March 17, 2010 
The 2010 Census arrived in NYC last night with much excitement. After it took my roommates and me all of three minutes to fill it out in its entirety, we felt the process was pretty anticlimactic compared to voting. This sense of disappointment quickly changed today when my coworker, who I aptly call the Mexican’t due to his Mexican origins, asked me what I thought he should respond for Questions 8 and 9.
Clearly, he should respond “Yes, Mexican, Mexican Am, Chicano” to Question 8, but what about Question 9? According to the census, Hispanic origins are not races in 2010. Does this mean the Mexican’t is White or Black? What about Brown?
After spending some time on the phone with the Census Information Hotline and receiving no answer to help define his race, the Mexican’t was urged to send a complaint email to the Census. For your enjoyment:
To whom it may concern,
I’m filling out the 2010 census but I’m stuck. Through my entire life I’ve known myself to be Mexican-American; I pride myself on my amount of sleep, the amount of tequila I can consume, my wonderful tanned skin, and my ability to speak English and Spanish fluently.
Now, according to the 2010 census, I’m White. I don’t play golf, I don’t play tennis, I don’t wear polo shirts and khakis…except sometimes to work at my Wall St. job…Oh no, I AM WHITE! What should I do?? I’m 33 years old and suddenly my identity has been shattered.
Please…can somebody help me?
Gracias!
Nicole,
I can share this with my friend at the Census Bureau, if you’d like.
Jim, that would be great. Let me know what you find out!
OMG, please tell me that my favorite Mexicant actually did send that email out?! Yes… so amazing!! Tell him drinking lychee martinis and eating seabass skewers probably pushes him into the white category too!