Kansas Naturalizations and all Nats Complexion
@Ashlee C. and @Maile L The example for Kansas Nats Petition shows Color/Race box as White when the document Complexion space states "Fair". I believe this is wrong because I know many Asian-born (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc ) who are either "Fair" or "Dark." Fair means Light as opposed to brown, black or blue 😉 which on the color wheel are Darker in hue. And what of persons born to racially mixed parents who favor one parent over the other in complexion? Lets be fair and honest: Color/Race should be indexed only when clearly stated on the document; otherwise it should be <blank>. Thanks
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I've also seen Asians a "Yellow", but that is what it was at the time of application. Just like how place names may have changed or no longer exist in 2024, but did at the time of application, that is what is indexed. Plus the term "Asian" did not exist until 1968, when it was coined by activists. I don't think complexion has been indexed since the days of WWII draft cards.
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I was just telling someone tonight about a record set of prisoners in the US state of Georgia in the 1920s and 1930s. The classifications of race were indexed in this decade, but those in charge were unfamiliar with the usages of the US South in the 1920s and 1930s. That meant that all the variations used at that time for blacks of varying complexions were categorized as Asian.
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Whenever I try a new-to-me project, I read instructions & pull up all the examples and I just saw that some forms of the Intentions are printed with both Race/Color and Complexion. One person said he was White and of Dark Complexion.
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My maternal grandfather and two of his brothers were classified as White and Dark complected on their draft cards. They were a little darker tone than the rest of their siblings. His other three brothers were White and Ruddy or White and Light. Three of my dad's brothers are/were darker (in fact, my grandmother would call one of my uncles a not so nice name because he was dark) and my dad is a "normal" white complexion. Just like why is our brother skinny and us three girls…aren't? Genetics are wild.
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I am aware of a data base from some years ago (India Office baptisms) where some of the records have been classified as race White.
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Asians were often listed as "white," plus whatever the complexion said. We index the race of the applicant as what it was at the time of application, not what is the 2024 term.
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Thanks, @erutherford, it wasn't so much the terminology as we use genealogy and race to track genetics and medical research, ie hemophilia, etc. 😎
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Yes, I think Family Search has a purpose in what they do: Family Search makes historical documents and records available on the internet so that when paper records are altered or destroyed, our descendants (children and grandchildren) can know who they are (family connections) and where they came from. I also think this discussion is now or should be closed. Have a great day 😎
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the term "Asian" did not exist until 1968, when it was coined by activists
I believe you meant to say: "the term Asian American was not coined until 1968", as that's the quote from Wikipedia.
I would doubt that was truly the case, either, but just to clarify where you appear to have got your idea from.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_American_movement (paragraph headed "Early Developments").
Okay, perhaps @MaureenE123 and I am going a little off-topic, but it is a mystery to know how "Race" gets recorded after a number of FamilySearch projects are finalised, when there is not even a column in the original documents that carries that heading! I assume this is part of the "post-indexing" phase of getting these records online, as it certainly doesn't come about by indexers following instructions to copy "exactly what they see".
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I assume this is part of the "post-indexing" phase of getting these
records online, as it certainly doesn't come about following
instructions to indexers to copy "exactly what they see".And in a related issue, that "ethnicity" category that doesn't exist in the record and is often in conflict with reality.
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Weird hill to die on, dude. 🤣
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Sorry, don't get that quip - perhaps it's because I'm English!!
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Mod note: Several posts were edited for Community Code of Conduct violations and to keep the flow of the conversation and the discussion was closed.
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