I'm a white male, but I don't mark Caucasian on an affirmative action survey whenever I have to fill one of

Question

those out, at work, wherever. I mark "Other", because I my ancestors came from Italy, so I feel that I am an Italian-American. True, I am white, but I mark other just as my protest to certain groups like blacks wanting to be called African-Americans. I have no problem with calling a black person an African-American, just as long as he or she would call me an Italian-American or a European American. Just as that persons ancestors came from Africa (albeit against their will, which wasn't right) my ancestors also came to America to seek a better life for themselves and future generations. If things were so great in Italy, they would've stayed. Anyway, do you see where I'm going with this? Are their any other white people out there who mark "Other" as race when filling this kinda form out?

Answer 1

I also mark "other" on the forms, but for different reasons. I am afraid I will be discriminated against because of my "whiteness." (Especially if there is only one spot left for a government job.) Race shouldn't be a consideration when people are being hired. We should all achieve based on our own merits and skills, rather than because of affirmative action.

Answer 2

I think the answer is fairly simple: many white people are being sold a bill of goods. Whites are often led to believe two things: 1) that affirmative action is some sort of quota system, and 2) that people who are not qualified for employment or admission are hired or admitted simply because of their gender or ethnicity. In fact, neither is true. Racial quotas were found to be unconstitutional discrimination in the Bakke v. UC Regents case back in 1979 or so, and no government agency has used them since, although many whites still believe this happens daily. I think this myth is perpetuated by whites who are told by prospective employers as a means of letting them down easy that they were not hired or promoted because the employer "had to" give the job to a woman or ethnic minority. This may make them feel a little better than hearing that they weren't the best candidate, but it engenders hostility and resentment towards the idea of affirmative action, when in reality affirmative action has nothing to do with it. Others believe that affirmative action lowers the bar for admission or employment. This is also not true. No employer or school was ever required to hire or admit the most qualified applicant, and affirmative action doesn't require them to hire or admit someone who doesn't meet the minimum standards for employment or admission. Schools and employers have always been free to pick and choose among those who meet those minimum standards, only now that there is less discrimination AGAINST women and ethnic minorities who are above that line, white men tend to believe that they were more qualified than many of those who were hired/admitted. Do they really believe that no woman or black man was qualified to be a firefighter until the 1960's? In a country that had to have legislation enacted to allow women and blacks to vote, forgive me for being skeptical that women and blacks were given a fair shake by potential employers or admissions directors before the late 1970's. For years the reverse was true. Women and minorities were often more qualified than many of the white men who were hired or admitted, but had no recourse because there was no way to prove discrimination. Now we're constantly hearing that people should hire/admit "the most qualified person" without regard to gender or race. Ha! Would you want to be forced to hire or admit someone you genuinely didn't like or respect, or couldn't work with, or didn't shower, or cross-dressed, or constantly fiddled with his package just because he or she was "the most qualified person?" Of course not. Those whites need to understand that it's a different world now, one in which they are not going to be given preferential treatment in employment or admissions decisions simply because we are no longer a society that tolerates and endorses gender and race discrimination. Just because you weren't hired or admitted, and some woman or Latino was, doesn't mean that they were the beneficiary of affirmative action, no matter what you are told.

Answer 3

I am italian too. My parents were born and raised in Italy and moved here when they were teens. So, I feel I am Italian-Canadian, and it sometimes annoys me that the only choice I have is "Other" or "Caucasian." Like you, I am white, but feel as though I am part of a different group. So I always struggle with this. I haven't been marking "Other" but I think I am going to start doing that now.

Answer 4

43 Years ago while taking classes at UC Riverside, California, the proctor would look the survey over and look at us and remark the survey as Caucasian. I had marked other and wrote in HONKY which was a derogatory term for white people given us by the blacks.
During the Vietnam war they would also pass out petitions to get us out of the war and be told that those that didn't agree would receive a "C" for a grade.
Research has shown that inflation of grades at San Francisco State was(is) prevalent. B's are now A's, etc

Answer 5

I am Italian too! You pose a good question. My opionion is that we are Americans, and because our ancestors left "The Old Country", and became Americans. Our Ancestry is Italian, but we are Americans since we didn't come from Italy,they did.

Answer 6

I leave it blank. I don't want my race to determine anything. I want to be judged and chosen on my merrits. Frankly the race section of application, affirmative action survey's, ect should be eliminated. Why should someone get a job because they happen to be black, asian, ect even if they are less qualified than the white applicant?

Answer 7

I also check other when I HAVE to check something, otherwise I leave it blank, shouldn't matter what tint my skin is or where my ancestors are from when completeing job apps. Yes, race does matter, we should all be proud of our ethnic heritage but in most situations it doesn't matter,(or shouldn't)

Answer 8

Not me but after reading this I think I'll start marking other as well, even though I always thought that other will be for biracial people.

Answer 9

I'm white, I mark other as well. Blacks shouldn't get jobs just cause they are black.

Answer 10

I do. I come from a culturally diverse background and although I'm white, white just doesn't cover it. There's more to me than the color of my skin. 2D