" 

 :No, you don't get it. You attempted to use the census to classify the Somalis a certain way. I then explained to you that the census is based on self-assigned ethnicity, and even quoted for you the relevant passages from the census people indicating this. That logically should have been the end of the discussion. Instead, for some reason known only to you, you chose to press the issue, suggesting against all evidence and history that Somalis classify themselves as such. And now you're arguing that they are lumped in with Blacks ""by other people"". Actually, throughout the overwhelming majority of their long history, Somalis were expressly differentiated from other groups in the Sub-Saharan region, whether it was by the ancient Greeks they traded with, who referred to Somalis as Barabaroi, or by Yaqut al-Hamawi and other medieval Arabs, who described them as dark-skinned Berbers whereas they referred to blacks as Zanj, or of course during the Hamitic craze of the late 19th century to the late 20th century. This ""black"" label is what is brand new, applied only selectively (and without any scientific validity), rejected by the Somalis themselves, and is in competition with other labels such as Arab (e.g. 1). Which brings us full circle back to the 2011 census and the fact that it is about to include an Arab entry. End of story.   "