Expert: Eric Shangle - 7/10/2007

Question
Hello Eric,
For government programs, how is it determined if a person is a "minority"? Is geography a factor, ie., zip code, city, county or what?
And, what percent of a persons wherewithal is required to meet the standard of "minority"?
Could a person be in the majority in a city, but be in the minority of the county? If so, how is eligibility determined?
thanks

Answer
Nerol,
This is slightly outside my area of expertise, however I did track down some information for you.  I am sorry for the delay in answering.  I am answering this from a business perspective.  If you are asking about minorities in terms of individuals, that is something different and should be addressed through the organization you are dealing with.  Each organization will have its own classifications of minorities (usually).

You should contact the Small Business Administration with the federal government.  They are the ones who set forth guidelines on these "minority" classifications.  Usually every federal office has their own SBA (Small Business Administration) representative.  They can give you the information you will need to get the answers.

www.sba.gov

This website is another great resource.
Best of luck.
Eric