Race and ethnicity in the United States Census
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Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are of Hispanic or Latino origin (ethnicity).[1][2]
The racial categories represent a social-political construct designed for the race or races that respondents consider themselves to be and "generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country."[3] The OMB defines the concept of race as outlined for the US Census as not "scientific or anthropological" and takes into account "social and cultural characteristics as well as ancestry" using "appropriate scientific methodologies" but not "primarily biological or genetic in reference."[4]
Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic or Latino origin asked as a separate question. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnicities, which are "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino". In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice which provided revised racial and ethnic definitions.[5]
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[edit] Census 2000
[edit] Race
Race was asked differently in the Census 2000 in several other ways than previously. Most significantly, respondents were given the option of selecting one or more race categories to indicate their racial identities. Data show that nearly seven million Americans identified themselves as members of two or more races. Because of these changes, the Census 2000 data on race are not directly comparable with data from the 1990 census or earlier censuses. Caution must be used, therefore, when interpreting changes in the racial composition of the US population over time.
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The 7th federal census, in 1850, asked for "Color"[6] and gave the choices:
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The 10th federal census, in 1880, asked for "Color"[7] and gave the choices:
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| The 22nd federal census, in 2000, had a "short form"[8] that asked one ethnic and one race/ancestry question (questions 1-6 not reproduced here, questions 7 and 8 paraphrased):
7. Is the person Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?
8. What is the person's race?
This census acknowledged that "race categories include both racial and national-origin groups." |
The following definitions apply to the 2000 census only.[9]
- "White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "White" or report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish."[9]
- "Black or African American. A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as 'Black, African Am., or Negro,' or provide written entries such as African American, Afro American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian."[9]
- "American Indian and Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment."[9]
- "Asian. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. It includes "Asian Indian," "Chinese," "Filipino," "Korean," "Japanese," "Vietnamese," and "Other Asian.""[9]
- "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people who indicate their race as "Native Hawaiian," "Guamanian or Chamorro," "Samoan," and "Other Pacific Islander.""[9]
- "Some other race. Includes all other responses not included in the "White", "Black or African American", "American Indian and Alaska Native", "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander" race categories described above. Respondents providing write-in entries such as multiracial, mixed, interracial, We-Sort, or a Hispanic/Latino group (for example, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban) in the "Some other race" category are included here."[9]
- "Two or more races. People may have chosen to provide two or more races either by checking two or more race response check boxes, by providing multiple write-in responses, or by some combination of check boxes and write-in responses."[9]
[edit] Ethnicity
The Federal government of the United States has mandated that "in data collection and presentation, federal agencies are required to use a minimum of two ethnicities: "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino.""[10] The Census Bureau defines "Hispanic or Latino" as "a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race."[10] For discussion of the meaning and scope of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, see the Hispanic and Latino Americans and Racial and ethnic demographics of the United States articles.
Use of the word ethnicity for Hispanicity only is considerably more restricted than its conventional meaning, which covers other distinctions, some of which are covered by the "race" and "ancestry" questions. The distinct questions accommodate the possibility of Hispanic and Latino Americans' also declaring various racial identities (see also White Hispanic and Latino Americans, Asian Latinos, and Black Hispanic and Latino Americans).
In the 2000 Census, 12.5% of the US population reported "Hispanic or Latino" ethnicity and 87.5% reported "Not-Hispanic or Latino" ethnicity.[10]
[edit] Other agencies
In 2001, the National Institutes of Health adopted the new language to comply with the revisions to Directive 15,[11] as did the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of the United States Department of Labor in 2007.[12] See Race and ethnicity (EEO).
[edit] Relation between ethnicity and race in census results
The Census Bureau warns that data on race in Census 2000 are not directly comparable to those collected in previous censuses.[9] It has also been noted that many US residents see race and ethnicity as the same concept.[4]
| Race | Hispanic or Latino |
% of H/L |
% of US |
Not Hispanic or Latino |
% of Not H/L |
% of US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any races | 35,305,818 | 100 | 12.5 | 246,116,088 | 100 | 87.5 |
| One race: | 33,081,736 | 93.7 | 11.8 | 241,513,942 | 98.1 | 85.8 |
| White | 16,907,852 | 47.9 | 6.0 | 194,552,774 | 79.1 | 69.1 |
| Black or African A. |
710,353 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 33,947,837 | 13.8 | 12.1 |
| A. Indian/ Alaska Nat. |
407,073 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 2,068,883 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
| Asian | 119,829 | 0.3 | <0.1 | 10,123,169 | 4.1 | 3.6 |
| Hawaiian N. & Pacific Is. |
45,326 | 0.1 | <0.1 | 353,509 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Some other | 14,891,303 | 42.2 | 5.3 | 467,770 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| 2+ races: | 2,224,082 | 6.3 | 0.8 | 4,602,146 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Some other + W/B/N/A |
1,859,538 | 5.3 | 0.7 | 1,302,875 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 2+ W/B/N/A | 364,544 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 3,299,271 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
[edit] 2010 Census
The 2010 US Census will have changes designed to more clearly distinguish the Hispanic ethnicity as not being a race. That may include adding the sentence: "For this census, Hispanic origins are not races."[13] Additionally, the Hispanic terms will be reordered from "Hispanic or Latino" to "Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin".[13]
In response to a very large percentage of Hispanics marking "Some other race" (a non-standard category),[10] the 2010 US Census is considering removing the "Some other race" category.[14]
[edit] See also
- Language (United States Census)
- Race in the United States
- Racial and ethnic demographics of the United States
- United States Census, 2000
- Criticism of the term Latino
- Race (classification of human beings)
[edit] References
- ^ "American FactFinder Help: Race". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/epss/glossary_r.html. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ "American FactFinder Help: Hispanic or Latino origin". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/epss/glossary_h.html. Retrieved 2008-10-08.
- ^ "Questions and Answers for Census 2000 Data on Race". United States Census Bureau. 2001-03-14. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/raceqandas.html. Retrieved 2006-10-15.
- ^ a b "A Brief History of the OMB Directive 15". American Anthropological Association. 1997. http://www.aaanet.org/gvt/ombdraft.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-18.
- ^ "Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity". Office of Management and Budget. 1997-10-30. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/1997standards.html. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ "1850 United States Federal Census Form" (pdf). The Generations Network. 2007. http://c.ancestry.com/pdf/trees/charts/1850.pdf. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
- ^ "1880 United States Federal Census Form" (pdf). The Generations Network. 2007. http://c.ancestry.com/pdf/trees/charts/1880.pdf. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
- ^ "2000 US Census Short Form" (pdf). U.S. Census Bureau. 2000. http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/pdf/d61a.pdf.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "2000 Census of Population, Public Law 94-171 Redistricting Data File: Race". U.S. Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_68178.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
- ^ a b c d Grieco, Elizabeth M.; Cassidy, Rachel C. (2001-03). "Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: Census 2000 Brief" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/cenbr01-1.pdf.
- ^ "Amendment: NIH Policy and Guidelines on the Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research". National Institutes of Health. 2001-10-09. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-02-001.html.
- ^ Final Revisions of the Employer Information Report (EEO-1) by the EEOC. The page contains links to FAQs, forms and instructions
- ^ a b Waite, Preston. US Census Bureau. "2010 Decennial Census Program." 2006. accessed July 7, 2008.
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau (2003-01-16). "Census Bureau to Test Changes in Questionnaire, New Response Technology". Press release. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/2010_census/000543.html.
