European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                It does matter if you re Black or White or hispanic Clarence Page american Justice Hlass it course Michael Jackson sings it Don t Matte if you re Black or  he obviously does not work for the Federal  the feds it matters a great Deal whether you Are Black or White. Or hispanic american Indian alaskan native asian or Pacific islander or  those Are the racial ethnic boxes Federal agencies have asked us to Check off on various forms for the census health research demographic trends civil rights compliance and other functions. But if you want to know just How amorphous imprecise and arguable our common racial classifications can be just take a glance at the steady Stream of requests and demands the government gets to change them again. Many african americans for example want to be called african american instead of  Many hispanics having won the addition of hispanic to official government lists even though it is More an ethnic grouping than a race now want to be called  in America the racial is in Many ways political. Requests have come for example from the parents of racially mixed children who have requested a mixed category so their children will not be forced to choose Between two racial identities an act Many see As tantamount to denying one Parent or another. But Many Black politicians civil rights activists and identity movement supporters object to consecrating the mixed Label because it could dilute Black Vot ing numbers in reapportionment. Besides it also is reasoned american custom and traditions have declared one drop of Black blood to make one Black As far As most people Are concerned. After years of having that work against Black empowerment and Opportunity Many Black leaders object to doing away with it at the very Point in history when it is working to whatever modest degree to even the playing Field. In another example hispanics were singled out for special attention in the Era of president Lyndon Johnson who sympathized deeply with the plight of Low income Rural mexican american children he had taught in his Rural Texas youth. Northern Urban democrats were All too Happy to Lump puerto Picans under the hispanic umbrella and once Richard Nixon became president republicans were just As Happy to sweep heavily Republican cuban americans in too. But what one might ask about brazilians can they properly be called hispanics despite the fact that their heritage and National language Are Portu Guese questions like that have caused Federal officials to open this Hornet s nest again with a nationwide re View of the Way the government classifies race and. Ethnicity. So far Public hearings in Boston Denver and san Francisco in july and an open Mailbox have resulted in dozens of complaints concerns or suggestions. Suggestions for new racial categories have ranged from the sensible african american native hawaiian Arab american to the seemingly absurd German american Middle easterner Cape verde. Cape verde some people seem to have a sweep ing idea of what race is. So does Sally Katzen administrator of the take a deep breath office of information and regulatory affairs in the office of management and budget in the executive office of the president the Agency charged with deciding racial classifications for All other Federal agencies including the census Bureau. I think Many people Are taking this Opportunity to Issue a Call to be recognized said Katzen. They Hope that having their race or geographic origins included would reinforce a sense of self identification and affirmation in our  if you think addition of your particular favorite ethnic group will result in special benefits or protections sorry you la have to go through Congress for that. But not even Congress dares venture into the fundamental vexing question raised by these periodic government reviews what constitutes race is it for example a matter of appearances usually. But for every characteristic you can name skin color hair texture nose shape lip fullness you can find somebody who is an exception to the Rule. Small wonder that some scholars and others have suggested that the Federal government Stop using racial classifications at All since they often serve to preserve divisions instead of bringing americans to Gether. That too May be a tempting thought but it conies about 300 or 400 years late. We did t get into this confusion overnight and we won t get out of it Over night either. Until then perhaps the Best we can do in our racial and ethnic confusion is to make the most of it without making too much of it. Chicago to Lburn a list of ways vacations can disappear Andy Rodney y lawyer has advised me to offer a $250,000 Reward to anyone who can Tell me where my vacation went. By offering the Reward i Hope it will put people off thinking i did away with it  i know is it has disappeared and i want to know where to. If anyone Points the Finger at me and offers some facts that suggest it s my own fault the offer is null not to mention void. This is known As a fat Chance award offer. I m not complaining about my vacation and i Don t even mind going to work. I just hate the idea that it disappeared before my eyes when i was t looking. In anticipation of taking a month off i wrote nine columns in Advance. If you read the column regularly you May have noticed there has t been a lot of timely stuff in it lately. That s because i wrote for july in june. The july Calendar did t work out very Well for a july vacation this year because july 1 was on a Fri Day. It s hard to take off from work much sooner than thursday when that happens. If on the other hand the first of july is on a monday or tuesday i still take off thursday and get an extra five Days by cheating the company just a Little bit. When i m working i often make a Todt list things to do today. A typical list May look like this write column. Get haircut 2 30. Answer mail in folder. Get idea for 60 minutes piece. Call dentist for appointment. Clean out desk drawers. Have chair fixed so it swivels. Buy 100 4-cent Stamps. For Penny postcards i bought when they were Only 15 cents lunch with de. 12 45. Tony s Sze Chuan. Call Don. Call Brian. Airline reservation to l,a., hotel car rental. Redo phone Book. Go to Library. Get copy june 1957 saturday eve Ning Post. ". On an average working Day i la accomplish maybe half the things on that list. That s where vacation is different. My typical Todt list on a vacation Day would read More like this make Blueberry muffins for breakfast. Fix Spring on screen door so it closes tight. Clean out garage. Take old outdoor chair to dump. Put Sand on garage floor Over Oil spot. Sweep. Hardware. Light bulbs Phillips head screws new Washer for Hose. Spray car Aerial so it goes up and Down easily. Answer mail. Finish writing chapter 17. Clean old leaves out of garage gutters before new ones  trunk of car. Get Corn and raspberries from la vie farm stand. Read yesterday s paper. Nap. Redo phone Book. On vacation my average in t As Good. If i do three out of 10 on my Todt list when i m on Vaca Tion it s a Good Day. For example on the list above an actual list i made the Blueberry muffins bought the stuff at the hardware stopped and got the Corn and raspberries and took a Nap. All the other items showed up on subsequent Todt lists i be had redo phone Book on almost every Day s Todt list for the past three years. Nine of the people in it have died 12 have moved and have new addresses and phone numbers i be scratched in and three listings in the Book Are for people i Don t care if i never talk to again. For your Reward called Mcmahon. Tribune Media services Andy Rooney is a former stars and stripes reporter. August 21,1994 sunday pages