As more Americans receive their U.S. Census forms this week, many Latinos will be checking more than one box in the Ethnic and Racial categories. Some will answer the questions with ease, others will hesitate because their heritage isn't as definable as the government would like. New Mexico native Paul Arguello is outraged that he either must deny his Spanish heritage or force himself into one of the census form boxes, none of which also describe his mixed French, Navajo and Cherokee Indian heritage.
People also have the option to write in their ethnic identities.
However, for Latinos, the difference between race and ethnicity poses a unique problem. Civil rights organizations have had a lot of input in the race and ethnicity question. While Arguello feels he is none of the above, especially because his family hasn't spoken Spanish for generations, his last name suggests otherwise to statistics collectors. I don't see why our government has to function the same way. Race, according to the Census Bureau, is key to implementing any number of federal laws like the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, and determines distribution of federal funds to numerous organizations across the country.