2010 Census
From: dejota.king@verizon.net
Southerners need to be counted in census:
First, let me state I think the concept of hyphenated Americans such as we deal with in our PC society is a Marxist concept that I do not endorse. Unfortunately, we are ruled by a government that tends to have socialist leanings and we must play their game in order to even sit at the same table.
We of the South are a separate ethnic group. We need to have our ethnic group identified by the Federal government just as they identify other groups for additional protection, funding or preference. We need to ensure we are counted in the census. This is the only way, it appears, that we may be recognized and “protected.”
Ten years ago when I completed my census form answered question 8 – “What is Person 1’s race?” – by checking the, “Some other race” block and wrote, “Confederate-Southern” in the space provided. I did this for my three sons, also. I also sent a letter requesting answers to some issues I had with the way the questions were formatted yet, I never received a reply. My ethnic background was – as best I can determine – also not recognized:
http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf
This year there is no ethnic question.
http://2010.census.gov/partners/pdf/langfiles/2010_Questionnaire_Info_Copy_6pg.pdf
The only place we can declare our heritage is in question 10 which is the same as question 8 was in 2000. The concept of answering with a “Southern-type” reply is actually an ethnic identification that transcends the true definition of race but it is the only place we have a chance to promote ourselves.
If one receives The American Community Survey the ethnic question is more specific:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/SQuest09.pdf
It appears to be a more expansive form and is separate from the actual census (whether this is legal or not is another question….). After the in-depth quizzing by the Feds about your house/trailer/apartment/condo, page eight, question 13 allows a direct answer about ethnic background.
We need to:
1. Agree to a common term for ourselves to provide as an answer for question number xx.
2. Disseminate this term and concept among our Southern Heritage groups – UDC, SCV etc. plus tell our cousins and neighbors.
3. Get this into Southern publications like Southern Living and state magazines.
4. Ensure we deluge our elected officials with letters telling them what we are doing and that we expect them to push for us to receive representation in the census reports.
We only have about six weeks to get ourselves ready for this. I am not available to conduct a survey of possible names or in a position of power to ask anyone to answer the census with this type of ethnic reply. I will, though, gladly follow the directions of someone who takes this task and I will help spread the word.
Dave King, Jr.
Bethesda, MD
3rd LT, Wm Norris Camp, SCV
