Hispanic will be a race on the census in 2030

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I am against this. MENA and Latino are cultural umbrella categories, not racial categories.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I am against this. MENA and Latino are cultural umbrella categories, not racial categories.

What is the difference between a cultural umbrella category and a race? There's no scientific definition of race, and the most practical use of the Census racial data is to be able to ensure political representation is in line with the Voting Rights Act. And at least for that purpose, wouldn't having a bigger number of more specific racial categories be more useful than a smaller number of more general categories?

A cultural umbrella categories are exactly what they sound like...large cultural demographics with similarities in various aspects. Race is different.  Various skin color demographics and ethnic groupings can coexist under the same cultural umbrella category and influence each other without becoming the same racially. Culture=/=race. I consider race to be the popular perception of categorized ethnicity. It's not 100% scientific but it doesn't have to be. Race/ethnicity at least is tangible and linked to blood, which history shows has been of considerable import. There's no need to deconstruct anything. I loathe the leftist idea of "deconstructing" this because its not, according to them, "scientific". It's not like they're actually any better actually adhering to it anyway.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I am against this. MENA and Latino are cultural umbrella categories, not racial categories.

What is the difference between a cultural umbrella category and a race? There's no scientific definition of race, and the most practical use of the Census racial data is to be able to ensure political representation is in line with the Voting Rights Act. And at least for that purpose, wouldn't having a bigger number of more specific racial categories be more useful than a smaller number of more general categories?

A cultural umbrella categories are exactly what they sound like...large cultural demographics with similarities in various aspects. Race is different.  Various skin color demographics and ethnic groupings can coexist under the same cultural umbrella category and influence each other without becoming the same racially. Culture=/=race. I consider race to be the popular perception of categorized ethnicity. It's not 100% scientific but it doesn't have to be. Race/ethnicity at least is tangible and linked to blood, which history shows has been of considerable import. There's no need to deconstruct anything. I loathe the leftist idea of "deconstructing" this because its not, according to them, "scientific". It's not like they're actually any better actually adhering to it anyway.

I agree with this, but I don't see why you would oppose labeling Hispanic and Middle Eastern as a racial category if you see it this way. Someone who is Arab and looks Arab will be popularly perceived differently than someone who looks East Asian, white European, or black. Their racial experience will be defined by their Middle Eastern background and they'll experience prejudices based on that background. But should they have to pick between white and Asian as their only options on the census? Why?

Arab is not one race though. And most Arabs are in fact White. I like a separate box existing so that you could denote Arabness regardless of your race, that's a very good median option. I heartily endorse that. Latino and Arab are both cultural groupings that span across multiple racial/ethnic categories. So let a box exist to fit that.
I'm a White Arab. And I never asked for my identity to be "deconstructed". They don't care, they'll push for this anyway. To be honest, I'd rather have the GOP census form including a citizenship question over this, as much as I dislike the latter.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

My other issue here is one that I'll illustrate with two friends of mine.  One is from the Dominican Republic and has a skin color similar to African-Americans.  Another is from Argentina, has blonde hair, and looks no different from white Americans.  Yes, the two share a common first language (spoken with vastly different accents), but their cultures are vastly different (everything from food to sports and plenty in-between).  And, if we're talking about race, they're obviously not the same race as each other (unless we're arguing that there's really only one race and it's all a spectrum of brown).

Indeed, it is mindless to claim all Latinos are the same race.
Hopefully this gets pilloried and modified.
As it is I'm inclined to mark myself as being more than one category in the 2030 census if this is used, if that is feasible. All this is nonsense.