2010 US Census

Originally posted on Blogger.

I’ve recently submitted my very first Census form for my family of 4. The last 2 census, my dad filled it out for me. But for the 2010 Census, I filled it out for my family. There’s not much information to give actually. Other than your name and birthday, it asked for your ethnicity. In the past, I am pretty sure that my father checked the box in the Asian category for “Chinese”. However, in this years’ Census, I wrote in “Taiwanese” for my family.

Technically, I qualify for both Chinese and Taiwanese. My parents would check Chinese this year too. As they were both born in China, moved to Taiwan when they were around 10, immigrated to the US when they were around 30, and spent the last 30 plus years in the US. In Taiwan, I would be considered an Waishengren (外省人) because my parents came from the mainland. Waishengren or not, I was born in Taiwan. That makes me as much Taiwanese as anyone in Taiwan, outside of the aborigine groups of Taiwan. Since I am Taiwanese, my two daughters are too. My wife is an second generation Taiwanese-American (born in the states from Taiwanese parents). So, that makes my whole family Taiwanese.

Prior to this past decade, there wasn’t a lot of “I am Taiwanese” speak in the greater Los Angeles area. In general, prior to 2000, if you were asked your ethnicity, most people would say “Chinese”. However, these last years, the common response is most likely “Taiwanese” now if you have any “Taiwan” connections.

That’s actually happened to my Chinese friends with origins in Singapore and Malaysia as well. I didn’t hear any, “I am Singaporean” or “I am Malaysian” much until these last ten years. It’s very common to hear that now as well.

But if you ask me what I am, I’ll say, “I am American“. I’ve been a resident of Los Angeles since I was four, all my schooling has been in the US. And my Chinese isn’t that good. I am a naturalized American citizen. So, within American, I can be Asian American, Taiwanese American, Chinese American, and an Angeleno.

So, what are you? And what did you put on your Census?

About these ads