# What's your Race??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 5, 2001, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326 "2001-07-05T11:38:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sagasumono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Sagasumono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sagasumono)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2001, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/41 "2001-07-07T20:20:24Z")
Well,the human race is what I am. Now my enthic origon is what you were trying to ask I think. Jinshu: (as Cartman would say) “Black-African American” Tamashii Jinshu: Blaquneese 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/42 "2001-07-09T03:42:34Z")
Last year, when the US Census forms came out, I put down “Other” as my race, and on the line provided wrote “human” Then I sat back and waited for the men in dark glasses to come for me but they never did. I was disappointed that my open rebellion didn’t get a reaction.(Snort) I suppose I am white, as most of my genes hail from Central Europe(mostly German actually, depending on who won the wars)With my hair, eyes, build and coloring I’d be a good extra in a movie requiring peasants with pitchforks and torches(do they still make those?) ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/43 "2001-07-09T07:15:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Last year, when the US Census forms came out, I put down “Other” as my race, and on the line provided wrote “human” Then I sat back and waited for the men in dark glasses to come for me but they never did. I was disappointed that my open rebellion didn’t get a reaction. You should have listed your race as “Underpants”. THAT would’ve gotten a reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Mofo\_Rising](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mofo\_Rising](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mofo_Rising)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/44 "2001-07-09T07:45:59Z")
Not a serious answer in the bunch. Interesting. . . In any form of application I usually put myself down as Alaska Native, or if that’s not there American Indian. Of course, I’m only .3438 blood quantum Tlingit (as we are known), and I’ve got the card to prove it. Otherwise it’s mostly Scandinavian stock. Culturally I’m mostly Southeastern Alaskan, strongly flavored by a Tlingit heritage and a steady stream of television and pop-culture. As far as race, well I stopped acting like I was in a hurry when I found out I wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/45 "2001-07-09T17:30:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Not a serious answer in the bunch. Interesting. . . And it’s a shame that the OP wasn’t more interesting itself. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/46 "2001-07-10T05:52:02Z")
Berylline humming. ---
**Author:** ![niledolphin1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@niledolphin1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/niledolphin1)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/47 "2001-07-10T05:52:17Z")
I am a person of the world and universe and refuse to be locked into someone’s little square box. More important is how do I treat or expect to be treated by others. I do not define others by race because such a thing does not exist unless you are running a 10 k race. ---
**Author:** ![Linear\_Crack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Linear\_Crack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linear_Crack)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2001, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/48 "2001-07-10T06:33:33Z")
Some call me **Tim**? ---
**Author:** ![PublicBlast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/779978/32.png) [@PublicBlast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PublicBlast)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/49 "2001-07-11T15:56:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by irishgirl \* > \*\*tick all the boxes. > including “other”. > let them make what they will of THAT. > 🙂 \*\* I can almost do that now. My mom is of Jewish/Eastern European descent, my dad is Indian. My wife’s mom is black, her great-grandma was Native American, her dad is from Sudan (African/Arab mix). I just need to hook up my kids with someone hispanic and we can check every box. 😃 In the meantime, I am every race that loves **rice**. I look down on all races who consume inferior carbs like wheat and corn as their staples. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/50 "2001-07-11T23:45:59Z")
WASP. Anybody want a tuna salad sandwich on white toast and a Tab? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/51 "2001-07-12T00:49:04Z")
Oooh, you betcha! I’ve got some nice Velveeta to go with it . . . ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2001, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/52 "2001-07-12T01:06:24Z")
I do love Velveeta, for real! And the best is when you mix it with a jar of _mild_ salsa, microwave the whole mess, and dip plain Tostitos in it. I’d be running for the icebox right now if I just hadn’t eaten two tomato sandwiches for dinner! ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/53 "2001-07-13T01:28:40Z")
… I would appreciate it if **TEXAN** was a choice on those silly forms. More specifically _Diablo Tajano_. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/54 "2001-07-13T01:30:36Z")
