Race (United States Census)
| Snapshot: Race in the U.S. Census |
The 7th federal census, in 1850, asked for Color[1] and gave the choices:
*white
*black
*mulatto |
The 10th federal census, in 1880, asked for Color[2] and gave the choices:
*white
*black
*mulatto
*Chinese
*Indian |
The 22nd federal census, in 2000, had a "short form"[3] that asked two race/ancestry questions:
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, African American,
*American Indian or Alaska Native (write in tribe)
*Asian Indian
*Chinese
*Filipino
*Japanese
*Korean
*Vietnamese
*Native Hawaiian
*Guamanian or Chamorro
*Samoan
*Other Pacific Islander (write in race)
*Other race (write in race)
This census acknowledged that "race categories include both racial and national-origin groups." |
Race, as defined by the
United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget, is a self-identification data item in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify.[
4] The categories represent a social-political construct designed for collecting data on the race and ethnicity of broad population groups in this country, and are not anthropologically or scientifically based. Racial categories include both racial and national-origin groups.[
5]
Racial categories and definitions have changed over time to reflect social and politicial attitudes toward the categorization of race (
see left inset).
|
The five 2000 U.S. Census races are defined by "origins in the original peoples" from different lands. |
Racial classification was based solely on self-identification and, for the first time, did not pre-suppose disjointness. The question on race asked respondents to report the race or races they considered themselves to be. Race and ethnicity were considered separate and distinct identities, with Hispanic origin asked as a separate question.
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 shows that nearly seven million Americans identified themselves as members of one 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 U.S. population over time.The following definitions apply to the 2000 census only.
*
***"The term
White refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of
Europe, the
Middle East, or
North Africa." It includes people who indicated their race or races as
"white" or wrote in entries such as
Argentine,
Chilean,
Irish,
German,
Russian,
Italian,
Israeli,
Syrian,
Lebanese,
Iraqi,
Polish,
Spanish, or
Uruguayan. (See also
White (people), and
White American.)
*
***"The term
Black or African American refers to people having origins in any of the Black racial groups of
Africa." It includes people who indicated their race or races as "Black, African Am., or wrote in entries such as African American, Afro American,
Nigerian, or
West Indian.
*
***"
American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) refer to people having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including
Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment." It includes people who indicated their race or races by marking this category or writing in their principal or enrolled tribe, such as
Cherokee,
Chippewa,
Meherrin, or
Navajo.
*
***"
Asian refers to people having origins in any of the original peoples of the
Far East,
Southeast Asia, or the
Indian subcontinent." It includes people who indicated their race or races as "
Asian Indian", "
Chinese", "
Filipino", "
Korean", "
Japanese", "
Vietnamese", or "Other Asian", or wrote in entries such as
Burmese,
Hmong,
Pakistani, or
Thai.
*
***"The term
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) refers to people having origins in any of the indigenous peoples of
Hawaii,
Guam,
Samoa, or other
Pacific Islands. They are of
Polynesian,
Micronesian, and
Melanesian cultural backgrounds." It includes people who indicated their race or races as "
Native Hawaiian", "
Guamanian or
Chamorro", "
Samoan", or "Other Pacific Islander", or wrote in entries such as
Tahitian,
Mariana Islander,
Micronesian,
Polynesian,
Melanisians or
Chuukese. (See also:
Pacific Islander)
*
Some other races were included in 2000 census for respondents who were unable to identify with the five
Office of Management and Budget race categories. Respondents who provided write-in entries such as
South African,
Belizean, of a
Hispanic origin (for example,
Mexican,
Puerto Rican, or
Cuban), or even "
American" are included in the "Some other race" category.
*
Two or more races refers to
multiracial people. The 2000 U.S. Census provides for a combination of up to six different races. "Individuals who reported
more than one race of the six races (including 'some other race') are referred to as the
race in combination population."
The same language has been used for many years. See for example:
*
Federal Register Notice October 30, 1997*
AMENDMENT: NIH POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON THE INCLUSION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES AS SUBJECTS IN CLINICAL RESEARCH - OCTOBER, 2001*
Census 2000 Gateway*
Racial and Ethnic Classifications Used in Census 2000 and Beyond*
Guide to filling out your Race in the U.S. Census*
Ethnicity (United States Census)*
Ancestry (United States Census)*
Language (United States Census)*
United States Census, 2000*
race*
Social construction
