
> appropriate by others... then again, such political correctness
> seems to take on a ubiquitous life of its own.
> Pretty soon I suppose even Indians will get indignant scowls for
> referring to themselves as such.
I was speaking of peoples' preferences in my region of the country. What
is politically correct here might not be correct in some other part of
the country or some other part of the world. If a fellow Virginian should
call me a Yankee he would be wrong and I would take offence. When I am
travelling in another country it doesn't bother me at all when some nationals
of that country call me a Yankee. One is correct in referring to me as a
Yankee when I am not in my own country.
> (I wonder when the term "Native American" was first uttered, and by
> whom)
Good question. I don't know the answer. If anyone knows, please inform me
off list. We are getting very far off-topic.
Sam Heywood
>> On many government forms, such as those used by the census bureau for
>> example, one has to answer questions concerning his ethnic identity. The
>> government forms make use of the term Native American to refer to aboriginal
>> persons of the contiguous 48 states. There are other terms used to refer to
>> aboriginal Alaskans and aboriginal Hawaiians.
> I suppose that would be relevant if the forms were designed by
> a consortium of indigenous nations and tribes. As long as they're
> designed by clueless admin-types, the argument doesn't seem to
> hold much sway.
<snip>
The purpose of the government forms is to collect statistical demographic
data on various ethnic groups and to use this information where applicable
to investigate allegations of racial and ethnic discrimination and bias.
The admin-types who design the forms have to come up with some terms
defining the various groups being identified. These admin-types are
overseen by managers who have been trained in all kinds of social studies
and anthropological sciences to determine whatever is generally thought to
be "politically correct" and scientifically accurate. Their perceptions
may be quite wrong at times, and even prejudiced. Nobody is perfect. If
the government just let peoples themselves proclaim who they are, then the
peoples themselves would come up with names for themselves that would
likewise indicate some prejudices. This would not help to promote any
social reform. It would result only in the peoples quarrelling with each
other over whose claims are legitimate and whom shall be called what.
I personally dislike being identified as a WASP (White Ango-Saxon Protestant)
on government databases. I myself can think of much more accurate terms by
which I might be categorized. If the government wants to call me a WASP,
then there is nothing I can do about it.
All the best,
Sam Heywood
P.S. I hope everyone had a Happy Martin Luther King Day. He was a man
who did more than anyone else to help resolve racial problems in the US.
It is very good that we have set aside a special day to remember him.
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