It is getting late - that’s supposed to be _T **e** jano_ folks. ---
**Author:** ![Kaje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@Kaje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaje)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/55 "2001-07-17T07:35:44Z")
This probably won’t be a popular statement, but it was something that came to mind and this seemed to be a reasonable place to pose it… One of the major reasons posed in response to the question about why Europe was able to “dominate the world” was that there were various seperated groups that competed thus producing rapid progress… if the population had been homologous, there might have been a relative stagnation… in the same vein, an important characteristic of civilization is the divisioin of labor or specialization… a group of people who all do everything isn’t as efficent and one who has the people seperate into things they are best at and do those… so with races, do we really want to end up with one homologous population worldwide? or could it be beneficial to promote progress through competition? This sort of goes along with the globalization theme, and it’s not really my view, i’m just curious. on a sidenote though… I somehow don’t see humanity becoming instantly unified once all people are of the same color as we can see that plenty of conflict arises among groups of the same race ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/56 "2001-07-17T09:34:32Z")
Interracial, special, positive being. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![celestina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/258eb7/32.png) [@celestina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/celestina)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/57 "2001-07-18T05:48:01Z")
Gee, this is a difficult question. I personally prefer to walk rather than to run. It’s really nice walking because that way I can take in the beauty of the trees, grass, flowers, and little critters scurrying about trying to survive in this hard, cruel, yet breathtaking world. In my ramblings I’ve seen deer, birds, gophers, chipmunks, mice, rats, squirrels, snakes, bunnies, really all kinds of things, and I just get all choked up inside because they run in fear from me, and I wouldn’t hurt a fly. ☹ I think more people should walk rather than run because there’s so much beauty out there that’s so easy to miss. [sigh] But as far as sports go, it’s kind of exciting looking at the 100 meter dash, and in them relay runs I always get anxious because I think the runner’s going to drop the baton or something. I sit and watch with bated breath as each pass of the baton is made; it’s quite interesting the timing and coordination involved in relay runs. Some swimming and bicycle races are fun to watch too. Car races, however, don’t do too much for me. I get dizzy watchin’ them cars go round and round and round that track, you know? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/58 "2001-07-18T09:10:18Z")
All my ancestors (that I know of) came from the British Isles. So, that makes me an Anglo-Saxon-Danish-Norman-Celtic-Pictish-Belgic-Roman-possibly-with-a-dash-of-Jewish. A _pure-blooded_ one, mind you… ---
**Author:** ![jharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharding)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/59 "2001-07-18T13:03:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kaje \* > \*\*This probably won’t be a popular statement, but it was something that came to mind and this seemed to be a reasonable place to pose it… One of the major reasons posed in response to the question about why Europe was able to “dominate the world” was that there were various seperated groups that competed thus producing rapid progress… if the population had been homologous, there might have been a relative stagnation… in the same vein, an important characteristic of civilization is the divisioin of labor or specialization… a group of people who all do everything isn’t as efficent and one who has the people seperate into things they are best at and do those… so with races, do we really want to end up with one homologous population worldwide? or could it be beneficial to promote progress through competition? This sort of goes along with the globalization theme, and it’s not really my view, i’m just curious. > > on a sidenote though… I somehow don’t see humanity becoming instantly unified once all people are of the same color as we can see that plenty of conflict arises among groups of the same race \*\* You might want to check out the book _Guns, Germs, and Steel_ by Jared Diamond. It’s a very easy read about just the types of things you mentioned, although, he would disagree with the ‘competition hypothesis.’ ---
**Author:** ![Tabeitha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b3f665/32.png) [@Tabeitha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabeitha)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326/60 "2001-07-18T14:00:55Z")
I’m American. I asked my parents once what Bloodlines were in our family. Irish, German, Spanish, American Indian, French, Italian, and most European, (this is where my attention span gave out) but the list goes on and on. My ancestors really got around! (Running family joke) I’m a mutt, so I must be American; after all it is the “melting pot”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-race/71326.md?page=4)