2010 Census Black? Negro? AA?

I was recently mired in a hot online comment session based on a fellow blogger's post about the census. Apparently all the choices available for Americans of African descent has gotten "us" quite riled up. We can be Negro, Black or African American.

Its all rather confusing to me-are we talking race or nationality here. I think I echo the sentiment of W. E. B. Du Bois who once said, "One ever feels his twoness-an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body…" He recognized a clear line between nationality and race.

Growing up I knew my race was Black and my nationality was American. I have extensive travels internationally and it seems that Americans are the only ones confused about race versus nationality. An African gentleman on a train in Spain insisted I was African; producing my passport proved to him that I was indeed American and clearly my race was black.

Then there is my birth certificate which says I'm Negro. Negro, taken from the Spanish and Portuguese word for black, is okay by me as it still refers to race. I'm not offended when someone says Negro-it harkens to a different time. My grandmother's generation-she is 97-identifies with this terminology. So we need Negro on the census form so my granny can check the box.

However, now there is the African American handle. I don't really like it. I came of age in the '70s and I prefer being called black. I have been to more than one country in Africa, and though I love the cultures, I'm pretty far removed from them.

That separation proves to me that my nationality is American. I can't help but think this African American thing came about in the era of political correctness and it's just a bother to me. I'm checking the "Black" box on my census form for my household.

Despite the debate surrounding which box to check on the 2010 census form, there is a need to understand the reason behind the choices. The federal government allocates nearly $300 billion to states for programs and most is distributed based on population. Don't you want schools, roads and hospitals in your neighborhood? Check the box.