US 2010 Census: Dominican

[NALs]

I was recently (few minutes ago) made aware that in the next U.S. census, Dominicans will now have our own officially recognized identity, just like Puerto Ricans and Cubans.

If someone has more info on this, speak now....

[badpiece33]

Originally Posted by NALs

I was recently (few minutes ago) made aware that in the next U.S. census, Dominicans will now have our own officially recognized identity, just like Puerto Ricans and Cubans.

If someone has more info on this, speak now....

They should there are 10 times more Dominicans than Cubans or Puerto Ricans in NY,NJ and Massachusetts.

[Hillbilly]

See DiarioLibre.com. There is a front page piece on this. Just check box 8 on the Census form...

HB

[wanderer34]

Originally Posted by badpiece33

They should there are 10 times more Dominicans than Cubans or Puerto Ricans in NY,NJ and Massachusetts.

I don't know about that, especially since PR's are still the number one gruop in NY, NJ, CT, PA, and MA, although I would have to agree that RI is now more Dominican than PR!!!

[eibbed]

Even though Dominicans will have the opportunity to write in their nationality, Question no. 8 also provides for other persons to indicate their national origin.

Text of Question no. 8: "Yes, another Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin - Print origin, for example, Argentinean, Colombian, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Spaniard and so on ... ". (See, The Questions on the Form - 2010 Census) (Emphasis original).

Interestingly, the U.S. Census recognizes the Spaniard influence and gives Dominicans an opportunity to exclude other groups from which Dominicans descend, such as Taino Indians, and West Africans who were imported in large numbers to work the sugar cane plantations in which Tainos could not or would not toil.

Given the genocide-type decimation of Tainos combined with the influx of West Africans, as well as Haitian rule for a period of time long enough to produce a generation (22 years or so), it seems a Dominican would encounter a dilemma when asked if he/she is of Hispanic, Latin or Spanish origin.

[POPNYChic]

eibbed, interesting observations. i started a thread in the general stuff section about that very subject... Dominicans in the U.S. Can you identify?


but by the same account, most latinamericans are of mixed race..most had blacks and mulattos and mestizos involved in founding the country..even if they dont look black anymore....


africans are crucial to all of latinamerican culture. without them, it wouldnt be what it is. so much of latinamerica is influenced by those roots...even where they dont look it. they are as crucial as the indigenous and spaniard influences. latinamerica isnt "of spaniards" it is the MIX that came about from their colonization: the blending of customs and cultures that made us who we are now.

so any latinamerican who does that would be excluding their indigenous and/or possible african descendence down the line, by your theory. i think the only reason it seems more questionable for people who appear to be black to claim "latino" is because they appear black. plain and simple.

you dont exclude people for being an indio. or an indio/spaniard mix. but an african/indio/spaniard mix? uh oh.

if we get into details, really, who other than SPANIARDS can claim to be latino? it seems no one else would fit the bill because they are most likely mixed. these darn boxes.

[sheepshanx]

Originally Posted by NALs

I was recently (few minutes ago) made aware that in the next U.S. census, Dominicans will now have our own officially recognized identity, just like Puerto Ricans and Cubans.

If someone has more info on this, speak now....

This will still in the end be a subcategory of Black Latino/Hispanic just like the Cuban classification is.

[POPNYChic]

dang, no time to edit last post but...i was gonna add...

that there are separate race categories apart from the hispanic box, where you can check off whatever race you feel you are. so the exclusion will occur by the individuals parts as usual. the opportunity to fill in your nationality wont make them any more or less prone to conveniently forgetting some of their roots.

[jrhartley]

apparently latinos were invented by america(another handy little box)......and definitions vary, in fact you can decide yourself if you want to be one.....if you speak spanish in your household you can identify yourself as latino ....not sure what happens if you are Dominican and only speak English in your household