Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.3/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id UAA18080; Mon, 20 Mar 2000 20:26:58 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 20:26:58 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <200003210059.SAA04004@iac12.navix.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Anna Silliman <anna@handsonenglish.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:4282] Re: Yikes...the census...Help! X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Status: OR I have thoroughly enjoyed Dick Detwiler's beautiful articulation of race identities and their complexity. This new census form may yield very interesting results! It seems to me that "race" is melting, melting, melting... will we finally have a melting pot? I was delighted to learn at the TESOL conference that I am welcome to joing the Black Caucus that my friend Mary Romney has initiated to promote dialog on race issues. If you saw me, you would stereotype me as "white", however my forbears have been on this continent two or three centuries, and there is no proof that I do not also have black heritage! I like the idea that instead of talking of people that look different as "they" and "them" we learn to think of each other as "we" and "us." --Anna Hello, R. Detwiler, IVOC! On 3/20/00 4:19 PM you wrote: >I did not ignore the census in 1990. I purposefully and mindfully did not >participate. I didn't say I didn't count, and I always vote. In 1990 I >voted >against participating in the census, because I couldn't and wouldn't fit my >family into a racist labeling scheme and I discussed my problem with census >officials several times. I have never designated myself or knowingly allowed >anyone else to designate me as "white". I'd have been delighted if a few >million >others had joined me in 1990. And I'm clearly not advocating census >resistance >in 2000. I mailed the form back this time almost upon receipt. I'd be >delighted >if a few million others of European American ancestry would join me in >identifying themselves as such on their census forms. > >Sure the world is imperfect, but I'm not going to teach some of its worst >imperfections to either my children or my ESL students. Whenever I have an >opportunity I teach that "red and yellow, black and white" are highly >imperfect, >highly improper, highly unscientific, and highly racist terms for describing >human beings. They are not part of the English I use or teach. > >Dick Detwiler Indian Valley Opportunity Center, Souderton, PA >ivoc@pil.net >
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