which race box do i check

Flora - posted on 01/01/2013

I wish there was an explanation from the government as to why and what is the purpose of the racial categories before you choose. Why not google it and let us know?

Carly - posted on 04/05/2010

its your right not to answer those questions..so maybe dont check any??

Monica - posted on 04/05/2010

My Amerasian niece had always been told to apply whatever race the father is to her ethnicity when dealing with school forms even though her mother was Korean, her father Caucasion and she looks Hispanic.

Jaime - posted on 04/04/2010

bump

Gabrielle - posted on 03/11/2010

With my mixed white and Puerto Rican son...I never check the race box. I feel it labels him into one or the other....hispanic or non hispanic.....and he has ties to BOTH. Until they have a muli ethnical box...I wont be checking anything!

Danyella - posted on 03/11/2010

I guess I will have to wait and see what my children look like after they're born! lol Sad to say, in this country (US), as long as people know you have a black parent, they will label you as such, even if you prefer to be called bi-racial. Personally, I will check black as their race and Hispanic as their ethnicity b/c that would be correct for my unborn (dad's Mexican). I don't mark off race boxes on forms if it's optional. Or I just put other b/c it's none of their business.

Socorro - posted on 03/10/2010

I disagree with marking them down as whatever the fathers race is. That totally negates my background and culture. Also one of my daughters looks white and the other looks mexican so if I were to go by looks I'd have one of each? I wouldn't do that either, go by their looks I mean. I will usually mark other or leave it blank. I appreciate the idea of marking all that apply that had never occured to me!

Karen - posted on 03/09/2010

If they don't have a box for mixed then I leave it blank. it's really non of their business.

Anna - posted on 03/09/2010

hahah, I know the feeling. Here in New Zealand and in Mozambique they don't have a box for mixed, so I usually get the the kids to tick OTHER and explain....hope that helps.

Nique - posted on 03/08/2010

Hi Tobi...I check all that pertain. :o)

Janessa - posted on 03/08/2010

Great topic to tell you all the truth i had no idea many of you faced this. I live in canada and when i was filling out papers i cannot remember if there had any box for race. I did not filled any box for my son when getting his birth cerificate then again i live in a province where there is mostly whites or natives maybe i should go check this out.

Emili - posted on 03/08/2010

i always check both for my kids. unless there is one that says other or mixed race. there are a lot of forms that have those options now.

Lisa - posted on 02/27/2010

My son is 5 months old, I am white and his sperm donor is black. When he was born I asked the hospital and they told me your only suppose to check one box not two. I checked two anyways and wrote on there white and african american. However when my sons birth cert. arrived it says white. I still mark both when filling out papers but I have found that most places will just pick one instead of using box races that are checked or hand written on there. My son will grow up knowing he is white and africian amercian and he will be proud of it. I would never want my son to feel he had to choose to be black or white instead of being both. I always don't want him growing up thinking that just because his father has never been around that he is not bi-racial. So I would say check all boxes that reply and include a note on there that they need to update their forms to include two ore more races and multi-race.

Nicole - posted on 02/27/2010

well I am black and white and in school they have always said that you use your fathers race on everything

Jenna - posted on 02/26/2010

i no right my son is black/white and no one ask me his race they go on and mark white just bc thats what i am but me and my boyfriend have choose to tell him to mark black (when it gets to that point) bc thats what ppl see him as anyways its not right but thats just how it is!!

Laura - posted on 02/26/2010

I had this issue when my oldest daughter started school and i was told that a child goes by the race of the mother

Keeshea - posted on 02/26/2010

You can check Bi-racial or Other. We decided to select Bi-racial racial category on my son's birth certificate.

Lysette - posted on 02/15/2010

I can't believe you have to check a race when filling in a form in the US!!! The only thing they ask here (Netherlands) is where your parents are born...

Yvette - posted on 02/14/2010

I live in california and my daughter is half black half white and early on I decided to mark the boxes that applied. She is going on 17 and on forms that she's asked to fill out she chooses "other" or mark "white" and "black".

Serene - posted on 02/14/2010

My son is black and white. His father is black and I'm white. I was told to check them the race of there father. My sister has 2 biracial kids and she also told me to do the same. So, I check my son as african american. .

Bre - posted on 02/13/2010

I have the same problems with my kids. when I applied for WIC there is no space to check them off. My hubby is Mexican and I am white. I was told once that you bup the father's race so now I always check hispanic....even though my children look more white.

Elizabeth - posted on 02/13/2010

Hi There I ran into that with my daughter she is white and black but I refuse to check just one box so I have always marked both boxes and now I think they are catching on because for the first time i was able to check a box that said bi racial thank God the world is slowly turning around. Must be our Bi Racial president. But have your son just check both. good Luck.

Amy - posted on 02/11/2010

I have biracial boys, if I am filling out paper work I check all that apply!!!!

