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New Yorkers may soon be able to identify themselves as more than one race under legislation set to be introduced by the City Council on Tuesday. The measure would change dozens of official documents, including applications for public housing, registration with the Department of Small Business Services and complaint forms with the city's Commission on Human Rights. Documents required of more than 300,000 city employees would also need to be changed. Currently, city forms that ask for ethnicity or race have five options: "black, not of Hispanic origin," "white, not of Hispanic origin," "Hispanic," "Asian or Pacific Islander," and "American Indian or Alaskan native." Advocates of the bill believe the measure would provide a clearer picture of demographics and allow New Yorkers to better recognize their heritage. "I am 50 percent Irish, 25 percent Korean, and 25 percent unknown," said Corey Johnson, a City Councilman from Manhattan, who drew upon his own heritage to champion the bill during a rally on the City Council steps. Johnson, a Democrat, was one of the co-sponsors of the bill, along with Councilman Ben Kallos of Manhattan, another Democrat.

New Yorkers would be able to identify as more than one race on city documents under legislation set to be introduced in the City Council on Tuesday.

“We just wanted to bring New York City into the 21st century,” said Councilwoman Margaret Chin, a Manhattan Democrat and the lead sponsor of the measure. “This will allow New Yorkers to identify their heritage and be proud of it. They shouldn’t have to only check one box.”

The bill, which is co-sponsored by Councilman Ben Kallos and Councilman Corey Johnson, both Democrats, would require city agencies to have the capacity to maintain the new demographic information within three years of the bill becoming law.

As Americans, we have much to be thankful for. We live in a great nation with services that support us and our loved ones. As a City Council Member representing the East Side of Manhattan, I am also deeply thankful to be a New Yorker. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the many blessings that we have, and #GivingTuesday is a time to give back.

On November 25, just before Thanksgiving, I was proud to join New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to declare December 2, 2014 to be #GivingTuesday. This is a day for us to give back to the organizations and charities that are important to us. #GivingTuesday is a natural outlet for our generosity and an antidote to the shopping frenzy of the days just prior.