2011 Census

I think what you answered makes sense.  It sounds like you have a strong background that transcends the "I'm part Irish/German/Italian/This/That/And-The-Other-Thing" that a lot of Americans have.  I think my family is so far removed from whatever our origins are that there's really nothing else to put except "American".  Plus, being of Jewish descent is considered as being part of a specific ethnic group genetically rather than just a religion.  It's kind of really interesting to think about.  

Same for me. I grew up hearing Yiddish spoken at home.

I don't want to put Jewish as my religion because I have issues with organised religion in general, and I don't want to be lumped in with Jews who think that married women should keep their heads covered, that women are unclean when they are menstruating, and  that God will smite me if I eat a pork pie.

I also don't want it to be assumed that I support government funding for teaching these beliefs in schools.

I do, however, want my ethnic and cultural identity to be recognised.

ETA: When I lived in the US, it always seemed to be politically incorrect to call yourself American when you mean you were from the United States, because you were ignoring Canada and Latin America. (Manhattan has an Avenue of the Americas - in honour of all the American nations.)

If someone asked me what country I was from, I would say the United States; I would never say America or that I was American because I thought that would be offensive.

I didn't start referring to myself as American until I moved to the UK and other people started calling me American.

About race/ethnicity - these distinctions are purely cultural/traditional and have no scientific basis and will change from country to country.

For example, in the US I always considered people from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh to be white, and in the UK they are considerd Asian.

And the concept of Hispanic (as a race/ethnic group that is distinct from black or white) doesn't exist in the UK.  

For example, in the US I always considered people from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh to be white, and in the UK they are considerd Asian.

Really?? I'm half-Indian and have always (in the US as well) considered myself half Asian and half white.

Really?? I'm half-Indian and have always (in the US as well) considered myself half Asian and half white.

To me, Asian means East Asian (as in, China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, etc) and Indian/Pakistanis/Bengalis are Southeast Asians or just Indian. Growing up, the exception was in the case of college admission, in which case they got lumped in with the rest of the Asians when it came to (presumed) reverse-affirmative action.

I think this revolves around the arrival  of multculturism. It was common practice until recent decades for the UK to be called England by people of other countries,  and to some extent it still is.
 With the advent of large scale immigration, the term British came into use, and was commonly used to describe an ethnic background in the sense of British Asian, British Pakistani, British Indian.
With the advent of devolution and the EU, the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish were allowed to classify themselves on the census as such, but the English were denied the option. After the attempt by the EU with the complicity of successive British governments to  break up England into regions, which was soundly beaten in a referendum in the North East.   The attempt to erase any concept of a defined Englishness either as a  race, culture or national identity in preference to Britishness has created the current strong nationalist sentiment in England.

 With regard to the census,  when English was not an option huge numbers of English crossed out British and sustituted  English, corrupting the process, and forcing change. A similar thing happened with religion in the last census when large numbers of people annoyed at being asked their religion, corrupted the process by entering Jedi(Star Wars) as their religion.

The legal requirement to complete the census under the threat of a fine and a criminal record brings out the revolutionary in the population, entering terms such as Jedi is the equivalent of showing two fingers to nosy officialdom.

 

To me, Asian means East Asian (as in, China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, etc) and Indian/Pakistanis/Bengalis are Southeast Asians or just Indian. Growing up, the exception was in the case of college admission, in which case they got lumped in with the rest of the Asians when it came to (presumed) reverse-affirmative action.

In the US, I always ticked the 'Other' box on forms and wrote in 'Eur-Asian' I guess my brain works like a college admission officer's. 

To me Asian means East Asian, too. I've known Sephardic Jews and people of Italian descent who are considered white yet are darker than many Indians. I had an Arab coworkers in the UK who was considered non-white. He could've been my brother.

OT but about the census as well...

The Census is supposed to be done on 27 March and give a snapshot of the household as of that night.

Issue: We're moving out of our flat on that day and going to a hotel. We're going back to the flat on the 28th to do the final walkthrough with the letting agent & turn over the keys.

Question: Am I right in thinking that we don't have to fill out the census then?

Same for me. I grew up hearing Yiddish spoken at home.

I don't want to put Jewish as my religion because I have issues with organised religion in general, and I don't want to be lumped in with Jews who think that married women should keep their heads covered, that women are unclean when they are menstruating, and  that God will smite me if I eat a pork pie.

I also don't want it to be assumed that I support government funding for teaching these beliefs in schools.

I do, however, want my ethnic and cultural identity to be recognised.

I feel very much the same as you do on these issues sweetpeach.  I did put Jewish down for some reason even though I am non-practicing to the max--not sure why--maybe a bit of homesickness made me do it.

I also ticked off "other" and put pagan down. 

OT but about the census as well...

The Census is supposed to be done on 27 March and give a snapshot of the household as of that night.

Issue: We're moving out of our flat on that day and going to a hotel. We're going back to the flat on the 28th to do the final walkthrough with the letting agent & turn over the keys.

Question: Am I right in thinking that we don't have to fill out the census then?

If you were moving out on the 25th then I might guess that, but as you are living there for part of the day, I would guess they will say you need to fill it in for your home for that day as you were in fact, present at your home on that day--just a guess though

I can't decide whether to use my maiden or married surname.  I think the census might keep records of surnames for historical purposes - e.g. to record how the popularity of different surnames has changed over the year in different parts of the UK.

My maiden name is on my UK passport and on the electoral role.

I use my married name for paying taxes and almost everything else in the UK. Most people know me by my married name.

My maiden name is obviously Yiddish/German and reflects my ancestry.

DH chose our married name. He changed his surname by deed poll before we met to disassociate himself from his stepfather, with whom he had a bad relationship. So it has no ancestral significance. It is our (mine and DH's) new family name.

I can't decide whether to use my maiden or married surname.  I think the census might keep records of surnames for historical purposes - e.g. to record how the popularity of different surnames has changed over the year in different parts of the UK.

The census is a great record for people checking their family history.

We got ours today!  Is it weird that I get really excited about filling out forms?!   

The US census last year missed me by a week because I was in the UK so I didn't get counted. This year for the UK census I'll be traveling to London  I don't exist anywhere.

The US census last year missed me by a week because I was in the UK so I didn't get counted. This year for the UK census I'll be traveling to London  I don't exist anywhere.

I'm confused. Won't you still get the forms in the post and then just mail them off before going to London? Do you not live in the same place all the time?

You're only supposed to count people who are actually there.