Kristin - posted on 02/11/2010

I tell my son to choose what he feels most comfortable with. He used to choose other and put a note that he was white and African American but now he just checks African American.

Beth - posted on 02/10/2010

I have a 15 year old son and i allways checked other then wrote white/black. Out of all the replys i read the one i liked the best is Andrea she said she drew a box and beside it she wrote "none of your business" way to go Andrea.

Allison - posted on 02/10/2010

RACE BOX!!

don't check any boxes. . . MOVE!
what kinda bullshit is that??

Mariah - posted on 02/10/2010

Your son should check the box that will best benefit HIM at the given time or situation. Just another blessing of being multi-racial.

Aubrey - posted on 02/09/2010

i have allways marked my children as other

Lisa - posted on 02/09/2010

check all that a apply or do what my mom does and make a box and put human!

Autum - posted on 02/08/2010

A lot of applications now have a box that says 2 or more races. At least thats what I have been seeing alot lately if not have him chose both. I did that for my son before the 2 or more races came into play

Latoya - posted on 02/08/2010

My daughter is white and black i was told by an advisor that you should always list a child with more than one ethnicity in the minority category. But in my own opinion i would have him say Hispanic ecspecialy if he can speak both languages thats a big plus in the work field

Jocelyn - posted on 02/08/2010

simple....he should put whatever his father is

Serena - posted on 02/03/2010

I am multi-racial myself and I have always checked the box that most benefits me...for example college applications. Often times they are happy to have a diverse group of people so I check the native hawaiian/pacific islander box. Most applications though it is optional and if he doesn't feel comfortable checking any boxes leave it blank :)

Ashley - posted on 02/01/2010

I check both!

Roxanna - posted on 02/01/2010

I have the same problem, I have 3 small boys (all white/mexican), usually I put they are mexican but I think you should be able to check all the boxes that apply. They should just remove that "not hispanic or latino" part.

Katy - posted on 02/01/2010

I am half white and half mexican also. It really doesn't matter which box you check. I think it should be left up to him how he wants himself classified. I always checked both (of course I had to redo a few applications because of this).

Michelle - posted on 02/01/2010

my son is half white and half black and i alway check the black box because he looks more black than white, his father says that he will be considered a black male any how buy like others i dont think it should matter!!!

Emily - posted on 01/31/2010

They do have an other box. My son is half black and half white and I ran into the same problem. They do sometimes have multiracial sections to. I think I am moving to Canada with Shavaune Croy- I strongly believe that isnt a question that should be asked.

Crystal - posted on 01/31/2010

I think they use it to make sure that there is a balance. One must know the ethnicity breakdown if one wants to make sure there is balance.

Elizabeth - posted on 01/30/2010

I can't take it. I'm so confused by the whole thing. I wish i understood this site better.

Andrea - posted on 01/30/2010

Oh Canada! I am so glad I live in a country that doesn't try to divide us into groups. I am Milato-Canadian but the most important thing is that I am Canadian.

Andrea - posted on 01/30/2010

I think that it is sad that you need to check a box so that people can satisfy their need to classify others. When I filled out a job application that asked for race, ( I am Milato) I drew another box and beside it wrote "none of your business".

Jacqueline - posted on 01/30/2010

My son is black & white and my daughter is half guatemalen & half black so i would check all that applies. I wouldnt want to catagorize my kids into one race or ethnicity.

HANNAH - posted on 01/30/2010

check both white and hispanic

Kendra - posted on 01/29/2010

My son is only 7 months and is black, puerto rican and german. I normally would of thought to put wat they closely looks like. I do that wit my daughter who is Italian and black but my son came out looking like a different race other then black and puerto rican so now im confused. why dnt alot of places use the mix catergory?

Georgetta - posted on 01/29/2010

If it doesn't say mixed race, I always choose other. My daughter is Mexican, Italian, Polish, Irish/Scottish, and Black. So I think other is a great choice. : )

Jennifer - posted on 01/29/2010

I say check all that apply. I've found only the birth certificate form lists more options.

Jaime - posted on 01/29/2010

Thanks for this thread girls :)

My son is half black and half white and I'm in Australia. I'm in the process of getting his US citizenship organised and his SSN and I have come across that exact question and wondering which box I was supposed to check lol.

Rai - posted on 01/28/2010

My son is 1/4 Korean so I check the Asian box to help him out in the long run for benefits and scholarships.

Andrea - posted on 01/28/2010

I've always heard they are considered the race of the father. I'm in the same situation you are in with my daughter that started Kindergarten! I am hispanic and her father is black. So when it came down to that question it was kind of a tough one. I don't really remember what i put. I think i check black but wrote out to the side of that 1/2 hispanic. They really need to change that stuff because now days there's more bi-racial kids than there were when i was young.