For the first time, the decennial census in 2020 prompted all respondents to provide detailed race and ethnicity responses. We also made improvements to question design, coding and processing, following extensive research and feedback from stakeholders and subject matter experts on detailed race and ethnicity reporting. 

One of the improvements was using a combined Hispanic Origin and Race Code List for coding data from the ethnicity and race questions. By combining the code lists, we expanded the number of groups that could be coded in each question. For example, if someone reported their detailed Hispanic origin response in the race question, we were easily able to code it because all detailed Hispanic origin groups are included in the newly combined code list.

Our improvements include adding distinct codes for the specific responses of Afro-Latino and of Garifuna, also known as Garinagu, allowing for the tabulation of the number of people who provided these specific terms in response to the ethnicity question. With the release of the 2020 Census Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A (Detailed DHC-A), those counts are now available. 

The U.S. Census Bureau recognizes that the Afro-Latino population is not limited to people who responded by providing the specific terms of Afro-Latino or Garifuna within their responses to the ethnicity question. The primary way of deriving counts for the Afro-Latino population is by tabulating those who identified as Hispanic or Latino in the ethnicity question and identified as Black or African American in the race question. Respondents could identify as Hispanic or Latino and Black or African American in many ways – by checking multiple boxes and/or writing in specific identities. In this paper, we present three different ways of tabulating Afro-Latino responses. 

Again, the Census Bureau used stakeholder feedback to determine how to code Afro-Latino and Garifuna responses, and we plan to continue engaging stakeholders as we prepare for the 2030 Census.