Race and ethnicity in the United States Census Totally Explained

Everything about Latino U S Census totally explained

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're of Hispanic or Latino origin (ethnicity).
The racial categories represent a social-political construct designed for the race or races they consider themselves to be and "generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country". 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".
Race and ethnicity were 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: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino. In 1997, OMB issued a Federal Register Notice titled "Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity", which provided new racial and ethnic definitions.

Census 2000

Race

Race was asked differently in the Census 2000 in several 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 when interpreting changes in the racial composition of the US population over time.

Snapshot: Race in the US Census

The 7th federal census, in 1850, asked for Color and gave the choices:

white
black
mulatto

The 10th federal census, in 1880, asked for Color and gave the choices:

white

black

mulatto

Chinese

Indian

The 22nd federal census, in 2000, had a "short form" that asked one ethnic and one race/ancestry question:
1. Is the person Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?

No, not Spanish/Hispanic/Latino

Yes, Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano

Yes, Puerto Rican

Yes, Cuban

Yes, other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino (write in group) 2. What is the person's race?

White

Black or African American

American Indian or Alaska Native (write in tribe)

Asian Indian

Chinese

Filipino

Japanese

Korean

Vietnamese

Native Hawaiian

Guamanian or Chamorro

Samoans

Other Pacific Islander (write in race)

Other race (write in race) This census acknowledged that "race categories include both racial and national-origin groups."

The following definitions apply to the 2000 census only.

"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, Near Easterner, Arab, or Polish." The Office of Management and Budget 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." In 2001, the National Institutes of Health adopted the new language to comply with Directive 15.
Many US residents see race and ethnicity as the same concept. In the absence of any racial choice that fits their understanding of themselves, 42.2 percent of Hispanics checked "some other race" in Census 2000.

Other agencies

In 2007 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of the US Department of Labor updated its racial and ethnic categories to adhere to the current OMB definitions. See Race and ethnicity (EEO).

Further Information

Get more info on 'Latino U S Census'.

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