I was filling out some survey today when I came across the section we all know of where you are asked to give your race if you so desire (presumably for statistical purposes). I looked at the drop down menu and instantaneously went down to the bottom, where the option "white" typically is.
I became confused as I suddenly noticed the number of options I saw above my option.
There were at least 5 different options relative to a Hispanic origin including Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Spanish Origin. It was similar for the list of Asian options which included Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and one called Other Asian.
But there near the bottom was one "white option" called White. There was also only one "African option" called African American. I'm not a demographic analyst, but I'm pretty sure there is more than one kind of African people, as much as more than one kind of European people. I know that there are differences in the peoples of North Africa from those in Middle Africa or South Africa, and there are probably many more specific different types from there. I'm also pretty sure that there are differences between Mediterranean White people, Scandinavians, Eastern Europeans like Serbs and Latvians, English, Irish, Scots, and so on.
Why do people from both of these very diverse continents end up generalized into one option pertaining to them?
It just seems a little strange to me. I suppose it could be because there would be too many options if it were all worked out, but there is always the "Other [Something]" option if you aren't sure or they don't have that your specific option.
Anybody else find this odd?
I became confused as I suddenly noticed the number of options I saw above my option.
There were at least 5 different options relative to a Hispanic origin including Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Spanish Origin. It was similar for the list of Asian options which included Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and one called Other Asian.
But there near the bottom was one "white option" called White. There was also only one "African option" called African American. I'm not a demographic analyst, but I'm pretty sure there is more than one kind of African people, as much as more than one kind of European people. I know that there are differences in the peoples of North Africa from those in Middle Africa or South Africa, and there are probably many more specific different types from there. I'm also pretty sure that there are differences between Mediterranean White people, Scandinavians, Eastern Europeans like Serbs and Latvians, English, Irish, Scots, and so on.
Why do people from both of these very diverse continents end up generalized into one option pertaining to them?
It just seems a little strange to me. I suppose it could be because there would be too many options if it were all worked out, but there is always the "Other [Something]" option if you aren't sure or they don't have that your specific option.
Anybody else find this odd?