Racial Categorization: a Dark Part of the US History

Racial categorization has become a rising complicated matter in the United States. This complexity is attributable to the dynamic composition of the US population. As a result, both the definition as well as the notions regarding both race and ethnicity have changed with time. Throughout the history of the US, racial categorization has been applied in varying ways. The most common instance is the use of racial classification has been used to discriminate against persons.

On the other hand, it has equally been applied to weigh the level of as well as to fight against discrimination. Therefore, even the definition, as well as the approaches to perception, are controversial. As such, it is proving hard with time to limit racial identity to a single racial class. The said difficulty is brought about by the rising population of the diverse ethnic groups and alternating patterns of migration. These have not only made classification challenging but also tricky for one self-identify by race.

Parker notes that the first census in America highlighted just three categories of races; those are, free whites, free persons, and slaves. The first was further divided according to gender, that is, free white males and free white females. The other two were cumulatively classed without gender identity. As for myself, during the census, one could be counted as one of the above. Take me, for instance. I am a Haitian descendant to America. However, my first generation is Bahamian. As a result, I would have been counted as a free slave. The racial categories for census have however changed, and the US have widened their perspectives of racial and ethnic identity, although slowly.

Kendall defines race as a group of persons who have been identified as either inferior or superior, mostly based on either perceived or actual physical traits. While agreeing with Verkuyten, says that the race is based on subjectively identified attributes. He highlights skin color, eye shape, and the texture of one's eye as some of the characteristics used to define race. On the other hand, Yanow refers to ethnicity as a group of persons who are selected by others or themselves, fundamentally based on their cultural practice or nationality. Both the terms, that is race and ethnicity have taken a prominent social role in society. Their significance is notable concerning their impact on not only how people's lives are shaped within the definition of the terms, but also the opportunities which they have. Ethnicity and race affect significantly how persons are treated in society and the length of their lives as well.

Racial, ethnic, and gender classification are social constructs. Let us look at it from these angels. One, from 1900 up until 2010, the US Census Bearue used the term Negro to categorize the blacks. However, the agency removed the term from its classification. Verkuyten notes that in the year 2018, the US Census Bureau had explored further categorization of Africans. In particular, they had considered adding Northern and Eastern African into racial categories. If their suggestions go through, the next census which will be done in 2020 might include the additional two types. Although the introduction of these new racial group appears mundane, in the United States, how persons are counted as well as referred to the matter.

Secondly, the US Congress voted to remove the words 'Negro' and 'Oriental' from federal laws. Before this amendment, the laws referred to the minority groups in the US as Negro and Eskimo, among others. The development in respect to the racial categorization is fast. In the year 1790, according to Pew Research Center, the US had just three classes, a number that has presently increased to nineteen. Yanow notes that while the Census Bureau attribute these changes to technological advancement, to some extent, it is based on nothing but mere subjective discrimination. To support Yanow, Liebler noted that the first census involved about six hundred and fifty US Marshals compared to the latest one done in 2020, which included approximately six hundred and thirty-five thousand workers.

By the fact that the US population had not risen that much, including just three races, was discriminatory. As Chappell notes, the US felt superior, and as such, they felt like they were the only persons who ought to have been given attention in the census. To confirm this, you can see the bias they gave to the free whites, by including gender. It is, therefore, undeniable that race, ethnicity, and gender are ways that we, as a society, have come up with to defend our discriminatory social habit.

It is undeniable that technological advancements have enabled us to collect and analyze large volumes of data; however, to base this on the racial classification as described above is incorrect. The changes, as noted before, have reflected the growth of the US population in terms of diversity. Since the 1790 census, the community has significantly increased both in counts of the minorities and the percentage of the ethnic minorities as well.

The introduction of Northern and Eastern African as a racial group in the US 2020 census might seem mundane, and the inclusion would show the American diversity; as it aims at indicating with specific details the origins of the blacks. The African American racial segment would best describe the most vulnerable race. They are, in most cases, victims of several instances of police shootings alongside other racial discrimination in the US.