Race and Ethnicity on the United States Census
The United States Census Bureau adheres to the 1997 Office of Management and Budget standards on race and ethnicity. Census participants may report more than one race and do so based on self-identification. Additionally, participants are asked separately to indicate whether they are of Latino origin. Currently, that is the only listed category for ethnicity. The racial categories attempt to reflect a social definition of race rather than a biological, anthropological or genetic one.[1]
Race
The United States Census Bureau provides for five choices of race on the Census. Participants can select more than one. They are as follows:[1]
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White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Black or African American – A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. American Indian or Alaska Native – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. 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. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. [2] |
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Ethnicity
A separate question from racial identity, this section on the U.S. Census asks participants to identify their origin. There are two options for this question: "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino." Because this is a separate question, participants who identify their origin as "Hispanic or Latino" may be of any race.[1]
External links
- United States Census Bureau - Race
- Population Reference Bureau,"The 2010 Census Questionnaire: Seven Questions for Everyone"
- Pew Research Center,"U.S. Census looking at big changes in how it asks about race and ethnicity," March 14, 2014
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Race-About," accessed February 4, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
