Dear Answer Bubble,
As I write this I think back to all the forms I’ve filled out with those tiny, oval-shaped answer bubbles. Whether it’s for the SAT, a voting ballot, or a simple survey I’ve always had a strange feeling associated with the particular question that asks one to “indicate your race.” Now, the question itself isn’t what bothers me – it’s the choices. Typically, the choices that are presented include: American Indian/Native Alaskan, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino, White, and…Other.
The phrasing of the last choice is my personal least favorite. How does it feel to be categorized as “other”? What does that even mean? As a mixed, Korean and white individual the choices to this question bother me. It’s a little better when multiracial is listed as an option or when forms give you the option to choose multiple races which I’ve begun to see more. But, without these alternatives, it feels like you aren’t even meant to answer the question if you don’t neatly belong to one of these predetermined groups.
When I was younger, I remember having to “pick” Asian or White which makes absolutely no sense. I’m not Asian and I’m not White, I’m both. Recently, I’ve seen more flexibility in the options for these questions probably because more of the population is fitting into this racial category. And, while race is a social construct, recognition in that sense is still important to me. I don’t have many friends who also identify as mixed so I haven’t had many conversations about this feeling. However, I can imagine that others might share a similar sentiment. After all, who would want to fill out a form and realize that it didn’t even have a place for them to identify themselves? Hopefully this isn’t a feeling that will have to be dealt with much longer.
Until next time,
Kathrynif