Race and ethnicity in the United States census information
Self-identification collected by the U.S. census
In the United States census, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget define a set of self-identified categories of race and ethnicity chosen by residents, with which they most closely identify. Residents can indicate their origins alongside their race, and are asked specifically whether they are of Hispanic or Latino origin in a separate question.[1][2]
The racial categories represent a social-political construct for the race or races that respondents 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 census to be not "scientific or anthropological", and takes into account "social and cultural characteristics as well as ancestry", using "appropriate scientific methodologies" that are not "primarily biological or genetic in reference." The race categories include both racial and national-origin groups.[3][4][5]
Race and ethnicity are considered separate and distinct identities, with a person's origins considered in the census. Thus, in addition to their race or races, all respondents are categorized by membership in one of two ethnic categories, which are "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino." However, the practice of separating "race" and "ethnicity" as different categories has been criticized both by the American Anthropological Association and members of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.[6][7]
In 1997, the OMB issued a Federal Register notice regarding revisions to the standards for the classification of federal data on race and ethnicity.[8] The OMB developed race and ethnic standards in order to provide "consistent data on race and ethnicity throughout the federal government". The development of the data standards stem in large measure from new responsibilities to enforce civil rights laws. Among the changes, The OMB issued the instruction to "mark one or more races" after noting evidence of increasing numbers of mixed-race children and wanting to record diversity in a measurable way after having received requests by people who wanted to be able to acknowledge theirs and their children's full ancestry, rather than identifying with only one group. Prior to this decision, the census and other government data collections asked people to report singular races.[4]
As of 2023, the OMB built on the 1997 guidelines and suggested the addition of a Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) racial category and considered combining racial and ethnic categories into one question.[9][10] In March 2024, the Office of Management and Budget published revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity that included a combined question and a MENA category, while also collecting additional detail to enable data disaggregation.[11]
^"American FactFinder Help: Race". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 19, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
^"American FactFinder Help: Hispanic or Latino origin". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
^"American FactFinder Help: Ethnic Groups". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 19, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
^ ab"Questions and Answers for Census 2000 Data on Race". United States Census Bureau. March 14, 2001. Archived from the original on April 5, 2001. Retrieved April 25, 2010.
^""A Brief History of the OMB Directive 15"". "Response to OMB Directive 15" (PDF) (Report). American Anthropological Association. September 1997. Retrieved May 18, 2007.
^Reynolds, Gerald A.; Thernstrom, Abigail; Gaziano, Todd; Heriot, Gail; Kirsanow, Peter N.; Melendez, Arlan D.; Taylor, Ashley L. Jr; Yaki, Michael (April 7, 2006). "Racial Categorization in the 2010 Census" (PDF). University of Maryland: Thurgood Marshall Law Library. US Commission of Civil Rights. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
^"American Anthropological Association Response to OMB Directive 15". Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
^"Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. October 30, 1997. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
^Faguy, Ana. "Census Changes: Biden Administration Proposes New Categories For Race And Ethnicity". Forbes. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
^Lai, K.K. Rebecca; Medina, Jennifer (October 16, 2023). "An American Puzzle: Fitting Race in a Box". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
^Orvis, Karin (March 28, 2024). "OMB Publishes Revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity | OMB". The White House. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
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