So, it turns out we didn’t have to wait until the Census classifications came out before the City decided to alter how they classified Black/African American Alameda residents. Recall that in the 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report under the government profile, this is how the demographic portion was written:
The City of Alameda incorporated on April 19 , 1854 , and is located on Alameda Island in San Francisco Bay. The City of Alameda comprises 22.7 square miles and serves a population of 75,254. According to the 2000 Census , there are 41,148 (57%) Caucasian residents; 4,488 (6%) Negroid residents; 484 (0.7%) Native American residents; 18,894 (26%) Asian residents; 434 (0. 6%) Pacific Islander residents; 2,380 (3. 3%) residents of other races and, 4,431 (6%) residents of two or more races.
The use of the term “Negorid” was a bit of an eyebrow raiser. There was probably no malicious intent behind the usage, it was probably just one of those unfortunate word choices that we all make. Like “intimate domain.”
Apparently though, someone at the City quietly changed the 2008 CAFR to remove the Negroid reference. And the 2009 CAFR mirrors the 2008 CAFR language. So no need to wait to see if the Census decided that the term Negroid was a-okay, staff at the City decided to take the initiative to remove the potentially offensive term.
Good job not drawing attention to it!
Blogging Bayport Alameda 
lol, Negroid. that sounds like when those alameda action people said “jewess”
Comment by E — April 10, 2010 @ 1:43 pm
Those statisticians lack any kind of PC.
To be correct, the Census report should have listed: Caucasoid, Negroid, Asiatic, Native American-Indian, and Pacific Islander.
Oxford Dictionary (Usage): The term Negroid belongs to a set of terms introduced by 19th century anthropologists attempting to categorize human races. Such terms are associated with outdated notions of racial types, and so are now potentially offensive and best avoided.
Translation: Use it and get punched in the nose.
Comment to #1: *cringe*
Comment by B — April 12, 2010 @ 7:39 pm