<\/center><\/p>\n
November 16, 2004<\/p>\n
Ms. Leigh Trivette
Secretary of the Regents
1111 Franklin Street, 12th Floor
Oakland, CA 94607<\/p>\n
Dear Ms. Trivette:<\/p>\n
We the undersigned organizations wish to renew our support for Item RE-52<\/a>, proposed by Regent Ward Connerly on March 4, 2004.<\/p>\n RE-52 requests that the University of California \u201ccollect data from potential students\u201d in the form of a \u201cmulti-racial\u201d or \u201cmulti-ethnic\u201d classification check box. RE-52<\/a> further suggests that the Board of Regents \u201cPresident should request that the OMB revise its guidelines to permit\u201d such classifications.<\/p>\n We, the undersigned, believe that individuals who perceive themselves to be either \u201cbiracial\u201d or \u201cmultiracial\u201d should be afforded the option of declaring themselves as such through a separate category. Further, if such individuals are not going to be afforded this opportunity, then the current classification tabulation method, which mimics the classic \u201cone-drop rule\u201d of the Jim Crow past, should be abolished, rather than continue to be used a means of denying<\/u><\/b> \u201cmultiracial\u201d individuals the same identification rights afforded to the rest of the student population.<\/p>\n Currently, individuals of multiple \u201crace\u201d backgrounds, who designate themselves as such on applications, forms, tests and other documents by checking more than one \u201cracial\u201d classification box are not documented by the University. Multiple box-checkers are instead reassigned into one<\/u><\/b> \u201cracial\u201d classification and the rest of their self-designation is disregarded without their knowledge. By changing their self-designation, the University is essentially voiding<\/u><\/b> their right to self-identification in the University environment. Such changing of an individual\u2019s self-designation is a de facto<\/i> endorsement of the one-drop rule that plagued the Jim Crow era of American history. While this tabulation scheme is not the fault of the University, through RE-52<\/a> the Board would be in the position to effect positive change on behalf of its \u201cbiracial\u201d and \u201cmultiracial\u201d student population.<\/p>\n Clearly, the demographics of this nation are rapidly changing, as evidenced by this very issue being brought before the Board. And, nowhere is this change more apparent than in California. It is far past time to abandon the routines and practices of the past, which were based on Jim Crow era beliefs and subjugation based on \u201cracial\u201d classification. If the University is going to collect \u201cracial\u201d data, then the self-identification rights of those who perceive themselves to be \u201cbiracial\u201d or \u201cmultiracial\u201d must be respected.<\/p>\n Many mono-racial advocacy groups have publicly been involved in political and media campaigns aimed at denying \u201cmultiracial\u201d individuals the right to choose their own identity. The root of this issue is money and power. That said, we do not understand why such groups should be allowed to control such a personal right as self-identification for their own gain. To deny one segment of society a right, based on the objections of a third party, seems to run counter to everything for which this nation stands. Why should the self-identification of \u201cmultiracial\u201d individuals be subject to the whims and approvals of mono-racial organizations who would deny them said right in order to artificially inflate their own numbers for financial and political gain? Why should the self-identification rights of \u201cmultiracial\u201d individuals continue to be denied in such a manner, while other groups are granted the right to identify as they see fit?<\/p>\n Two other observations are appropriate: First, it is often argued by those who oppose the acknowledgement of a “multiracial” identity that the number of such individuals is statistically too small to worry about. In reality, however, the number of \u201cmultiracial\u201d individuals is often greater than the number of “Native Americans” or “Black\/African Americans” at many institutions. Therefore, if there is justification to count and tabulate these individuals, why not a group that is even larger, namely, the “multiracial” population?<\/p>\n Second, allowing individuals to check more than one box does not capture those individuals who perceive themselves to be “multiracial.” They are not “part” this or “part” that; they are “multiracial.” That is their identity. They have their own communities, their own websites, publications and support groups. In this regard, they deserve the same recognition as groups that represent single “races.” As long as they continue to be treated in such a manner, their civil liberties, contributions to society, and general cultural impact as a whole will continue to be viewed as subordinate to the mono-racial groups. It is unfair for one group to be perpetually singled out and disrespected in such a manner, and the University has the ability to help remedy this situation through the adoption of RE-52<\/a>.<\/p>\n Further, the controversial \u201ccheck all that apply\u201d method was adopted by the Office of Management and Budget in order to give the appearance that \u201cmultiracial\u201d individuals were going to be allowed their right to self-identify, as other groups are currently allowed. The real purpose of this \u201ccheck all that apply\u201d method is to allow the government to collapse such responses into one category only, leaving the tabulation of \u201cmultiracial\u201d individuals subject to the whims of whatever mono-racial advocacy group happened to wield the most political power. In effect, \u201cmultiracial\u201d individuals may check all the boxes they like, but unbeknownst to them, their self-identity will actually be determined by a third party. Currently, no other racial or ethnic group\u2019s self-identification rights are treated in this indefensible manner. In short, the \u201ccheck all that apply\u201d method is a cosmetic screen to cover the fact that the racist one-drop rule is still in effect with regard to the self-identification rights of \u201cmultiracial\u201d Americans. This should not be the case.<\/p>\n We applaud the Board for taking the time to consider this request and urge it to grant its rapidly growing \u201cbiracial\u201d and \u201cmultiracial\u201d student population the same rights to self-identification that its mono-racial students have held for decades. <\/p>\n Sincerely,<\/p>\n James Landrith Charles Michael Byrd Billy Brady Helen Campbell Francis Wardle, Ph.D. Valerie Wilkins-Godbee Steve and Ruth White Rita Frazier <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" November 16, 2004Joint Letter to University of California Board of Regents November 16, 2004 Ms. Leigh Trivette Secretary of the Regents 1111 Franklin Street, 12th Floor Oakland, CA 94607 Dear Ms. Trivette: We the...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[60,9,209],"tags":[142,194],"class_list":["post-1019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-letters-to-government-agencies-signed-by-tma","category-advocacy-and-letters","category-valerie-wilkins-godbee","tag-advocacy-letters","tag-interracial-voice"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Advocacy-Work.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p89tuq-gr","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1019"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4015,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019\/revisions\/4015"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/multiracial.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Founder
The Multiracial Activist
http:\/\/www.multiracial.com<\/p>\n
Founder
Interracial Voice
http:\/\/www.interracialvoice.com<\/p>\n
Executive Director
National American Metis Association
http:\/\/www.americanmetis.org<\/p>\n
Founder
Melungeons.com
http:\/\/www.melungeons.com<\/p>\n
Executive Director
Center for the Study of Biracial Children
http:\/\/www.csbc.cncfamily.com<\/p>\n
Founder and President
Interracial Women\u2019s Political Consortium
Founding President
Multi-Ethnic Women for Media Fairness<\/p>\n
Founders
A Place For Us National
http:\/\/www.aplaceforusnational.com<\/p>\n
Chief National Director
A Place For Us National
http:\/\/www.aplaceforusnational.com<\/p>\n