Gourt Home::Gourt :: Race (United States Census)
| The 7th federal census, in 1850, asked for Color* and gave the choices: |
| The 10th federal census, in 1880, asked for Color* and gave the choices: |
| The 22nd federal census, in 2000, had a "short form"* that asked two race/ancestry questions: |
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.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.[http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_68186.htm
Racial categories and definitions have changed over time to reflect social and politicial attitudes toward the categorization of race (see left inset).
2000 Definitions
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, 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."
Footnote
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
External links
- Census 2000 Gateway
- Racial and Ethnic Classifications Used in Census 2000 and Beyond
- Guide to filling out your Race in the U.S. Census
See also
Ethnicity (United States Census)
"Race (United States Census)"