Blacks in Panama, multi--racial in the US

One day a few years ago I was in McGruder's grocery store in Alexandria, VA with my friend, Malinda. The Ethiopian cashier asked me what my t-shirt "everyone loves a mixed girl" means.  I said it means my parents are from two different groups and that my sister bought the t-shirt for us. She slammed my change down on the counter and told me she did NOT like that. at all. She doesn't believe in that.  Everyone should stay with their own. Then, she turned to Malinda and asked "and you? are you mixed too?" Malinda shied away and said she was just black. whoa. I have no idea why she had such a violent and hostile reaction to my t -shirt, but for my own safety I decided not to ask a million questions that day. We quickly left the store.
** just to be clear, I consider both of my parents to be Black. in my universe Black does not only mean "African American". Raised in the US, I do and have recognized that my parents belong to two different government boxes. I will never diminish my family's Panamanian/Latino pride nor the pride of being African American to make classification easier for people with narrow definitions. We don't have to homogenize Blackness to achieve solidarity** off the soapbox.

Interestingly enough, as a question about African heritage makes an appearance for the first time on Panama's 2010 census, in the US this will be the 2nd census which allows people to choose more than one racial identity.

I wonder if these homogeneous groups we like to create (namely black and white) will be complicated at higher age groups, or if this change in identification will be reflected mostly in younger respondents.  This is not to say that a larger number of "mixed" people are younger, but more probable (in my opinion) that younger people are more likely to reject the racial binary and openly identify with more than one group.
And what will Hispanic/Latino look like? or Asian/Pacific Islander? as they are identifications based on geographic origins and language, not color in the way in black and white.  The Time article talks about a Brazilian lobby group, which undoubtedly is thrown in with the majority Spanish speaking Latino/Hispanic group. I am not sure what all of the choices are. If anyone who has received their packet wants to weigh in, I would be grateful. Alas, I will not be counted this year.

from the USA article and in response to those who feel the US is headed toward a post-racial (whatever the heck THAT means) age via Obama:
This month, the Census Bureau will remind Americans that racial classifications remain an integral part of the country's social and legal fabric while, at the same time, recognizing that racial lines are blurring for a growing number of people.



It will be interesting to see what comes out of both of these census maps! I feel like a qualitative demographer :-)

USA today article specifically about multiracial people and the census
TIME article about the census