Are Americans equal under law, or are we to be divided and categorized even further in order to apply even more special treatments to Government-favored special groups? The Census Bureau is opting for the latter.
In a report suggesting changes to 2020 Census forms, the bureau called for adding a new “Middle Eastern or North African” category designed to count those in the US who identify as one of about 19 nationalities, including Iranian, Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian, and Israeli. Currently such people declare themselves as “white” on the surveys.
And
The Census Bureau also called for creating a new scheme that counts Hispanics as a broad category in line with races like white and black. The agency noted that research showed nearly half of Hispanic respondents hadn’t identified within any of the current federal race categories.
Which only points up the foolishness of the divisions. But here’s the nub of the Census Bureau’s move:
Such changes are significant because they shape how the US tracks demographic change and can influence federal funding.
Can’t treat special groups specially until Government creates the groups, don’t you know.