The Census Bureau is beginning to mail out census forms. People are wondering what to do now. We simply can't tell you what to do. It is not our role to tell people how to identify racially and ethnically. Our government should be about counting America's citizens, and not be in the business of determining race. But they do determine race by taking what we mark and re-assigning them to another racial category. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has determined that people who check more than one box will in some way be re-assigned to one of five single race categories, but they have not determined how the reassignments will be made.

The United States Department of Justice has told the Census Bureau that they will utilize all 63 racial categories for persons over the age of 18. That leaves over 70 federal agencies in the United States Federal Government that produce statistics to re-assign the people who check more than one race into one racial category in whatever way they wish-but they will reassign them. With the administration's willy-nilly approach, we will never have accurate numbers for our community, which is just what they wanted by not allowing us an umbrella multiracial classification. Meanwhile, the Census Bureau is talking about "sampling" a portion of the people who check more than one box and re-assigning races based on the question: If we had only allowed one check mark, which one would you have chosen? (See letter to Census Bureau).

So what do we do?

Below are some of the possibilities being talked about for handling your census forms. Project RACE would like to hear your feedback. Please e-mail us at ProjRACE@aol.com and indicate if we may publish your statements on our web site.

1. Check as many races as you wish.

Pro: At least we aren't forced to check only one box anymore. Checking more than one race gives you the satisfaction of checking all of your heritage. We have made progress and are filling out our census form.

Con: Why fill out more than one racial category when we are just going to be reassigned? When we have a multiracial category with an accurate breakdown of categories (as do the Asian and Hispanic categories), we will fill in our races. The federal government just want to divide multiracial people.

2. Don't fill out race at all.

Pro: The U. S. Constitution says the purpose of the United States Census is to take an accurate count of Americans. The only question on the census that does that is question #1, "How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment or mobile home on April 1, 2000?" Filling out only this question fulfills my obligation to the federal government.

Con: If race is not filled out, the Census Bureau may send an enumerator to your home to fill in the race question. If you still do not "cooperate," the enumerator is instructed to choose your race and only fill in one race per person. You can be fined $100 for not filling out your census form. The Director of the Census Bureau, Kenneth Prewitt, has stated that it is our "civic duty" to complete the 2000 Census form.

3. Check "American Indian." (The census does not use the term "Native American")

Pro: Proponents of this option see it as a form of civil disobedience.

Con: We question if this would really send the message to the government at all. It could actually harm the American Indian population, since it would skew the sovereignty issues. The most likely multiracial people to chose American Indian alone will be located in urban populations. As an increase is shown in urban areas, smaller population percentages will be shown as living on or near reservations. Services and benefits to American Indians will be affected as a result of changing (artificial) demographics. Sovereignty laws are based on reservation life and demographics. Also, the census form tells you to print the name of your enrolled or principal tribe. If you don't fill this in or falsify the information, they may still send an enumerator to your home.

Sally Katzen of the Office of Management and Budget was visited by a very large group of American Indians, who "begged" her not to allow a multiracial classification. She said they all cried and it made an impression on her. Should we "give" our numbers to a group that opposed us? Of if this will skew their numbers, is this some kind of revenge?

4. Just check anything, the truth doesn't really matter.

Pro: It's quick and you don't have to think about it.

Con: If you falsify racial data on the census, it would be a felony. It's OK for an enumerator to look at you and guess your race, but if you lie, you could be fined or branded a felon!

5. Write in "multiracial" in the "Some other race" space.

Pro: This would send the message that what is truly needed is an umbrella multiracial classification. Even better would be to write in: "Multiracial. It is illegal for me to falsify my races and you do not allow for my category."

Con: There is no telling what the Census Bureau will do with this response. If they see two different races for parents with the multiracial in the "some other race" space, they might even reallocate that person to the two races of the parents.