Hawaii’s “Father’s Race” codes
Scroll down a bit for stuff that is easier and faster to read.
this “conversation” was copied here with permission:
This might have been what you were looking at regarding the “Father’s Race” codes, [redacted], but I want to post the links here so people can scour it for other information. Here’s the index that’ll get you to different documents:
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/vital_certs_rev.htm
Here is the doc that is about data entry for birth certificates.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/dvs/FinalBirthSpecs3-24-2005.pdf
In reading through this stuff, the system (which was updated in 2003 after input by a committee which included Alvin Onaka, Hawaii’s state registrar) will not allow a file to be transmitted to the state database if certain information is incomplete. The parts that are incomplete are labelled “Pending” and show up asking for data to complete the record immediately when the record is accessed.
There is a void flag which is either activated by the system itself (if vital information is missing or if values entered are invalid) or by the state registrar’s office worker who is entering the data from a paper record. The void flag is presumably the input to identify deficient certificates – such as delayed or amended ones (like Obama has). How that is shown in the actual output isn’t stated.
This page http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12714&page=R1 will get you access to information about vital records data management. There is a chart which shows that the 2003 revised birth certificates were not in use by Hawaii as of 2007 but the issue with it seems to be that there is so much added information. The actual software used for the system may be in use in Hawaii. Hard to tell.
This is part of the “code” page: Notice no value for “African” exists…..
PROCESSING VARIABLES:
NAME DESCRIPTION VALUES DEFINITION
FRACE1 White checkbox Y Box for race checked
N Box for race not checked
FRACE2 Black or African American Y Box for race checked
checkbox N Box for race not checked
FRACE3 American Indian or Y Box for race checked
Alaska Native checkbox N Box for race not checked
FRACE4 Asian Indian checkbox Y Box for race checked
N Box for race not checked
FRACE5 Chinese checkbox Y Box for race checked
N Box for race not checked
FRACE6 Filipino checkbox Y Box for race checked
N Box
UPDATE 7/15/10 From a reader, THANK YOU:
Page 231 contains the requirements for “Race and color.”
“Births in the United States in 1961 are classified for vital statistics into white, Negro, American Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Aleut, Eskimo, Hawaiian and Part-Hawaiian (combined), and “other nonwhite.”
There was NO classification for “African” (or African-American)
http://www.nber.org/vital-statistics/historical/nat61_1.CV.pdf
.Click to enlarge
January 2011 UPDATE:
This is not specific to Hawaii, but demonstrates the fact that race codes are specific, and the parent/parents can self-identify from among the listed race codes. Just click on image to enhance:
UPDATE. I found the following panel in a presentation that Alvin Onaka had done in Philly PA in 2002. Titled;
THE COLLECTION AND USE OF RACE AND ETHNIC DATA IN HAWAII (What? No AFRICAN??? )
http://www.ncvhs.hhs.gov/021108p1.pdf
Enough for now.
Questions:
In 1961 what codes/definitions were used?
How is the race of the child determined? (ex., are parents able to determine what race ends up on Birth Certificate/Certification of Live Birth?)
As far as I can figure, the “race” was determined (submitted) by the parents. Of course if you appeared to be snow white, they likely wouldn’t allow you to classify yourself as black, or negro (as was the commonly used term in the early 60′s.). One thing I really haven’t given much thought to is what the “race” of the child would be considered from a bi-racial couple in the early 1960′s. I know that for a long ways back in history a child with “mixed” parentage was typically considered non-white. I do not know for a fact how it would have been done in the early sixties, but it is likely the child of a bi-racial union would still have been considered non-white.
So, a child considered “non-white” could/would have been classified as the same race of the non-white parent back then. So, if one parent were “negro”, one “caucasian”, the child would (likely ?) have been determined to be “negro”. I think it would be an interesting thing to research more thoroughly. I simply suspect that it may still have been done that way in the early 60,s.
The general understanding is that since “African” was not in use as a hospital/vital stats code/definition in the 1960′s, it is highly likely that the code for “negro”, which was in use at the time, would have been assigned to a child born of one parent of African background, and one parent of caucasian background.
Thanks for the reply. It would be interesting to see when they officially changed from “negro” to “African-American” or “African”. I’ll see what I can find out here in Hawaii.
Great! Drop a comment if you do find out. I MAY have something in all of my tons of little snips collected-but I’ve spent six months compiling the info for the newspaper birth announcement research, and all of my other files/folders/ect. are in a totally disreputable state of confusion now.
I got it.
Page 231 contains the requirements for “Race and color.”
“Births in the United States in 1961 are classified for vital statistics into white, Negro, American Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Aleut, Eskimo, Hawaiian and Part-Hawaiian (combined), and “other nonwhite.”
There was NO classification for “African” (or African-American)
http://www.nber.org/vital-statistics/historical/nat61_1.CV.pdf
WOW! Fast. Thank you so much. While I was fairly certain there was not a “African-American, or African”, it is great to have this. I’ll put the link in the body of the Page also.
.
Fine work on your part
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Calling All Mongrels !! « My Very Own Point of View said this on July 30, 2010 at 6:49 pm |
We don’t know that anybody at the hospital knew that his father was black – there is a question as to how involved his parents were with each other. The father may have never appeared at the hospital, in which case, they would have only known if the mother had told them. Especially since black babies often look white when born, as it can take some time for the melanin to express itself.
Some people think he is hiding his BC because it says “caucasian”. I don’t agree; I think that’s easily explainable. I do think the “African” is a tip-off to fraudulent activity, however, because besides what you’ve said about the codes used, “African” is not a race – it’s a continent!
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Barack’s Baggage « My Very Own Point of View said this on January 2, 2011 at 6:19 pm |
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Pssst, Hey Buddy, Wanna See My Polk? « My Very Own Point of View said this on February 11, 2011 at 5:07 pm |
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from ladyforest… | NwoDaily.com said this on March 10, 2011 at 4:02 pm |
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from ladysforest… | NwoDaily.com said this on March 11, 2011 at 2:41 am |
[...] Hawaii’s “Father’s Race” codes « My Very Own Point of ViewMar 11, 2011 … FRACE2 Black or African American Y Box for race checked checkbox N Box for race not checked. FRACE3 American Indian or Y Box for race … [...]
Race checkbox | Jarieber said this on November 22, 2011 at 12:45 pm |
You are VERY good. Excellent research. Thank you, Linda Jordan
Thank you. Wish we could find even more.